second thoughts

[Guest jay]

I was accepted to several PhD programs with funding this year and I chose one that I thought would be the best fit for me. However, I am going through a ton of turmoil and regret because I don't think this school is a good match for me after all (due to the fact that my interests have changed a bit, and I recently found some professors at other schools whose research fit me better now). I know it is pretty late to be changing my mind but I am seriously considering not going and applying again to different schools next year. The danger of doing that is that maybe i won't get into the programs I really want next year, and be stuck not going to grad school at all. Also, there is the issue of finding another temp job while I go through the application process again (luckily, money is not that big a factor in all of this). Another option is to just attend school next year, see if I like it, and then transfer if I don't. However, I am a bit wary of transferring because I heard it is MORE difficult to get into a PhD program with a master's rather than a bachelor's. Does anyone know if this is true? Has anyone been in this situation? What would you do? Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Guest wordrapture]

Hi Jay,

I too am about to start a PhD in the Fall. And what that means is that I don't have any first hand experience with the possibility of transferring from one program to another after one's Masters. But perhaps I can offer the following insights. Although you do not mention the field you are in, it would seem to me that if your professors are open minded, there might be a way for you to pursue your "new" interests within the program that you chose. There are of course some fields in which that is NOT a possibility. But I just wonder about all of us undergrads entering the PhD track... Aren't we more than likely to change our minds about our fields of interest as we become more and more aware, learned, and specialized? Is there really a way to "lock" yourself into a topic 7 years in advance? As long as you haven't changed your interest from say European History to Asian studies, or from Russian to French Lit., wouldn't it be fair to say that most professors are aware of specific scholarship written, or being written on some topics, and that you would be well advised?

I don't know if any of this helps, but I get the sense that some of this might be a mild case of cold feet, of anxiety at being "locked in" at a specific school/program. Understandably, since most of us are terrified that we might have made the wrong choice, that the professors at school A will not be up to the standards of school B or C... I know I went through that recently. In the end I told myself that Grad school would ultimately mean that I would have to come into my own, get to a point where I can come to view it as an opportunity to discover what I can contribute to my field. A somewhat scary prospect, accompanied by thoughts like "what if I can't cut it?". But this is ultimately about you and a very difficult decision.

If indeed the "perfect match" is absolutely necessary, consider re-applying. But ask yourself, and perhaps a Professor whose opinion you trust and respect, how essential it really is. Otherwise, it seems like there is much to discover along the way, and perhaps the school you chose could have a lot of wonderful opportunities to do just that...

Best,

wordrapture

[Guest L again]

Jay, not sure what your field is nor how much your interests have changed, but you might think about whether the faculty at the school you are going to next year might be able to supervise your current interests. Also, if you have not studied the field at the graduate level, you may find that your interests change yet again once you start reading the general literature/research in your field next year. If the program you got into next year is at all highly ranked, you should also consider that in your decision to let the offer go. What is your field? Maybe some on the forum can offer field-specific advice.

[Minnesotan]

L's made a good point. If you're doing work in the humanities, then it is assumed you're going to mess about a bit before coming to a final topic, thesis, and question. However, I would bet the hard sciences are more strict than the social sciences.

[Guest ge]

No, with hard sciences, you can mess about all you want, at least at my school.

[Minnesotan]

I stand corrected.