Re: the Claremonts - Scripps does offer merit scholarships, up to half tuition, and OP’s stats would put her in the running. Admission and merit decisions are hard to predict (insert adjectives like “holistic” here), but I would be reasonably optimistic based on OP’s profile, but showing “fit” is important. CMC has some scholarships too: Beyond tuition and fees: Expanding opportunities for all CMC students | Claremont McKenna College Pitzer’s merit is pretty limited - it maxed out at 5K/year last time I checked. Pomona, as you say, does not give merit scholarships at all.
In terms of top women’s colleges with merit, Mt. Holyoke is the most generous, and Smith has merit possibilities too, whereas Wellesley and Barnard give need-based aid only as far as I’m aware.
Northeastern could be worth an application. They have a dual major in journalism and poli sci that could be worth a look - lots of great co-op opportunities that could be a help in breaking into the field. And they give guaranteed merit for NMF - it was 30K when I last checked, a year or two ago. USC is also good for NMF merit (half or possibly full tuition) and has strong offerings and a lot of great opportunities in LA.
Agree that the current list has a lot of high-reach schools that will be extremely costly if admitted. It sounds like a serious family budget convo is in order. If law school is the goal, then it’s even more important to keep undergrad within what’s truly affordable for your family.