Thank you for sharing those very helpful points, @wis75. I agree with you regarding the mid-west schools’ performance. This decision has nothing to do with diversity or the schools.
I will not judge either D’s or anyone else’s potential from what s/he does during her/his HS years.
We did not include any top colleges she can easily qualify for because of the budget constraint and nothing more. She has many other accomplishments which I have not shared here. She is a good student and more importantly, a good person who loves to learn.