<p>As the title says, I was accepted by UVA (Echols), Dartmouth and Rice (Rice offered me 17k merit aid) and waitlisted at Duke. I'm interested in poli-sci (maybe IR), but might go into the sciences. Thoughts on what would be the right choice?</p>
<p>Aside from poli-sci/IR and the sciences, what else are you looking for in a school?
Dartmouth is fairly well known and highly ranked for their liberal arts concentration. If liberal arts (in general) are what you’re after first and foremost, I’d go with Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Wow… Darmouth would be hard to turn down. Come to the days on the Lawn, it will give you sense of what UVA is like.</p>
<p>Lol, there’s nothing with turning down darthmouth. I know a friend who turned down Harvard for UVA. And plenty of UVA kids decline offers from Duke and Cornell. What matters is your fit with the school.</p>
<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>
<p>??Sorry, not clear, Do Not drive yourself crazy on the wait-list at Duke. Not worth it, IMO. You already have great schools to consider.</p>
<p>I was accepted to Dartmouth and UVA among other schools last year and ultimately chose UVA. I am also from Houston, so I have many friends who go to Rice and know a lot about the school. Please message me with any questions/ more details about your situation, I might be able to help. Quickly, for what its worth, all three are excellent schools. I had it narrowed down to Dartmouth and UVA, and it was very difficult for me to decide. UVA won because it is a slightly larger school, has a more well-rounded social experience, a more accessible/beautiful/historical location, more classes to choose from, takes more AP/IB credit, is less expensive, and is the most beautiful campus I have ever seen (which includes Dartmouth, Middlebury, Stanford…)</p>
<p>I am SOOOOOOOO happy that I chose UVA. I have an incredible, well-rounded lifestyle. My classes and professors are amazing, I just joined a sorority, I get to study/streak on the lawn, and there is never a lack of parties/philanthropy events/famous speakers. Really look into UVA, and message me with any questions :)</p>
<p>you can’t do better than dartmouth. ranked number one in undergrad teaching and the percentage of alums who give is second only to princeton, a good measure that alums really value their undergraduate experience. go to the event for admitted students. it’s a good way to get a feel for the school. it’s in a beautiful setting, which, being rural, fosters a strong sense of community and the feel of a LAC. but it’s big enough not to feel stiffling as some LACs can be and it’s close enough to bostons, tow hours, that you can get away for a weekend if you want. the academics are amazing as is the alum netwokr</p>
<p>DON’T choose Dartmouth just because it is an Ivy. I would first visit both school however I’ll warn you, after you see UVA’s campus I can almost gaurentee that you will want to go there. The school is beautiful, the people are nice, and the place is just excellent in every aspect.</p>
<p>Forget about Duke. There’s over 3,000 kids on the wait list and Duke may take only 60. As for Darmouth vs. UVA Echols, my S had the same choice (UVA Rodmans vs Dartmouth vs Cornell). Dartmouth offered only $5000, so they were immediately crossed of the list. W & M was also in the mix. W & M beat out the Dartmouth choice. Now deciding on UVA Rodmans vs Cornell. UVA is a great and beautiful school. I hoping my S chooses it. The students at UVA seem genuinely happy and well-rounded.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would choose UVa. First of all, as an Echols Scholar, you get priority registration for your classes, and you’re free from any required course outside of your major. Secondly, UVa has 2 highly-regarded Government/International Relations programs that you can apply for at the end of your 2nd year: [The</a> Distinguished Majors Program](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/politics/undergrad_program/distinguished.html]The”>http://www.virginia.edu/politics/undergrad_program/distinguished.html) and the [Honors</a> Program](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/politics/undergrad_program/honors_cur.html]Honors”>http://www.virginia.edu/politics/undergrad_program/honors_cur.html). BTW, when you enter the Honors Program, your grades are frozen. Meaning if you have a 4.0 when you start the program your junior year, you will graduate with a 4.0.</p>
<p>Plus, with UVA’s relatively close proximity to DC, the University is able via its Ambassador’s Speakers Forum to bring diplomats to Grounds such as the Ambassadors from [Germany[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=10481”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=10481</a>] India](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=8265]Germany[/url”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=8265), [Pakistan](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=9558”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=9558</a>), [Panama](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=10996”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=10996</a>), [Azerbaijan](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=11504”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=11504</a>), and [Nigeria[/url</a>]. Plus, over the years, a number of foreign leaders such as former [url=<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=491]Iranian”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=491]Iranian</a> President Mohammad Khatami](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/topnews/releases2006/20060223NigeriaAmbassadorSpch.html]Nigeria[/url”>http://www.virginia.edu/topnews/releases2006/20060223NigeriaAmbassadorSpch.html), [The</a> Dalai Lama](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/nobel/letter.html]The”>http://www.virginia.edu/nobel/letter.html), [Queen Elizabeth II of England](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/shorthistory/best.html”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/shorthistory/best.html</a>), [The</a> Queen of Denmark](<a href=“http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f178/queen-margrethes-official-state-visits-1973-to-present-16803-2.html]The”>http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f178/queen-margrethes-official-state-visits-1973-to-present-16803-2.html), and former [USSR</a> Premier Mikhail Gorbachev](<a href=“http://www.lightandliberty.org/cms/gorbachev]USSR”>http://www.lightandliberty.org/cms/gorbachev) have spoken at UVa.</p>
<p>Speaking of ambassadors, UVa has produced a large number of current and former ambassadors to countries such as Great Britain, Austria, Romania, Turkey, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Djibouti, NATO, Kuwait, and even South Vietnam - before the fall of Saigon.</p>
<p>BTW, there are 4 centers housed at UVa that could be great resources for you as well as places where you could intern.</p>
<p>The [Miller</a> Center of Public Affairs](<a href=“http://millercenter.org%5DMiller”>http://millercenter.org), which is currently [archiving/documenting all the once-classified U.S. White House Presidential tapes](<a href=“http://millercenter.org/academic/oralhistory”>http://millercenter.org/academic/oralhistory</a>). They’ve also opened an [office</a> in Washington, DC](<a href=“http://millercenter.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2009_1029]office”>http://millercenter.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2009_1029). </p>
<p>The [Asia</a> Institute](<a href=“http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/asiainstitute]Asia”>http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/asiainstitute), which is particularly strong in [Tibetan</a> Studies](<a href=“http://www.uvatibetcenter.org/?page_id=126]Tibetan”>http://www.uvatibetcenter.org/?page_id=126).</p>
<p>The [Sorensen</a> Institute](<a href=“http://www.sorenseninstitute.org%5DSorensen”>http://www.sorenseninstitute.org), which espouses bi-partisanship and has educated a large percentage of Virginia politicians (and growing number of politicians in other states), who have learned to work with both sides of the aisle. </p>
<p>The [UVA</a> Center for Politics](<a href=“http://www.centerforpolitics.org/index.html]UVA”>http://www.centerforpolitics.org/index.html) founded by Professor Larry Sabato, the nationally renowned political analyst/pundit who’s the most quoted professor in the country and who himself donated $1 million to UVa – a promise he made when he was a UVa student before becoming a Rhodes Scholar. </p>
<p>Overall, UVa has a strong focus and emphasis in International Studies from running [Semester</a> At Sea](<a href=“http://www.semesteratsea.org%5DSemester”>http://www.semesteratsea.org) to being the only American college in [Universitas</a> 21](<a href=“http://www.universitas21.com/memberlist.html]Universitas”>http://www.universitas21.com/memberlist.html), whereby UVa conducts plenty of [global</a> collaborative research](<a href=“http://www.universitas21.com/URC.html]global”>http://www.universitas21.com/URC.html) and [exchanges</a> – with around 100 exchange programs](<a href=“http://www.studyabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ListAll]exchanges”>http://www.studyabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ListAll). With over 700 international undergrads at UVa, you also have plenty of opportunities to learn from them – from living at the [International</a> Residential College](<a href=“https://sites.google.com/a/virginia.edu/irc]International”>https://sites.google.com/a/virginia.edu/irc) to immersing yourself in a foreign tongue in one of our foreign language houses for [Spanish[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/french/maison]French[/url”>http://www.virginia.edu/french/maison]French[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/slavic/russianhouse/index.html]Russian[/url”>http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/slavic/russianhouse/index.html]Russian[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://germanhouse.org%5DGerman%5B/url”>http://germanhouse.org]German[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://web.virginia.edu/Shea]Arabic”>http://web.virginia.edu/Shea]Arabic</a>, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi-Urdu, Italian, Japanese, and Farsi (Persian)](<a href=“http://atuva.student.virginia.edu/Community?action=getOrgHome&orgID=1392]Spanish[/url”>http://atuva.student.virginia.edu/Community?action=getOrgHome&orgID=1392).</p>
<p>I went to UVA graduate school for English, graduated with my doctorate; while I enjoyed my time there, I felt the students were not as intelligent as at Dartmouth, where I spent my junior year, and not nearly as interesting, intelligent, and involved as at Smith, where I got my BA. I taught composition to kids who were unhappy at having to take composition, but who could not write a decent paper–but on the other side, as a graduate student, I had a three-hour seminar on teaching composition, and no support, as my background for teaching composition. That is, it was assumed that if you were a graduate student in English, you could teach composition, without any other preparation. We weren’t paid much, either, believe me, and we were supposed to be working on our own coursework and dissertations at the same time. While we did the best we could, and some of us were very good, we were definitely learning on the job. The upper level English courses were, of course, taught by full professors, but for the bigger ones, the grad students still ran the discussion groups–and graded the papers. By contrast, at Smith, my English classes were brilliant from the beginning, not a lemon in the lot, and I still stay in contact with one of my professors there. At Dartmouth, I had great classes–one of the best classes in my life was there, with Nancy Vickers (later president of Bryn Mawr), on Dante–and a couple of not-so-great ones; my husband and sister and brother-in-law, all grads, think it’s the best school ever. My daughter is at Smith, now, and it is a fabulous place for her, but my younger daughter and my son will certainly be urged to consider Dartmouth. UVA–no. Beautiful campus, yes, history, yes, intellectual rigor, not comparable.</p>
<p>MarySidney, you sound quite bitter. I’m sorry your experience wasn’t so hot – though the National Research Council ranks UVA English 4th in the country, and according to Poets & Writers, UVA’s [Creative</a> Writing Program is 3rd](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=10136]Creative”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=10136) as well. I studied Government/Foreign Affairs, which is what the OP is interested in studying. I feel I had a great education.</p>