Pomona College Admissions : More Than High Marks Needed to Make the Grade

Sheryl Spain worried that she would not get into Pomona College. “I think admissions officers probably get sick of All-American types like me,” said the Palo Alto High School senior who is a varsity basketball player, a pianist and a student government leader.

But that was in March. By last week, Sheryl--who ranked in the top 5% of her class at the competitive high school and scored very well on her Scholastic Aptitude Tests--had been admitted to Pomona, Stanford University, Amherst College and UC San Diego, and was in the enviable position of choosing among those prestigious schools. “She was solid enough to make the first cut. It was pretty straightforward,” said Bruce Poch, Pomona’s dean of admissions.

Another easy decision was to deny admission to one of Sheryl’s classmates--a boy who scored almost the same as Sheryl on the SATs and also was an athlete. But, he ranked in only the top 40% of the senior class academically, had not taken as strong a curriculum, and had submitted what were judged to be weak essays with his application to Pomona.

About 60% of the nearly 3,000 applications for this fall’s freshman class at Pomona were either approved or rejected fairly early in the selection process. The rest were debated by Pomona’s admissions staff during free-wheeling and often grueling sessions in the last weeks of March, followed by a faculty committee’s review of the thorniest decisions. The sessions, similar to ones held at most colleges nationwide, were where many of the institutional and societal pressures on the admissions process did battle.

“What’s neat about this is that each kid represents an issue, whether it’s music or grades” explained Poch.

Other Factors Noted

Also on that list of issues were mental health, sociability, alumni connections, alleged racist views, acting talents and athletic abilities of potential members of the Class of 1992.

A Times reporter was allowed to attend the admissions debates at the small, liberal arts college in Claremont on the condition that names of youngsters who were rejected or placed on the waiting list not appear in print. Names of these applicants have been changed.

The discussions began after two Pomona staff members had reviewed each student’s folder containing a high school transcript, SAT scores, recommendations from teachers and a counselor, two essays by the applicant and, in some cases, rankings by Pomona’s sports coaches and arts professors. The staffers then graded the candidates on a scale of A, strong admit, to D, strong denial.

For example, one of the candidates to be debated was Susan Johnson (not her real name), who ranked 18th on the women’s swim coach’s wish list, scored well on the SATs and was in the top 28% of her class at a well-regarded Northern California public school. However, she did not take many of the advanced placement courses available and her essays did not shine. “Perhaps good in the swimming pool but mediocre in the applicant pool,” wrote one Pomona admissions officer who, as did another, ranked her C, meaning soft denial.

Richard Elderkin, an associate professor of mathematics who was chairman of the faculty committee on admissions, talked about the basic dilemma: “Do we want a class of well-rounded individuals or do we want a well-rounded class of lopsided individuals? We do insist on certain basic competence all round. The poet has to have a certain amount of strength in quantifiable areas and likewise the math major is expected to be able to write well.” Beyond that, he said, Pomona wants students who have “something special” to offer and that “something” is hard to define.

Elderkin’s panel had met several times in the fall and winter to discuss standards and to approve 32 of the 75 early admissions candidates. It convened again on March 8 for one last general discussion before the crunch. Its members were six teachers, an alumni representative plus two students who share one vote. Poch, the dean of students and the financial aid director were ex officio members. Many colleges do not have such a final review and their admissions decisions are left to the staff.

Student Presents View

Peter Yoo, a student representative, said the campus was too apathetic and urged the admission of students who appear likely leaders in extracurricular activities and politics. Richard Fass, college vice president and dean of students, stressed the need “to keep the integrity of the process” and told decision-makers not to give in to pressures from coaches or faculty for a particular swimmer or actor unless the students clearly can do the class work. Others mentioned they wanted to see geographic and ethnic diversity.

With that advice in mind, the professional staff began its debates a few days later. For 10 days, through the weekend, sometimes starting in the morning and ending at 10 p.m., they sat around a large table in Poch’s office in stately Sumner Hall, flipping through enormous computer printouts containing a few lines of statistics for each application.

Unless something unusual arose, a review took only about five minutes. Someone read a summary of recommendations and readers’ comments. Discussion followed--serious, flippant, spirited, apathetic.

Parents’ occupations were usually mentioned. “His parents should have known better,” snapped one reader about a California applicant’s weak courses; the mother is a lawyer, the father a doctor.

At the end of each discussion, a show of hands made the decision, with Poch getting an extra vote in case of a tie. Again and again for more than 1,000 times, the questions: Admit? Wait list? Deny? Admit? Wait list? Deny?

Tough Decisions Recalled

Among the tough decisions:

- A girl from a private school in Los Angeles with 1,140 SATs and a grade point average of 3.2, which put her below the midpoint of her graduating class and the Pomona applicant pool. (The median SAT score for all those eventually offered admission was 1,390 out of a possible 1,600--in the top 4% of all those tested nationwide last year.) But the applicant received very strong recommendations from teachers who discussed her unusual and strong interest in medieval history and art. She was given five votes for admit, two for wait list, one for deny.

- An East Coast applicant from an expensive and tiny prep school who had 1,211 SATs, was student body president and editor of the school newspaper. However, his essays were flat and the staff said the school is known for inflated grading. Yet, he was “a tribute,” slang for having alumni connections; his mother is a Pomona alumna and his father attended Claremont McKenna College, one of the sister schools in the Claremont Colleges consortium. “If he weren’t a tribute, I wouldn’t put him in the ballpark,” staffer Peter Osgood said. The vote: three to admit, four for wait list, one for denial. He was wait-listed.

- An applicant from a Western state who had 1,200 SATs and very good grades but his recommendations were reserved and he showed no distinctive extracurricular activities. The first vote was for wait list. Then, Admissions Director Lorne Robinson, the second-in-command, pointed out that the youth was the strongest candidate from that state, which traditionally sends few to Pomona. He and others said they worry whether the decision will discourage any future applications. A second vote was unanimous for admittance. “We need some geographic mixture,” Robinson said.

- An East Coast applicant with 1,370 SATs, in the top 10% of his class and with a record of taking the toughest courses. Yet, his recommendations were not enthusiastic and his essays were deemed dry and immature. In the one where applicants must write about possessions, he chose his match box collection and the view from his bedroom window--which reviewers felt showed a narrow view of the world. The consensus was a “D&B; diligrind,” in-house slang for a dull and boring, diligent worker. Poch argued for wait list: “There’s nothing wrong with him. He certainly could do the work and we may need him.” The vote was three admits, four wait lists, one deny.

For Susan Johnson of Northern California, being on the swim team was not enough to overcome a weak course load. The vote was unanimous for wait list. “She certainly could do the work but compared to others, she just didn’t make the cut,” Poch said. Susan was accepted at Claremont McKenna, Colgate, Georgetown, Middlebury and Wesleyan, but rejected by the University of Pennsylvania.

“I was a little disappointed,” she said last week of Pomona’s decision. She speculated that her SAT scores of 1,250 might have been a bit low for Pomona. “I can imagine the decision is hard for them to make because there are so many qualified kids.”

A high school counselor called such waiting lists “a way to be kind to be cruel.” Staff Director Robinson said he believes that the list should be smaller because the uncertainty is too frustrating to candidates. However, Poch wanted and got a list of 404, four times last year’s, but which was expected to drop to about 75 after the rest decide to enroll elsewhere.

Ensures Full Class

The list ensures the class is filled and diverse, Poch said, and candidates will be considered “to protect institutional needs”--a black, a Southerner, a scientist could be first in line if the enrollment falls short and the class is short in one of those categories.

As the decision process went on, he and his staff looked increasingly bedraggled and one woman was sent home to get some sleep. The admissions office suite had piles of papers everywhere. Poch kept bottles of anti-acid medicine on his desk.

Eventually, less than a third of the debates led to approval.

On March 22, the faculty committee convened for what was the first of three consecutive nights, discussing and voting on a total of 18 cases raised by them or Poch. The sessions had an extra layer of tension because some members complained that they participated less in the decisions than they had in previous years; others said they thought that Poch, in his first year as dean, had made the process more efficient.

Their cases included:

- An East Coast applicant who worked for a year after high school as a systems analyst and had 1,330 SATs, a very high physics achievement test score and a decent overall GPA. However, he received a couple of Cs and one D in his senior year and his school report said he lost interest. On the other hand, recommendations from his employers were very positive. Fass, the dean of students, said: “He is potential for trouble but he may have overcome his problems.” Staffer Jeanette Woo said: “He’s had the year to grow up.” The vote was four for admit, two for wait list.

- A California applicant high on the football coach’s wish list, with an excellent GPA, wonderfully descriptive essay about life on the playing field and enthusiastic letters. His verbal SAT was a respectable 650 but his math score was 450 and he earned a recent C and D in math and science courses. Although the staff had recommended wait list, the faculty panel voted six to one to switch him to admit. Peter Osgood, staff liaison to the coaches, was pleased: “I would hate to see this kid play for Occidental (College) and take down three of our quarterbacks.”

- An East Coast applicant described as a Pomona blue-blood, with parents, two grandparents and two great-grandparents all alumni and generous to the school. However, the boy had a B average and failed a recent calculus course; he had 490 in verbal SAT, although a very good 670 in math. Some teachers argued that allowances should be made because he lived abroad for years. They were clearly reluctant to break what will be a fourth-generation line. He was admitted unanimously.

- A woman from a Southern state who had 1,420 in SATs and extremely high grades. Her otherwise warm recommendations said she came from a terrible family situation, was unstable and needed counseling. Fass said her problems could be destructive to her and to other Pomona students. “But having said that, I don’t predict when people can pull themselves together. She might be worth the chance.” Robinson talked about her very strong academic record. Without a vote, the faculty consensus was that she should remain on the admit list.

Even more troubling were teacher reports on a girl from the West who had 1,410 SATs and high grades. However, teachers called her “inflexible and arrogant,” “moody with little sense of humor,” “a human study machine.” This provoked a lot of debate about sociability on a small campus and how a total grind does not fit in. She received four votes for the wait list, two for admit, one for deny.

Also discussed was an applicant whose case had been debated at length in earlier rounds. The problem was his essay, which advocated birth control for “the lower classes.”

“There is a classism and intolerance that radiated in the essay and it is not what I think we are trying to promote here,” Poch said. The longest discussion of all ensued. Should a 17-year-old be judged by political ideas he may have garnered from his family? Should admissions have a political litmus test? Shouldn’t the college try to enlighten him? Fass argued that the school should not screen out controversial views unless someone appeared likely to act on his intolerance. Kevin Brown, the minority recruiter, passionately argued that the essay was evidence of just that. “It is enough of a struggle to make it comfortable on campus for minorities,” he said, swinging sentiment to his view. The vote was unanimous for denial.

Differing Assessments

Rosemary Choate, the alumni representative on the admissions committee, said she had bumped into an official of a private girls school who enthused about a student, calling the applicant “the best in years.” Choate read the file and saw the girl had a nearly perfect GPA, powerful recommendations and strong extracurriculars, but that respectable 1,220 SATs and two mediocre achievement test scores had put her on the wait list.

“I think we can be technocrats, but these are human beings,” she said. Some staffers said the accidental discussion with the school official gave the girl an unfair advantage. The meeting quickly devolved into rancor, with both sides later conceding that the case raised wider disagreements between Choate and Poch. A vote was postponed until the next night when the student representative strongly praised the girl’s extracurricular activities. The vote was six to one for admission.

Later, Choate maintained that she was pleased with the decision, despite the controversy. “Yes, this woman was lucky,” she said of the candidate. “But our job is to find those needles in the haystack using any additional information we receive. No system is foolproof and I’m always worried about the kid who got away we don’t know about. . . . Pomona is not Berkeley where sheer numbers control things. That is the nature of a small college.”

Few Recommendations Changed

By the end, only a handful of staff recommendations were changed. However, the admit list was longer than it should have been. “There’s going to be blood on the floor,” said one staffer as Poch began to look for possible cuts among all the candidates who had been admitted with a one-vote margin. Eight of those students were shifted to the wait list. They will never know that they were almost admitted to Pomona, never know the friends they might have made there or the job connections they might have built. “That was not a pleasant task,” Poch said.

The financial aid office then finished its own work and that information was added to many of the letters being drafted. But then, a computer breakdown delayed for two days the mailings of the nearly 1,134 letters offering admission, 404 for the wait list and 1,315 rejections. (Early decision letters were mailed months before and 35 other students either withdrew or never finished their applications.)

“The real relief comes when you are licking the envelopes,” Robinson said. “That lasts a weekend.”

Attention shifted quickly to another task: the so-called yield. With telephone calls, letters, campus visits and parties at alumni homes around the country, the admissions staff began wooing those accepted to enroll at Pomona. That is especially difficult with the top rung of students, many of whom are likely to be accepted at places such as Stanford, Yale or Amherst.

Tough to Keep Minorities

It is also tough to keep the best minority students, who were being wooed simultaneously by other good schools. “We will absolutely bombard them with our voices and letters in between the time of acceptance and May 1, when they have to make their decision,” said Kelly Salazar, a minority recruiter for Pomona.

Last year, about 390 freshman enrolled at Pomona. That was about 30 more than expected and led to some quick changes of single-bed dormitory rooms into double occupancies. This year, the school accepted somewhat fewer students in hopes that the target of 360 freshmen is better met. Nevertheless, Poch conceded: “Estimating the size of the class is crap-shooting at best.”

Meanwhile, the admission office’s phones began to ring with nervous queries from the wait-listed. They were advised to give a deposit at another school by the usual May 1 deadline because review of the Pomona wait list would not begin until after that date and the chances of admission from the wait list appeared not very good. Otherwise, a student might wind up with no college to attend.

And, there were plenty of angry letters and calls from the rejected, with alumni families often upset.

“I think the hardest part is that we have to turn down so many good students and for many of them, it’s the first time they, quote, failed, unquote, although I don’t view it as failed,” staffer Woo said. “We are not saying they all are not capable of graduating from Pomona, but we want a well-rounded class. . . . I truly think there is a college out there for everybody, regardless of what they want to do with their life.”

Urges Calm Look

Michael Thorpe, the college counselor at Belmont High School in Los Angeles, agreed. “A lot of what I do this time of year is to try to get students to put their rejections in perspective, not to view it as a mark of inadequacy. Otherwise, they can take it very hard,” he said.

Poch said he listened to the complaints about rejection and usually described the selectivity and the toughness of the competition.

“The irony in all of this,” he said, “is that one of the reasons they were attracted to Pomona is because so few are accepted. It’s kind of like that Groucho Marx joke: ‘I don’t care to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.’ ”