<p>It would be tough to find someone who can give you a firsthand comparison of two, let alone three of these schools.
They are all excellent, prestigious schools. Obviously Rice is the smallest and is in a hot southwestern city, while NU is mid-size and is in a cold midwestern city. UVA is gorgeous, and I think the largest. Personally, I think NU is probably the best and highest-ranked, but these three schools are all absolutely terrific, so it should really be a question of where you think you would be the happiest. Go visit them, sit in on some classes, talk to students, and see what you think.</p>