[wilsonucon]

I have spent a good deal of time looking through the AMA website and some of the links, such as the USC Marketing Phd FAQ and Dr. Lage's rankings and have found them useful but nothing that really distinguishes the research focus of one program from the next.

I'm wondering how one determines the difference in Marketing Phd programs from one school to the next. Does MIT excel at modeling and other quant heavy research in the IT sectors while others have a softer focus in different industries? Did you go through the faculty pages find their publications and then read all of them for programs you were interested in? Another related question, is how do you tailor your statement of purpose to a particular school?

Personally, I am really interested in research and statistics in a Marketing context. More specifically I would like to understand how past experiences (nature vs. nurture) impact buying behavior. The industries I would focus on would be High Tech, Automotive, and Sports.

The plan right now is to take the next couple months evaluating Harvard, Yale, MIT, BU, and UConn's programs, line up my recommendations and apply in the fall to begin in '08. I'm in the middle of completing a Master's in Marketing Analytics at Bentley (at night) and should complete in the Spring of '08.

Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated.