i'm currently deciding whether or not to take a phd i've been offered which is at a research institute and registered with cambridge uni. If I did decide to take the offer but pull out at a later date, do you think i would be able to get another phd elsewhere registered at cambridge? Or would my name be stored somewhere so that they wouldn't touch me again! thanks

Why would you drop of the PhD?

Sorry..drop out of the PhD rather.

It's a really good position but i'm not sure its quite right somehow.it may just be nerves, but i can't put my finger on it at the moment. however, if i don't take it i may regret it in the future! So i was wondering if i accepted, but decided it wasn't right, how that would affect future applications.

Are you nervous because of where the position is? If this is the case, personally, I would take it if this is the only thing that makes you reluctant. If the worst really came to the worst, it happens sometimes that people's PhD's don't work out for one reason or another (from what I can gather), and they go elsewhere. I would guess also that you were offered the post because the 'post-offerers' believe that you are the person for the job.

Incidentally, I was in a similar situation to yours, but in my case I was given the opportunity to do an MPhil. At the time I wondered whether the pg admissions had made a big mistake since I had performed so badly on my 1st degree. However, in the end, everything worked out absolutely fine.

It could be the case that they wouldn't take you again - it would depend on the superviosr and the situation involved with you dropping out. They wouldn't actually 'black list' you though. I turned Cambridge down flat twice, and they still come back to me.

I think (and know) that you would regret it more staying on in a PhD that didn't suit you, as it would make you really miserable.

You will not be blacklisted if you drop out of a PhD, but you will have three other obstacles to starting another one. Firstly most potential new supervisors would want to see a reference from your old supervisor, who may not understand your reasons for leaving. Secondly you may not be eligible to receive another studentship from your particular grant awarding body. Thirdly, your track record makes you look like a risk. Don't be tempted into thinking you will be able to lie about dropping out, academic research can be a very small world and you may well be found out.


Whilst very few would condemn somebody for giving up a PhD which wasn't working out for some reason or other, starting one you don't think you'll enjoy in the beginning would be foolhardy. You should really sort out in your mind now whether you want this studentship or not. A PhD studentship isn't just valued by students, academics spend a lot of time applying for them and stake their reputations on the progress of the students they appoint. High drop out rates reflect badly on supervisors and their departments and can affect their future funding.