Zion Culbreath
English 1102
March 10th, 2022
zculbreath1@gastate.view.usg.edu
Summary
Pomona college is a relatively small private school in Southern California that is esteemed for its high academic standards and commitment to excellence. The university prides itself on admitting students who are both diverse in their background and accomplished in their academics, best demonstrated by its 6.6% admit rate and the different 60 countries that students originate from (Pomona College Home). The Pomona website persuades students to apply to the school through rhetorical strategies like effective tone and sentence structure and idealizing different audiences.
Analysis
Considering that the name “Pomona” and the town “Claremont” are not very popular among most people, the Pomona website is an important resource for promoting the school and the opportunities it presents. To accomplish this, the website features a plethora of rhetorical language and strategies that hold readers’ attention and shape their perception of the college. The most prominent strategies on the website are the use of a direct and hospitable tone and an overarching theme of idealizing potential audiences.
As opposed to a tone that is strict or stoic, the Pomona website uses a more inviting tone to convey its message and sway its readers. This is primarily accomplished through simple sentences that appeal to readers’ sense of community and belonging. For instance, on the diversity page, the opening sentence states that “diversity isn’t a buzzword. It’s crucial to our educational mission” (Diversity & Access at Pomona). This statement is brief and direct but ensures that readers understand the emphasis Pomona places on inclusion and creates an air of welcome in the process. This is also effective because the words used are not overly pompous or bombastic, but instead more common and familiar, making the page feel more readable and relatable. Much of the same is on the student life page, which features inviting verbiage like references to a “close-knit community” and “forging connections, making lifelong friends, and learning and discovering new passions” (Life at Pomona). The use of familiar speech and the frequent references to community and locality drive home the author’s hospitable tone and augment Pomona’s argument for students to consider the school.
Similarly, the Pomona website advertises the school by imagining its potential visitors and catering to their possible reservations and situations. An example of this is how the page references and details Pomona’s admissions process for undocumented students. Since southern California has a vast immigrant population, many applicants to the school are undocumented residents and have issues applying to schools because of this. To ensure that these students understand their value to Pomona, the school dedicates a whole page to this issue, stating that “Since 2007, in the admissions and financial aid processes, the College has fully reviewed applications from undocumented and DACAmented students who graduate from a U.S. high school by the same criteria as for all domestic students” (Undocumented/DACAmented applicants). In doing so, the website appeals to a specific group of readers and confirms their commitment to inclusion. The website also imagines the potential reader’s perspective by considering the likelihood that students will see career success after Pomona, knowing that most applicants see college as a steppingstone. To appeal to these readers, the website asserts that upon graduation, 95% of students either accept a job/internship offer or are admitted to graduate school (Outcomes: Your Future). By referencing the long-term value that the school can provide for its students, the Pomona website appeals to readers’ potential fears and assuages them. Likewise, knowing that a sense of purpose is important to prospective students, the school ensures that its commitments extend beyond academics and include community service. This is best captured in the quote, “They only are loyal to this college who, departing, bear their added riches in trust for mankind” (Community Engagement). Through this quote, the website imagines its readers and their motivations and aligns them with the school, thus further promoting the theme of idealizing its audience.
Response
After scoping the Pomona website and analyzing the rhetorical strategies that it used, I am convinced that I would attend this university. Considering that I am a minority student, inclusion is very important to me and my college experience, so their insistence on diversity appeals to me. I was unsure if this would be possible at a private university, but the information on the website assures me that I would feel a sense of belonging at the school. Another thing that draws me to the school is the idea of living in Southern California and experiencing that culture. The website details how visually appealing the area is and how many different activities are possible at the college. Though I have always lived in Georgia, I would be open to experiencing something new and different and California seems to be an attractive location. Though the website was persuasive in most areas, it did fail to convince me that the level of rigor wouldn’t be a stressor. The numbers regarding the academic profile of accepted students were intimidating, and though I understand that the school intends to challenge students, I feel that I would probably struggle in this environment. In spite of this, the statistics about the success rates of graduates are very encouraging and show that if one does work hard enough, they will be rewarded. Overall, I believe that Pomona is a great school, and the website demonstrates this through its rhetorical strategies.
Works Cited
“Community Engagement | Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College.” Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College, www.pomona.edu/life-at-pomona/community-engagement. Accessed 7 Mar. 2022.
“Diversity & Access at Pomona | Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College.” Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College, www.pomona.edu/admissions/diversity. Accessed 8 Mar. 2022.
“Life at Pomona | Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College.” Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College, www.pomona.edu/life-at-pomona. Accessed 8 Mar. 2022
“Outcomes: Your Future | Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College.” Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College, www.pomona.edu/outcomes. Accessed 8 Mar. 2022.
“Pomona College Home | Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College.” Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College, www.pomona.edu/home. Accessed 7 Mar. 2022.
“Undocumented/DACAmented Applicants | Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College.” Pomona College in Claremont, California – Pomona College, www.pomona.edu/admissions/apply/undocumenteddacamented-applicants. Accessed 8 Mar. 2022.