<p>Curmudgeon (long-time poster on CC) can tell you all about ranches and Profile … his D chose a full ride to Rhodes over Yale because Yale used the value of the ranch … as I recall, they had some pretty unrealistic expectations of how much he should be able to pay. </p>
<p>It doesn’t hurt to apply to some Profile schools, but know that the financial aspect may not work out. DO apply to schools known for merit, because you would be in as good a position as anyone to receive merit scholarships.</p>
<p><strong><em>I’m in Nebraska. Female, 34 ACT, 4.0 GPA, National Merit Semifinalist, State Officer in a CTSO.</em></strong>** I would think you would be a great candidate for admission & possible merit to a number of excellent schools. Think LAC’s, great schools with merit like Vanderbilt, WashU, USC, etc. Cast a wide net (you probably qualify for fee waivers!), and see what April brings.</p>