Letters to Prospective Students from Current Students

Iain Dunning

Like many people, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after I finished college. Graduate school looked appealing, but I didn’t want to spend five years working on a small problem that no one would care about. I wanted to broaden my understanding of problem solving techniques, and develop a fundamental understanding of the theory behind them. My experience as a MIT ORC doctoral student has lived up to all my expectations. The courses are excellent, and taught by the experts in the field. The diversity of research being done here is amazing – you are only limited by the amount of time you can spare in a day!

Living in Cambridge is fantastic. Not only are there plenty of things to do in the immediate area, you can easily get around town and to downtown Boston in minutes by subway or bike. Restaurants, bars, art galleries, movie theatres – everything you’d want as a graduate student. There are plenty of other perks to being a MIT student, including free access to sailing lessons and the ability to take a boat and go sailing on the Charles River whenever you want, and an on-campus ice skating rink. MIT’s graduate housing is a great option, especially for international students or those not living in the north-east. The graduate student orientation is one of the biggest in the USA and will get you off to a great start socially, and after that there are plenty of clubs and sports teams on campus to get involved in.

When I came to the ORC Open House in April 2011, I had never visited America before. I was a long way from home, but I knew I had found a second home here at MIT. Life in the ORC is vibrant and stimulating. The number of students in the ORC makes the place feel lively, and spontaneous discussions about a wide-range of topics are going on all the time. There is a strong emphasis on collaboration here, whether it is for classes or for research. People here come from all sorts of backgrounds, some straight out of college with degrees in OR, or some after a few years working in industry. Whatever your background, I’m sure you’ll feel at home here too. I look forward to seeing you!

Kristine Johnson

When I decided to pursue a graduate degree in Operations Research, MIT was at the top of my list. I had studied Industrial Engineering as an undergrad at Georgia Tech where I really enjoyed learning about many applications of Operations Research, and I was ready to transition from a quite applied engineering degree to a more rigorous theoretical and application based graduate program to help advance the field. What better place to do this than at MIT?!

When I was going through the application and decision process, I knew that the ORC had a fantastic academic reputation and would provide me with a challenging education with lots of research opportunities. The structure of the ORC was an unexpected huge advantage. Rather than residing within a single school at MIT, the Operations Research program is an interdisciplinary program between many different Departments, i.e. the Sloan School of Management and the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. This results in a wide variety of courses and research applications to OR that would be hard to find elsewhere. Furthermore, all of the faculty affiliated with the Operations Research Center are there because they are interested in OR as it relates to their field, and each one is very interested in working with students from the ORC; it is evident that the affiliated faculty members care about the success of each ORC student.

And last but definitely not least, my peers at the ORC are absolutely amazing. Since the OR program is contained in its own Center, the ORC students form a very tight community. Prior to joining the ORC, I worked at a management consulting firm, and my favorite part of the job was the collaborative, team-oriented work environment when solving client challenges. I initially thought that I would miss this part of my work when I returned to school, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this part of the culture very similar. The ORC students come from such a diverse background that it is always interesting to collaborate with each other and learn new ways to approach problems, whether in research or in class. Working with them even makes a late night study session enjoyable!

In my opinion, the enthusiasm of the faculty, variety of academic coursework, and the team-oriented, collaborative culture of the students are what set the ORC at MIT apart from other top OR programs. I encourage you to apply to the program, come for a visit, and hopefully join us in the future!

Ben Letham

MIT has a reputation for being the best engineering school and the ORC is no exception. The research at MIT is phenomenal - people here are really trying to change the world, and are succeeding! There is a very positive research environment that encourages big ideas. I came to the ORC because I felt like there was a perfect balance between advancing the theory and developing new applications. If you really want to make a difference in the world, MIT and the ORC are the perfect place to do it.

Since coming to the ORC, I've really appreciated how much the students in the Center work together. We came from a wide range of academic backgrounds and work experiences, and many (including myself) hadn't previously studied operations research. I love the diversity and we learn a lot working with each other.

When you're not studying, Boston will keep you busy. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the US and MIT is the best engineering school in the US. It's a great life!

Will Ma

In my opinion, the MIT ORC is all about being involved with a wide variety of projects. The people here stay on top of their classes, but definitely do not spend all their time doing theory. They usually have research projects that require clear-headed thinking on paper but also network-building skills in practice. Some are entrepreneurs, some have ongoing positions with consulting firms, while others spend summers working on Wall Street...the possibilities are endless around the Cambridge/Boston area. The overall atmosphere is a social group of enthusiastic, diligent students who work together and help each other succeed, instead of competing against one another.

I am still discovering myself here at MIT, but some advice I can give so far is to go out and try things you never thought you'd like. At MIT, there will be clubs/opportunities for any activity you can think of, so always keep your eyes open. This can be overwhelming at first, receiving 30 emails a day describing 30 different interesting activities, but you will be really motivated to make good use of your time when once you discover how much you miss by wasting it. The students are really active and willing to take risks with their ideas, throwing them out there to try to make a difference. All in all, I think this is a great place to be, that will change you for the rest of your life, into a pleasant, ambitious, and opportunistic person liking things you never thought you'd like.

Allison O'Hair

I believe that studying operations research gives you the ability to make a difference in the world, and I decided to come to the ORC because of the many resources and opportunities here that will best prepare me for this.

We have the opportunity to work with and take classes from faculty who are leaders in operations research. You can start meeting with faculty members your first week, both to discuss your overall goals and to begin research. In my experience, the faculty here are determined to see the students succeed and make contributions to research projects that they are passionate about.  And since the ORC is a Center and not a Department, you can work with faculty from several different Departments and areas, including the Sloan School of Management, engineering, and mathematics.  There are also many opportunities to attend seminars and sit in on classes from world-renowned academics.

Additionally, we are encouraged to explore career options by being a teaching assistant for a class as well as being an intern for a company. Studying operations research allows you to go into industry or academia after graduation, and each year graduates at the ORC successfully pursue both fields.

One of the best parts about the ORC is that the students form a great community that consists of people from all over the world. Students often discuss course material, brainstorm research together, or go together to grab a bite to eat. It is a great place to connect with people who share your same interests and goals. And although the classes are very demanding, you can always find another ORC student who is willing to help you understand the material.

I am very happy with my decision to come to the ORC and to pursue the field of operations research.  Coming to the open house in the spring really helped me to make my decision to come here, and so I would definitely encourage you to come visit and experience the Center if you can.

Stephen Relyea

After working for six years at an engineering research lab and seeing firsthand the high demand for skills in data analysis, modeling, and optimization, I returned to school to pursue a Master's degree in operations research. I was attracted to the ORC by the diverse interests of the Faculty and students; this was a place where people were not only leading the development of new theory, but putting the tools of OR into action solving significant real-world problems.

The first thing I discovered upon arriving at the Center was the strong emphasis placed on conducting research, even for Master's students. I had expected my time at MIT would be devoted mostly to classes, but I quickly realized that the ORC's greatest asset is the opportunity to work closely with professors and fellow students on projects that aspire to change the world. The amount of time and energy that the Faculty invest in working with all students at the Center (both Ph.D. and Master's) is remarkable, especially considering the effort they put into designing and delivering high-quality lectures.

Having been out of school for a while and without a background in OR, I had some hesitations about returning to courses and exams, but I was quickly reassured by how supportive the environment is among students at the Center. We all want to help each other succeed, and having desks nearby makes it easy to work together on problem sets and exchange research ideas.

I came to MIT to learn specific skills I could take back to industry, but I will be leaving with a new appreciation for how talented people can come together and use OR to make a difference in the world. Come visit the Center and I'm sure you will feel the same!

John Silberholz

I believe that studying operations research gives you the ability to make a difference in the world, and I decided to come to the ORC because of the many resources and opportunities here that will best prepare me for this.

When I was applying to graduate schools, I was having trouble deciding where to go… that is until I met my future classmates and professors at the MIT Operations Research Center. The level of energy and excitement among students and faculty in the Center is remarkable and in my mind sets it apart from other top programs.

My key interest in research is to do something that actually causes some significant change to the world, and I feel like I’m in the right place to do that. The professors in the Center are working on projects that span a wide range of disciplines, and each is pushing the boundaries of a field. The focus here isn’t on churning out a large number of moderate-quality publications, but instead on producing high-impact publications that will change the way research is done in an area or that will significantly advance the dialog in solving a particular problem.

When I first arrived at the ORC, something that struck me is how quickly the research process begins. We selected our advisors before the school year, so by week one we could already get started on projects. Now, just a few months into my Ph.D., I feel like I’m up to speed on my research and able to make contributions, which wouldn’t have been possible with a less streamlined onboarding process.

Something that has struck me my entire time here is the level of collaboration and support among students in the ORC; the atmosphere at the Center is far from ultra-competitive. This applies not only to problem set marathons but also to collaboration in research. Universally, students are glad to sit down and chat about a research problem, often providing some interesting insight. There is a pervasive intellectual curiosity here that leads students to present at and attend each other’s research seminars, to collaborate on research projects, and to pause late-night problem set parties to chat about a new project idea.

Since starting here I’ve been more convinced than ever that this is the right place for me, and I look forward to seeing you here as well!