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My topic speaks for itself. If you've visited either campus, let me know.

By Peterline (Peterline) on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 04:58 pm: Edit

ill be at oxy on the 19th
ill let you know when i get back

By Momx4 (Momx4) on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 09:00 pm: Edit

There's a thread on this topic on the Individual College- Pomona message board

By Mom44 (Mom44) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 12:38 pm: Edit

I lived in the Los Angeles area for many years, and whenever I traveled to the areas around these schools, the smog would be so bad sometimes that it hurt to breathe.

Hope that helps.

By Momx4 (Momx4) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 01:33 pm: Edit

Mom44, I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that the Claremont colleges have a lower than expected graduation rate than other highly rated LAC's

By Haon (Haon) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 01:41 pm: Edit

http://www.atmos.ucla.edu/~roger/as3_downloads/Sept29/RecentSmogLevels.pdf

By Coureur (Coureur) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 08:02 pm: Edit

(sorry - error)

By Andrey1225 (Andrey1225) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 08:31 pm: Edit

I doubt the LA basin could support a population of around 15 million if the smog was really that hazardous. I've lived in the LA area (Orange County) for as long as I can remember and the only problem I've had with smog was the fires back in November--which were an anamoly. Honestly, smog is not a good basis for choosing a college...because its really not severe enough to cause long-term problems (or else those 15 million people--myself included--would really be screwed).

By Mom44 (Mom44) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 08:32 pm: Edit

Momx4: Yes, I'm sure the terrible smog does have something to do with the lower graduation rates.

My D was considering these schools as well, but in thinking about the smog levels, decided against it. However, she is applying to USD.

By Momx4 (Momx4) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 09:29 pm: Edit

Is that University of San Diego Mom44? Does San Diego have a smog problem?

By Emeraldkity4 (Emeraldkity4) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 10:54 am: Edit

I didn't even know anything first hand, except the experience of viewing photos of the CA area from the neighbors vacation. She made it sound pretty bad. As my daughter has slight asthma, we didn't even look at either Occidental or the Claremont schools, although normally they sounded like good fit.
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/8060100p-8920825c.html

By Coureur (Coureur) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 11:09 am: Edit

San Diego has some smog, but it's not in LA's league. In San Diego the main quality of life problem right now is ever-worsening traffic.

By Bbksmom (Bbksmom) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 12:44 pm: Edit

My nephew is graduating from Claremont this May and he hasn't complained about the smog, except for the weeks of the fire. One thing to remember is that the smog is generally at its worst in the summer, when the students are not in Claremont. The autumn brings in the Santa Ana winds which blow everything out to sea. Winter in Claremont is really beautiful with that snow topped mountain background. I'm sure that there are times when the air quality isn't too good, but I don't think it's nearly as bad as it was 10 - 15 years ago.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 01:06 pm: Edit

USD does NOT have a smog problem. I know - my daughter goes to USD high school right across the street. About the worst that happens is heavy fog in the morning because of the school's location close to the coast. And, the air in San Diego itself is generally cleaner than that in NYC!!! However, the in-land valleys east of San Diego do occaisonally get some smog in the SUMMER months but it has never reached dangerous levels in the 18 plus years I've lived in San Diego county. Aside from the fog, the winter months are usually crystal clear.

By Mom44 (Mom44) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 01:11 pm: Edit

Momx4: Yes, I was referring to the University of San Diego.

Maybe people who live in the high-smog areas get used to it after awhile. (And yes, it is worse in the summer.)

I just know that I could really tell the difference in air quality in those areas, particularly on high pollution days. However, I don't necessarily think that's a reason to discount these schools if they're a great match in other ways.

By Becks777 (Becks777) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 04:54 pm: Edit

clarify something for me: Wehn i was in the bay area: my cousin told me that its not actually "smog" but pure FOG that covers the bay early morning: is that the case with southern cal too or is it really the Smoke+Fog-> Smog??

By Coureur (Coureur) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 11:03 pm: Edit

In SoCal it can be either fog or smog depending on where you are. Near the coast you get a lot of morning and/or evening fog during certain times of the the year. "On-shore flow" the TV weathermen call it. It usually burns off by mid-morning or maybe noon.

Farther inland you don't get much fog, but there is a higher incidence of smog - pure photochemical air polution. Nothing foggy about it.

By Haon (Haon) on Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 12:58 am: Edit

Andrey1225--there are much MUCH higher instances of asthma and respiratory disease in areas of California with smog, so yes, smog does make a fairly substantial difference in quality of living. No, I don't think it should be a sole factor in deciding among colleges but it would be foolish to ignore its existence altogether.

By Patient (Patient) on Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 01:01 am: Edit

I think it must depend on the person's own sensitivity to the smog, too. I hate it, and just seeing a little bit of brown haze makes me start to whine and complain. Other people really don't notice it. I grew up in northern San Diego county, and I remember just not even liking to LOOK up the coast toward LA and seeing the haze hanging over the ocean many miles distant.

I think that for physically active students, it is probably a problem in September and the first part of October, and then again in the summer--at least, that is what I heard from a friend who grew up in Claremont. They used to have "smog days" when they didn't go to school. Snow days sound like more fun.

By Dbzkenshinfreak (Dbzkenshinfreak) on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 01:46 am: Edit

i currently go to pomona college in claremont. the smog generally isn't that bad except when there are fires. i have asthma, and besides the fires there's never been a time when i needed to rush into the dorms for clean air. most of the time, the people are in their dorms (which probably have air-conditioning unless they live in wig or harwood).

i've been living in southern california my entire life. comparing the smog in claremont to the smog from where i live (ghetto el monte), the smog in claremont is worse during the winters and the summers. during both seasons, the students are indoors or on campus. but it's pretty funny to see the smog moving at night, shinned by the moonlight to emphasize its corpeal nature.

also, i don't think that smog has to do with a decreased graduation rate. everybody i know that isn't graduating is either taking time off for personal reasons and then going back to school or performed so badly that they had to drop out. southern california weather is a reason why many people don't go to east coast colleges and consider west coast colleges. another is the competitive, high strung mentality of the east coast colleges. we often call them "sweatmore," "will kill," or "am toast." if students could go to cornell despite its high suicidal rate, i'm sure that there would be no way that someone would transfer out of an ivy-league caliber education because of smog.

By Wct (Wct) on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 03:24 am: Edit

My son attended Harvey Mudd in Claremont his freshman year and then transfered to OXY and will graduate from there this May. We have always lived in Southern California. It seemed to me that the smog was bad at Mudd more so in the warmer months. The air seems to be much better at OXY, at least it seems that way. There are a lot more trees and vegetation on the OXY campus and maybe that is why you don't notice the smog as much.

By Momx4 (Momx4) on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 10:14 am: Edit

Dbz, thank you for telling it like it is