Pomona College
Pomona is the founding member of the Claremont Colleges, a small liberal-arts college 35 miles east of Los Angeles at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains — sunny, palm-and-oak campus on one side, snow-dusted peaks on the other. Its signature is the Sponsor Program: every first-year is placed in a "sponsor group" of about 15, led by two or three sophomore sponsors who live right down the hall, so you arrive already belonging to a small family. First-years live together on South Campus in halls like Mudd-Blaisdell, Wig, and Lyon Court — none air-conditioned, but the dry heat is eased by school-approved evaporative coolers — and share dining and classes across the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges next door.
What to wear in Claremont, month by month
The national lists assume everyone needs a winter coat. Here the real questions are heat, sun, and rain — plus clothes for buildings kept ice-cold against it.
| Move-in (late Aug) | 62–95°F | Hot, dry, sunny late-summer days with a big drop after sunset. First-year halls have no A/C, so plan on an evaporative cooler or fan; pack sunscreen and a water bottle. |
| Sept–Oct | 58–90°F | Still summer-warm well into fall, with the occasional hot, dry Santa Ana wind. Shorts and light layers. |
| Nov–Dec | 44–70°F | Mild and pleasant, cooling in the evenings, with the peaks above campus turning white. A light jacket and a sweater. |
| Jan–Feb | 42–68°F | The "winter" — sunny days in the 60s, cool nights, and the rainy season's occasional storms. A warmer layer and a rain jacket. |
| Mar–May | 48–82°F | Warm, green, and increasingly sunny, with wildflowers up in the foothills. Layers for cool mornings and warm afternoons. |
What Pomona College lets you bring
- An evaporative (swamp) cooler or a good fan — the first-year South Campus halls have no A/C, and personal window/portable A/C units are not allowed; a swamp cooler is the school-approved way to cool a room in the dry SoCal heat
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat — the sun is strong and the air is dry at the base of the San Gabriels
- A light jacket for cool desert evenings and the few chilly winter mornings
- A reusable water bottle for the dry climate
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Personal window or portable air-conditioner units — use a school-approved evaporative cooler instead in non-A/C halls
- Candles, incense, and any open flame
- Halogen lamps and space heaters
- Pets other than fish
These come from Pomona College's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at Pomona College
- 01After you deposit
Complete the incoming-student housing form
First-years are guaranteed on-campus housing. Fill out the summer housing and roommate questionnaire — it's used to build your sponsor group and place you in a South Campus first-year hall.
- 02Summer
Get your sponsor group, hall, and roommate
Over the summer you'll learn your sponsor group, residence hall, room, and roommate, and hear from your sophomore sponsors before move-in.
- 03From Aug 10
Ship boxes and buy a cooler
The Pomona mailroom accepts packages beginning about two weeks before move-in (around August 10). Order an evaporative cooler and a mini fridge/microwave, and finish the required online modules and medical forms — they're needed to get your room key.
- 04Aug 22
Move in for orientation
Move-in for the Class of 2030 is Saturday, August 22, 2026, 8:00–10:30am, followed by New Student Orientation. Medical records and training modules must be complete to receive your key.
Where you'll live at Pomona College
The Sponsor Program & first-year halls
Pomona doesn't do RAs for first-years the way most schools do — it does sponsors. Every new student joins a sponsor group of about 15, guided by two or three sophomores who live among them and build the group into a tight community from day one. Sponsor groups are clustered together in the South Campus first-year halls; you're placed there over the summer. None are air-conditioned, so plan for a swamp cooler.
The big South Campus first-year hall — over 280 students, with two central lounges, two kitchens, and a courtyard. Singles, doubles, and triples, and a hub of sponsor-group life. No A/C.
A three-story South Campus hall housing primarily first-years, with a lounge, kitchen, and an adjacent recreation area. Singles, doubles, and triples. No A/C.
A South Campus first-year hall of one-room doubles and triples, with a lounge, kitchen, and study rooms. No A/C.
There's no room draw for new students: you complete a summer questionnaire, and Residence Life places you into a sponsor group and a first-year hall with your roommate before you arrive.
The Pomona College move-in checklist
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Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Your items
Anything you add gets its own Shop link, and saves on this device.
Claremont logistics, sorted
How to send a package to a Pomona student
Pomona College Mailroom
150 E. 8th Street
Claremont, CA 91711
Sponsors, not RAs
The seven Claremont Colleges
Claremont & around
Claremont Village
A walkable historic downtown right beside campus — 50-plus shops and restaurants, the Claremont Packing House food hall, a small movie theater, and the Metrolink station into LA.
The San Gabriel Mountains
The peaks rise straight behind Claremont — Mount Baldy and the foothill trails are minutes away, and they get real snow in winter.
California Botanic Garden
The largest botanic garden devoted to California native plants, on the north edge of Claremont — an easy, lovely visit for parents.
Los Angeles & the coast
Downtown LA is about 35 miles west (reachable by Metrolink train from Claremont), with the beaches, mountains, and deserts of Southern California all within a day trip.
Where to stay near Pomona College
DoubleTree by Hilton Claremont
~5 minA full-service hotel in the San Gabriel foothills, just blocks from the Claremont Colleges — the dependable, close first choice for visiting families.
Hotel Casa 425
WalkableA stylish boutique hotel right on the town square in Claremont Village, steps from restaurants, cafes, and campus — the special-occasion pick.
Sheraton Fairplex Hotel
~15 minA larger full-service hotel at the Fairplex in neighboring Pomona, a handy fallback when Claremont's few hotels are full.
Pomona College gear & gifts
Pomona College — links & contacts
- Housing & Residence Life: Visit page
- Mailroom: Visit page