I've been admitted to Berkeley IEOR MS/PhD, Stanford MS&E PhD, and Ga Tech ISyE PhD and I've visited all three programs. Right now I'm leaning towards Berkeley due to my broad research interests. I see the strengths of each program as follows: GaTech's size (in terms of variety of work and ability to explore), Stanford's reputation, and Berkeley's applied research.
GaTech's program seems cohesive, with lots of faculty collaboration and good quality of life for students. However, the related departments are not as strong as Stanford/Berkeley, so there's less opportunity to work with top faculty in Econ or Math, etc.
Berkeley's program is the smallest of my 3 options, and it seems they have good years and bad years. The 1st year curriculum is quite rigorous, and some years significant numbers of students fail prelims and exit the program (though they could try to take them the following year).
Stanford's incoming PhD class will only be about 20 this year as opposed to 30 in most years because departmental funding is down with their endowment's decline. I am told it is also common for Stanford PhDs to be teaching assistants in every semester of their graduate career because they don't get funded by professors' grants.
Is there anyone else making a similar decision? Any input based on other campus visits?
