Survivorship bias in PhD advice: why 22-year-olds can't judge advisors
RexDouglass · x · 2026-11-10
On the structural dilemma of choosing a PhD: you're asked to judge a guild, department, subfield, and advisors before learning the math needed to evaluate them — and even then it takes years. The author adds that complaints about 22-year-olds' poor judgment suffer from survivorship bias, since critics only see those who stayed.
Related event: Choosing a PhD at 22 Is a Gamble, Researchers Say(2 posts)→
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