Rice: I’m not one to do chances, but she is at least within range. Houston is really mixed politically. It’s a very interesting place.
Test optional – it’s interesting. It seems like philosophically, she would really like a lot of the test-optional schools as they seem to be aligned with her opinions on the topic, whether she submits her scores to them or not. But they do tend to be smaller schools.
@daffodilpetunia I agree with you. Philosophically she’s a total liberal arts kid. She thrives in discussion based classes and has always developed personal relationships with her teachers. It’s the school spirit that is really preventing her from considering them and she doesn’t want the school to be smaller than her high school. My older D is encouraging her to consider a couple of LAC’s. She thinks in the end, that’s what she’ll choose.
If that includes the writing portion, I’d totally drop the SAT and SAT Subject tests.
99.9% of colleges will take the ACT in place of both SATs. Offhand I can think of just one mentioned that won’t - Georgetown.
What does she mean by school spirit and how does one judge that before attending? I am just not familiar with that as a criterion. Is she referring to sports? Attendance at performances? Enthusiasm for the school? I really don’t get it! LAC’s have plenty of school spirit, I would think.
Even though it is a bit smaller than she would like, I think the University of Richmond is worth a look. It has the liberal arts environment that her older sister thinks she would like, has a business school and law school, has Division 1 athletics, and is in a beautiful area within a charming city. They also have a number of big merit scholarships.
?
Jesuit schools are CATHOLIC schools. What do you think that they are? 
Jesuit is a Catholic order. Other Catholic orders run the other Catholic univs, with few exceptions.
Fordham is a Catholic Jesuit school (for the person who suggested upthread)
Either way, there are plenty of nonChristian kids at Jesuit colleges and Catholic colleges of other orders.