Johnny2

@ OR_Kid: Might I ask what is your research interest?

Each has its own advantages. Stanford is very strong in mathematical programming, especially in large-scale linear programming. It is in the MS&E department so you might have more options to explore around. Cornell has a couple of very famous people in stochastic modeling, but other OR-related areas appear rather lackluster in comparison. MIT is very strong in all areas compared to other OR departments. Nonetheless, you definitely should visit them all. Isnt it Stanford's Open House today? This might be irrelevant but in case you're interested. Location-wise: Palo Alto > Cambridge > > > > > Ithaca. As the matter of fact, just forget about Cornell. Ithaca is horrible place to live, especially during winter which seems to last forever. The suicide rate is rather high there.