How to tell advisor you're leaving

[havesomecoffeehavesometea]

Hi everyone!

I am fortunate enough to have been admitted to my dream program at Duke and I'm basically over the moon! This means that I will be leaving my current phd program for the new one, but I am having trouble figuring out how to convey this new info to my current advisor and several other professors within my subfield. It is basically haunting me that these professors placed so much trust in me when they admitted me to the program. They are also just super nice and really great advisors, and have spent a lot of their effort and time on me. Since we have a real friendly relationship, it makes me feel so guilty that I am leaving and I don't know how to tell them. If anyone could help me figure out how to convey this message in a nice way and in a way where we might be able to maintain some kind of relationship, I would be very grateful.

[schuaust]

If they were supportive of your transfer during the application process, I'm sure they'll be understanding and a simple thank you will suffice, maybe with some nice notes.