If you have a budget for college…please convey this to you D2 before she sends her applications off.
She sounds perfectly fine…like many kids applying to college.
There are some excellent excellent colleges that DO give merit aid to top performing students.
Here are some threads to read:
Some of the info is on the old side…so check,with the colleges to verify that awards are still available.
Also, if you have regular w-2 income…no owned business, no secondary real estate. Then run the net price calculator on the college websites to see what you get. With two students in college at the same time, you might actually get some need based aid at some generous colleges…of course…when one kid is no longer IN college…then your costs will increase.
Most public flagship universities have great honors college programs.
Looks for schools with strong merit aid. Pitt was already suggested. I’ll add…University of Southern CA gives 1/2 tuition to NMS winners. University of Alabama would be guaranteed merit for your daughter.