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- Did you read the quote from Pomona’s website I posted? Sure, it is not completely need-blind but still full demonstrated need met once admitted, not a small thing.
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==> Yes. Pomona, like Middlebury, meets full need for international students it admits, which is terrific. The key element here is NEED AWARE: admission doesn’t depend just on the application, but also on the amount the students can contribute or how big the scholarship has to be. The more a student needs, the lower the odds of admission. Based on what s/he said, this student is high need, which means their odds are very low at any need aware college. They have a great profile for Pomona, but if someone from their region, a strong profile, and more money applies, the other student will get in.
McGill:
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The University’s Entrance Bursary Program offers entrance bursaries to students from low to modest-income families who demonstrate financial need. Those eligible to apply include all:
- newly accepted, first-year, first-degree undergraduates
(…)
How to apply
Upon notification of acceptance to the University (either by formal letter or via the Admissions Status page on Minerva), the application becomes available on Minerva: select the Financial Aid/Awards tab > Financial Aid Menu > Apply for a McGill Entrance Bursary > Apply to Entrance Bursary Program > Complete then submit your application .
- International (non-US) students who wish to apply to the Entrance Bursary Program from the University must submit a CSS Profile in addition to the McGill Minerva aid application.
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In addition, there are two other types of scholarships: entrance scholarships, for which all applicants are automatically considered; and competitive “major” scholarships, for which an application is required and which are extremely difficult to get. Those are the only ones which have earlier deadlines (Jan 21 for internationals). The cut off for US applicants is a 4.0 GPA and 33 ACT, or 41 IB (without the “bonus points”) + top 1-2% class rank.
As a high need applicant, OP’s best shot is a bursary.