<p>Congrats on your UVA, Dartmouth and Rice admissions (and honor status and merit reward), well done!
If I were you I would not think twice about sweating out the wait-list at Duke. It’s a fine school, as are the other schools you’ve been admitted to and I’m sure you’ll fit in well at one of these schools and will get a great education. I did not get awarded ECHOLS status at UVA, but I’m very happy in C’ville and have received a great education. I am one of those kids though that did decline offers from Duke and Cornell in order to attend UVA, and I never looked back.
I agree with barboza, it really does matter as to “your fit with the school”. I’m from the south and wanted to stay fairly southern, and I was knocked out by the beauty and history of Mr. Jefferson’s University. Even though Duke is in NC, it’s very northern in atmosphere (NJ, NY)…“not that there’s anything wrong with that” (Seinfeld)…but it wasn’t my cup of tea.
I would suspect that there’s a world of a difference in atmospheres at Dartmouth vs. Rice?? What feel are you looking for? You’ll get a great education at any of these Universities. Again, congrats, and let us know what your ultimate decision is.</p>