Steve Tippins argues PhD students drop out because advisors assume they already know how to manage ambiguity and write a dissertation, without teaching them. A dissertation tests mentorship quality, not intelligence. The high dropout rate reflects systemic failure, not student ability.
You're not supposed to know how to write a dissertation yet. That's what getting a PhD is for. But somewhere along the way, academia forgot that too many supervisors treat doctoral students like junior faculty, expecting them to manage ambiguity, do research, and write to highly specific requirements that were never made clear and figure it all out alone. And then we wonder why half of PhD students don't finish. Most dropouts don't happen because students can't cut it. They happen because no one ever taught them how to do the work that they're being judged on. Dissertation is not a test of intelligence. It's a test of mentorship and of clarity. And when mentorship is missing, students internalize that failure and they start believing, like, I should know how to do this by now, but you shouldn't. No one starts a PhD knowing how to conduct independent research, write a 150 page dissertation, or navigate academic politics. You're supposed to be learning that. Many supervisors whenever taught how to mentor. And that's where the gap is. Drop the word help in the comments below and we will send you the link to our free dissertation help community.
