When to tell PhD advisor I'm transferring?

[Griffen03]

I started my current PhD at School A immediately after receiving an MS from School B. I figured out that School A does not meet my needs in a variety of ways, so I applied to School C. I've been accepted to School C and have an advisor and assistantship lined up to start in the summer. I'm in the middle of my qualifying exam at School A and I'm taking two classes that I want transferred to School C. When do I tell my advisor I'm transferring? Do I even tell him I'm going to another school? I work in a pretty specialized field so he'd probably come across my name again in the future. My idea was to finish the qualifying exam in the next month then tell him, but since I'm in a field-research system, telling him earlier may give him time to find more help (plus I could just stop the qualifying exam). Then again, I'd have to deal with the whole small department knowing I'm leaving plus one of my commmittee members is my class teacher and may hold this against me (he's a nice guy but you never know). Any advice?

[zabius]

Personally, I would have told him a while ago... like, during the application process (something along the lines of "I don't think this is the right place for me, so I'm thinking of applying elsewhere").

 

I don't think there's any real value in waiting until later to tell him... he and the rest of the department are going to find out eventually anyway, so might as well just tell them now. They shouldn't hold it against you; if they get upset about anything, it might be because you waited until now to tell them (they may interpret the fact that you've been applying to another school "behind their backs" as something that's a little underhanded). I'm not saying that this was your intention, but there is the risk of it coming across this way. What you definitely don't want to just leave without telling your advisor and committee at all! I'd let them know your plans right away, especially if you think that your advisor will need time to find another assistant for his fieldwork. Also, why take the qualifying exams if you're not going to stick around at School A? It seems like a waste of time (for you and the people administering it).

 

If you explain it in terms of doing what's best for your career, they should be understanding about the whole situation. I doubt that they would let this influence how they grade your work in the class that you are taking. Good luck!

[Griffen03]

Thanks zabius. You are 100% right, I'm just scared to do what you recommend, basically. Like I said, its a small department and I'm insecure to begin with since I feel extremely isolated here. I need to stop being chickensh*t and just tell my advisor. I never thought that maybe the faculty will be understanding about my situation, I'll try to convince myself of that possibility. I take it from your response that you think it's a good idea to let them know I'll be transferring, instead of just saying I'm leaving the department. I guess it would be hard to lie when they ask me why I'm leaving. Anyway, thanks again!

[TMP]

How the heck could you have applied without him knowing?  Wouldn't you have needed his letter of rec to support your transfer?

[Griffen03]

How the heck could you have applied without him knowing?  Wouldn't you have needed his letter of rec to support your transfer?

I had already applied and been accepted before I started at my current school. They still had all my paperwork, including letters of recommendation from my MS school.

Does anyone know if your department/advisor can tell you that you can't finish the semester when you tell them you would plan to withdraw? I'd like to finish my classes so I can get some credits to transfer (my grades are fine). Even though my advisor would like to know that I'm leaving sooner rather than later, I'm afraid he and the department will be pissed off and refuse to let me continue. 

Has this happened to anyone?

[TMP]

Yes, they will be upset that you applied elsewhere without telling them, especially your adviser.  But they will grudgingly let you finish with passing grades.

 

The very fact that you went behind their back like this seems to suggest that you don't trust anyone to support your decision.  If the word gets to your new program, how will you handle that?  Your new adviser might question you more than you'd like.

 

When you do tell your adviser, apologize for not letting him know of your intentions and you mean no disrespect.  You were simply afraid/nervous/etc and just did not know how to communicate.  Now you are potentially paying a price and will accept responsibility for your actions.

 

I know that this seems to be harsh but academics do not appreciate betrayals of trust.

[frustratedGS]

I didn't even know that you could transfer Ph.D programs... can you tell me how you went about doing this? I am miserable in my current program. 

[nnnnnnn]

Can I bump this? Sometimes I ponder transferring. My lab has been very good to me in a lot of ways, and I am grateful.

 

Honestly, I'm more upset with the social situation of my school than anything else. Having close friends at another school nearby has given me insight into the program there (considered stronger than mine) and I've incorporated into that school's social environment (I hang out there more than I do at my own school).

 

Socially, I feel lonely and lost here. My labmates, while friendly, are distant. My department is loosely associated. As an engineer, I'm having difficulty meeting other women, even after joining an organization for women in science. I don't believe strongly enough in the vision of my lab's research to have that be the saving grace of the next 3+ years I spend here.

 

Having received NSF funding, I should be able to transfer to another school....maybe?

[Guest |||]

Can I bump this? Sometimes I ponder transferring. My lab has been very good to me in a lot of ways, and I am grateful.

 

Honestly, I'm more upset with the social situation of my school than anything else. Having close friends at another school nearby has given me insight into the program there (considered stronger than mine) and I've incorporated into that school's social environment (I hang out there more than I do at my own school).

 

Socially, I feel lonely and lost here. My labmates, while friendly, are distant. My department is loosely associated. As an engineer, I'm having difficulty meeting other women, even after joining an organization for women in science. I don't believe strongly enough in the vision of my lab's research to have that be the saving grace of the next 3+ years I spend here.

 

Having received NSF funding, I should be able to transfer to another school....maybe?

 

the grass is always greener on the other side, right?

 

If you feel passionately about it, take a semester and volunteer at a lab in this other school.  See how it actually feels there and how you fit.

[Fissionary12]

Hi everyone, I was about to start a thread with a very similar questions, but then I thought I would ask it here to keep all this information together.

 

I am in a situation where I am trying to transfer and I'm trying to figure out when to let my advisor know about my intention. I told them in the fall, before applying to other programs, that I did not feel that I was a good fit for the current program because of x, y and z reasons and that I was thinking of leaving at the end of the academic year. We have not discussed since, but I think they might be under the impression that I am happier because I have not brought it up again. 

 

I want to give my advisor as much notice as possible so they can take on an additionally student next year if they want to, but I'm hesitant to do that before I have been accepted anywhere else. I have several interviews coming up, so I'm optimistic, but I'm worried that by saying something now I run the risk of not getting in anywhere and being caught in the awkward situation of staying after telling my advisor I tried to leave. On the flip side, telling them now might give them a lot more flexibility in planning ahead than if I tell them in a month (or whenever it is that I do hear back from schools).

 

Anyways, I am grateful for the opportunity my advisor gave me by taking me on, and I want to re-pay that by being honest. Does anyone have advice on when to say something? (Or what to say?)

 

Thanks!

[rising_star]

Personally, I would wait to tell your advisor. What if you don't get any acceptances and you have to stay where you are?

[m-ttl]

Personally, I would wait to tell your advisor. What if you don't get any acceptances and you have to stay where you are?

 

Besides, I would assume they'd be more likely to just remove someone off the waitlist rather than outright accept them at all...