As mentioned earlier in this thread, there are plenty of large OOS schools that offer merit to strong students. My D19 is a very good student but not a tippy top candidate. UofSC would have been less expensive than our in-state flagship schools due to merit aid. I would expect that your D would find academic peers in the honors college at these large universities. There are plenty of top students who choose these schools for financial or other reasons.
My D17 did not have a reach school. She fell in love with schools where she would be a top student. It was the right fit for her but we thoroughly researched to make sure she could accomplish her career goals at these schools. We had zero stress other than making the decision of where to go.