I'd appreciate some advice from students who have, or have contemplated, transferring into a different PhD program after a year or two at a first PhD program (in philosophy).
I ask because, although I am very happy with my application season (3a/2w/9r, with one acceptance at a top-10 PGR), that *one* school got away. It is a school that is attractive to me for its faculty interests, reputation, and location.
I expect to be happy at the departments at which I was admitted, but there is a voice in the back of my head that says, "But maybe you can transfer to University of X next year, and everything will be perfect!"
I'm sure there are many complications to doing something like that. The first to occur to me is the awkwardness of asking people in my department for recommendations after I've only been there for a few months. This is not only awkward, since it indicates that a few months was all it took to drive me away, but it potentially reflects poorly on my commitment *to philosophy*, it is potentially rude, and they might not have much to say about me yet in a recommendation letter.
Anyway, I could go on, but I think it would be more productive to hear from somebody who has been through this before.
Thanks!