Bruce Poch, who resigned as Pomona's Dean of Admissions last semester, is now writing a Q&A blog for The New York Times. The blog answers questions from readers—mostly worried parents—about what they can expect from the college admissions process. Poch worked in the admissions offices of both Wesleyan University and Connecticut College before his 23 years at Pomona.
“Did my time at Pomona contribute to my writing? Of course,” Poch said in an e-mail. “We are the sum of our experiences.”
Poch has actively contributed to the national education discussion through a number of news outlets including Newsweek, National Public Radio and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He has previously written content forThe New York Times as well, including a group Admissions Q&A piece. He said he was invited by the editor of the blog “The Choice” to contribute to this series.
In his answers on the blog, Poch often cites his experience at Pomona, as evidenced by a recent post.
“I will confess that in my time at Pomona, it was my consistent hope to have some opportunity to use the waiting list each year,” the post said “It did not always happen as yield fluctuated a bit, but having the ability to 'round up' to the desired class size, particularly with students exceedingly eager to join the class, was a privilege.”
Poch says that over the years he interacted with thousands of students and helped many throughout the admissions process. President David Oxtoby said Poch made an impact because of his dedication to building close and lasting relationships.
“He kept in touch with students through their full time at the college and even after they graduated as alumni,” Oxtoby said. “It wasn’t just get the student here and then leave them.”
Poch said he continues to benefit from his time here as well.
“What insights did I gain? There are too many to enumerate succinctly, and I certainly do not feel that I have yet stopped seeking insights from those years of work,” Poch said. “One learns a lot at college even if not any longer a registered student.”
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