I don't know if they have an essay on the application, but if she got active and wrote an essay about living in the South and discovering her faith, it would catch some attention. She would need to be able to pass the ecclesiastical endorsement.

A missionary I served with didn't have the best grades, so he applied to and got accepted at LDS Business College after his mission. Got straight A's and transferred to BYU where he also got excellent grades and graduated with a masters degree in accounting. If she wants it bad enough, the delay getting in could be the impetus to explore her faith, but she should be willing to be patient to get in.