Hi!
If you think you keep getting turned down for PhD studentship places because of a bad academic reference, what should you do? One of my references is my dissertation supervisor (no other academic on my last course knows me well enough to comment, I have tried to get other academic references from my last course), and I think he is giving me a bad reference. I am always near to being accepted until references are taken up, then the studentship falls through.

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Have you asked him directly? I think that's the best thing to do. Looking at your posts it sounds like your supervisor has completed a few references for you. If he didn't think you were suitable for a PhD studentship I am sure he would have indicated this to you by now. But if he keeps going it, it's a waste of everyone's time - including his! And if anyone feels they cannot give a suitable reference for someone, they shouldn't agree to it in the first place. (Unless you've done something really bad like defraud the Uni or something, a sitation where a referee feels others need to know, but I'm sure you don't fall into that category!)

Have the places you applied to provided feedback on why you weren't successful?

It's also worth remebering that PhD places are very competitive. Harsh as it is, some places have even got someone in mind before they've even advertised a studentship. It sucks, but it's rife. Hang in there.

Can you ask for a reason why your studentship is falling through to get proof?

Hi Oliver, getting turned down totally sucks. It might not be about references though, as kronkodile says, many people get through to the late stages many times and end up dissapointed. Its so frustrating, and so totally understandable to think that to be turned down many times there must be something awry. Having said that, however, you could try and maximise your chances next time and find out on what basis they rejected you. Thank them for considering you and ask what they thought of your application and where it fell down - loads of people do this when rejected for jobs, it shows you're proactive and there's no harm in asking...

...Cont... That way you know whether its a reference thing or an application thing, or you were just unlucky.

To really sort out what what written about you, you can, under the Data Protection Act, ask them to see the written references that have been submitted to them, although if the ref has 3rd party info in the document, they are then generally not obliged to disclose that info.

All the best