We are also in Texas. Check out the CC thread “Southern LACs” - it followed a few families’ college searches last year and I found it to be insightful and fun to read as well. If you are in the Houston area, make sure your daughter asks her guidance counselor to nominate her for the Posse scholarship - it is a full tuition scholarship to one of six schools, including 2 excellent LACs - it is a longshot for sure but its still worth a try.
TXmom11, The northeast schools seem very far away from your home. Your idea of a smaller more nurturing school seems very appropriate. If it were my kid, I’d be concerned about such a huge distance given you know she struggles with anxiety. Why wouldn’t you choose a school within a, say, 3 our drive from home?
SLC does offer merit aid.
Hendrix offers more, has a lower sticker price to start with, and is closer to the OP’s home.
Other LACs that might interest you:
Rhodes (Memphis)
Agnes Scott (Atlanta, women only)
Davidson (Davidson, NC)
Transylvania U (Lexington, KY)
Centre (Danville, KY)
Thank you all for the great suggestions. I do think that closer to home is a wise choice, given her anxieties, that’s why I am hoping to find somewhere where she truly feels like she can be herself. She doesn’t feel that comfort at her high school, which has contributed to some of her anxieties. We are in the DFW area, and would be ideal to find something close or something that is easy to fly to, if necessary. Thank you for the Southern LAC forum suggestion. I will take a look!
@txmom11. I agree you should read the (long) Southern LACs thread… I was the OP! :)) It has some travel reviews of various LACs in the South and ends with merit aid received and final selections. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss in more detail.
You’ve received some excellent suggestions. My first thoughts given your Ds qualities were Hendrix and Agnes Scott… and maybe Eckerd.
@txmom11 what about Tulane? It’s small enough for your daughter to get personal attention, but large enough for her to find her people. The opportunities in and around New Orleans are endless, the climate is great, and it’s not far from Texas.
I second Southwestern. We know a smart unpretentious young man who got great merit money there and is loving it.
If your daughter did well on the PSAT, she should do similarly on SAT, post March, as format is the same.
Trinity U and Rhodes are great options. I posted my review of our visits to both schools in the “Southern LAC’s” thread, so you can pick up some more info there.
Our S is on the shy side, and he is loving his freshman year at Trinity U. Found a nice, small group of friends and has acclimated very nicely. It is not preppy at all, has sports but they are DIII and not over-emphasized at all, and no cotillions in sight.
Good luck!
Thank you all once again. I had not considered Tulane. I will take a look. And we have decided to start our college visits with Trinity, Southwestern and Hendrix. I would like to add a few mid-size schools for summer visits so that she can decide which type of school she prefers. She has been on the UT campus for a week-long summer program geared towards minority students. She loved the vibe of the campus, but I worry that the her experience in that one week with a small group of students will not be representative of what her college experience will be if she enrolls there. Want her to have some options. Thanks!
I like the Tulane idea too, especially with you being from Texas.
We considered Tulane but didn’t want to go that far west (from SE Florida).
Does UT have an honors program? That might give her the smaller college experience within a larger university setting. UT is superb in so many ways - it might make sense for her to arrange a more in-depth, on-campus visit when classes are in session so she can get a clearer idea of what it might be like to be a student there. Check out other options, by all means, but I would keep UT as an option for the time being.
Tulane gives great merit scholarships, too.
Scripps College, part of the Claremont Consortium, in southern California is worth exploring.
You might want to research the University of North Texas at Denton. I don’t have any direct knowledge of the school, but I have heard some good things.
Your DD should apply to UT but don’t count on an acceptance. My DS is still waiting to hear(NHRP, NMSF, very good grades) If your child is not an auto-admit, the competition is fierce.
I highly recommend the thread on Southern LACs. Lots of good information. For truly quirky, take a look at New College of Florida. It’s not for everyone but it’s a great school for those who fit. I also recommend Hendrix College
@LoveTheBard University of Dallas is very conservative. I’d imagine she’d have a tough time fitting in.
@mamaedefamilia I agree with this. Since HC gets designated housing, she will be able to find a group easily. UT Austin is probably one of the best unis around this area, as most of the South is dedicated to business and STEM subjects. She should also apply to Rice if she’s a high scoring student. The population there is very shy and geeky like your daughter.
Eckerd came to mind immediately.
Thank you all. I like the idea of an HC at UT Austin; she is not in the top 7%, so we will see if she is admitted. I don’t want to take it off our list, but want to be realistic and explore other options. I don’t know anything about Eckerd, but will also check it out. 
@okon2122 Thanks - I stand corrected. I was basing it just on their summer programs (which look amazing, esp. the ones in Italy!) and the website. I think some of the other ones I mentioned (e.g., Grinnell, the Claremonts, Reed) are probably better fits. I forgot to mention that perhaps Occidental might be good, but again, I’m not sure as I haven’t visited…