u/BernzMaster

I have been applying for a PhD this year after a few years in the workforce. Back in February I received an offer to join a group, which was shortly followed by an offer for a specific funded project. I accepted the offer at the time as I knew I'd be happy with the project and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity and risk losing out on a PhD place entirely (I had a deadline to accept). That was the end of my admissions journey - or so I thought.

I recently received another offer on a funded project, at the same university but a different department. My initial thoughts was to reject it as I had already accepted an offer, but as I wrote the rejection email I began to have second thoughts and realised I need to think about this carefully to ensure I make the right choice.

What I like about the second project is it is more theoretical engineering whereas the first is more practical applied science. I have been interested in learning coding and simulations for a few years now, and I believe a coding-heavy project will open more doors post-PhD (I don't plan to become a lifetime academic, and I want to keep my options open). The trouble is I have limited experience coding and no experience with simulations. I made this clear to the supervisor when applying and they seemed unperturbed. They have obviously since offered me a place in their group. I want to make a good decision here but I am concerned my own judgement is clouded and assumptions about post-PhD-prospects I have made are inaccurate. By being more theoretical I think I can also work more flexibly (temporally and geographically) which suits my personality well.

My primary concern in making the switch is reputational damage from rejecting an offer I accepted months ago. I don't want to appear flaky, but I wonder whether this is normal in academia. Especially as I met the first group a few times and had detailed conversations with the supervisor about making sure the project was the right fit for me. The first project matches my research experience/skills better and will still have some coding for data analysis but probably no simulations.

In summary, my options are to reject the new offer and face a potential career opportunity cost, or reject the first offer with a high chance of reputational damage (and throwing away a project which matches my existing skillset better).

Dear fellow applicants and current/former PhD students: I humbly request your input on this matter.

\* What are your thoughts on my situation?

\* What questions should I be asking myself and others to make a more informed decision?

Just to clarify in case there are doubts: I definitely do want to do a PhD. I have been applying for years and now find myself in the fortunate position of having two funded projects available to me. Also, from my limited experience coding I know I enjoy it a lot.

I have been applying for a PhD this year after a few years in the workforce. Back in February I received an offer to join a group, which was shortly followed by an offer for a specific funded project. I accepted the offer at the time as I knew I'd be happy with the project and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity and risk losing out on a PhD place entirely (I had a deadline to accept). That was the end of my admissions journey - or so I thought.

I recently received another offer on a funded project, at the same university but a different department. My initial thoughts was to reject it as I had already accepted an offer, but as I wrote the rejection email I began to have second thoughts and realised I need to think about this carefully to ensure I make the right choice.

What I like about the second project is it is more theoretical engineering whereas the first is more practical applied science. I have been interested in learning coding and simulations for a few years now, and I believe a coding-heavy project will open more doors post-PhD (I don't plan to become a lifetime academic, and I want to keep my options open). The trouble is I have limited experience coding and no experience with simulations. I made this clear to the supervisor when applying and they seemed unperturbed. They have obviously since offered me a place in their group. I want to make a good decision here but I am concerned my own judgement is clouded and assumptions about post-PhD-prospects I have made are inaccurate. By being more theoretical I think I can also work more flexibly (temporally and geographically) which suits my personality well.

My primary concern in making the switch is reputational damage from rejecting an offer I accepted months ago. I don't want to appear flaky, but I wonder whether this is normal in academia. Especially as I met the first group a few times and had detailed conversations with the supervisor about making sure the project was the right fit for me. The first project matches my research experience/skills better and will still have some coding for data analysis but probably no simulations.

In summary, my options are to reject the new offer and face a potential career opportunity cost, or reject the first offer with a high chance of reputational damage (and throwing away a project which matches my existing skillset better).

Dear fellow applicants and current/former PhD students: I humbly request your input on this matter.

* What are your thoughts on my situation?

* What questions should I be asking myself and others to make a more informed decision?

Just to clarify in case there are doubts: I definitely do want to do a PhD. I have been applying for years and now find myself in the fortunate position of having two funded projects available to me. Also, from my limited experience coding I know I enjoy it a lot.