I see. My understanding at my own institution (a big one on the west coast) is that international (undergraduate) student admission is not need blind, or wasn't

I see. My understanding at my own institution (a big one on the west coast) is that international (undergraduate) student admission is not need blind, or wasn't until very recently, since I remember "protests" about this particular topic in the last years. Graduate admissions has never even pretended to be need blind so that doesn't apply.