I guess the academics aspect is the most complex one, and as you guys have pointed our I'm probably the only one who can figure out what is the best fit for me. I will be questioning professors, and possibly students, about that.
At the same time, you guys can definitely help me out on the "quality of life" aspect. Which university is located in the best city/neighborhood? Which campus is more beautiful, or more comfortable? Which place has the nicest people? The most vibrant community? The most interesting cultural features? Etc.
Indeed, you should visit in person if possible. If that's not possible, consider Skyping or talking with professors on the phone. As you probably well know, finding at least one main professor with whom your personality and research interests mesh will be extremely important to your personal success, probably moreso than the actual focus/strengths of the program as a whole. That's why I chose Rice, despite hating Houston (I've since come around, though) -- because the world expert in the extremely narrow field I was looking at (fiscal externalities in common-pool resource use) was there.
I wasn't very interested in
Illinois until I visited in person after I was admitted, and I fell in love with the town (well, towns -- both Urbana and Champaign). But it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere (said as the son of a native Illinoisan (mother)). That said, the town is awesome and really will allow you to focus on your studies while also enjoying some random, unexpected perks like big-name concert tours. Other than Chicago, which is not really very close, there's nothing interesting around for hundreds of miles (just my opinion).
Duke is pretty much its own bubble with hardly anything in Durham worth doing (said as the son of a Duke alum (father) who has been visiting the campus since I was a child), but I think North Carolina is a beautiful state, so if you had a car or a car-sharing membership, there would be a lot to explore in terms of nature. Same obviously applies to
UNC, except that Chapel Hill is a better town. In terms of cultural amenities,
UCLA obviously offers the most. I absolutely adore Southern California. I don't know how much you've traveled in the U.S., but it has, by far, the best weather of the 48 states I've visited. I can't speak to
UC-Davis at all.
