Black list

S

Hello everyone!

Do you think that faculty at different universities keep and update a blacklist for failed phd students in their field? I failed my phd and I tried to reapply, but unsuccessfully for too many times now.

Maybe I am just paranoid, but I was just wondering.

Thank you

T

I think that if you are applying at the same uni then someone would recognize your name or see that you were previously enrolled on a PhD program. Another thing is, maybe your referees are alluding to it. I do think that if anyone is aware that you had failed one previously then questions would be asked. Not exactly a blacklist but elephants remember kinda thing.

Also - are you talking about funding here? If so then it is worth noting that it is so competitive that the majority of applications are rejected. It may simply be a case of that.

P

I have no doubt that some people at some institutions will operate a de facto blacklist but a more likely scenario may be happening.
If I received a CV showing a failed PhD attempt I would probably not want to interview that person for my vacant PhD position unless I was struggling to recruit. If I did interview you, you would expect a very tough set of questions about what went wrong.
From what I have seen, Academics are a pretty risk averse bunch. You may be having problems because of this.

B

What PM133 says. I would require the faculty head's approval if you'd failed previously and he normally says no. Only a very clear reason why you failed eg illness and why that no longer applies would convince him.

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