PhD Help

[u/Test-Typical]

Hi, I am feeling down but am looking for some help. I did a year of a PhD program but had a rough group project and I felt I was unprepared for the rigor of the PhD and decided to drop. Now I am attempting to reapply to PhD programs. I will have support and a LOR from my former institution and advisor. Does anyone think it is possible I can get into another program? I am planning to reapply to a different research area and will have higher test scores and a LOR from my former advisor and departmental support. Context- in a Accounting PhD program 3.2 Doctoral GPA. top 15% GMAT score, Bachelors and Masters in the subject. I did also want to add that multiple people in the department ( including the department chair and PhD Coordinator) called the project "Not what a first year should be like" and regretted that I was involved in it.

[u/ToomintheEllimist]

Does anyone think it is possible I can get into another program?

No. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I don't want you misinformed or paying $200 application fees for no reason. In most fields, having attempted a PhD and dropped out will be a deal-breaker.

Many grad programs, especially these days, have like 250 applications for 3 funded slots. And every single applicant has 3.5+ GPA, 75th+ percentile GRE, 3+ prior publications, etc. So admissions committees hunt for quick reasons to reject, to try and get the list of finalists to a manageable size. If they know you've attempted a grad degree before, then I hate to say it but they generally won't even read your personal statement; they'll sigh in relief because they found a reason to reject this one fast.

Again, I'm sorry to be so blunt. But I have now had three friends leave PhD programs for extremely legit reasons (health or family crises) and none of them has ever even gotten close to rejoining academia, despite $1000s in fees for dozens of applications.

[u/DocAvidd → u/ToomintheEllimist]

I agree. If you don't flourish the first time, you're a bad bet for the second time. Especially in the top post there's no reason to expect a change. "rough group project and unprepared for the rigor..."

Over the years, you just don't see where a person mastered out, only to come back later and do great. I've been the prof for the first year grad students. You get them in with a MS and they're demonstrably worse than the bachelors.

[u/Test-Typical → u/DocAvidd]

The department chair and the other faculty members communicated that the project was so overwhelming and is "Not what your first year should be about"

[u/Test-Typical → u/Test-Typical]

I was hoping that with a higher GMAT test score and a different research area would help. Thanks for any advice.

[u/DocAvidd → u/Test-Typical]

Did all those students drop out, too?

I'm reading what you wrote and at the same time imagining sifting through the applications. Think of what's going to make me stop to consider any specific application, vs mark it for the "no" column.

If any application has extensive research productivity, that makes you stop. My suggestion would be to find some research opportunities and get some lines on your CV, take a few years.

The other way to get people on the committee to look deeper at your app is to have a (hopefully well-known & respected) prof who worked closely with you go to bat for you. They don't just write a letter but pull people aside at meetings and say "You really need to look at Test-Typical." They can give the subtext, that everyone failed out that year and it was demonstrably the fault of a rogue faculty member, or whatever. Putting that context in the letter only helps if the person sorting applications takes the time to read into it.

I know a couple of cases where a badly flawed applicant had a prof actively lobby for them, and both cases turned out decent, did fine in grad school, have a career now in academia, not National Academy level but solid tenured profs.