“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.”
Agreed! From what I’ve read and learned so far, the applicants are compared inside their context (The applicants from their high schools or/and from the high schools in their neighborhood) and/or from the historical performance of the students from their context (for evaluating the chance of success in the college).