Graduate School Advice regarding Arvix

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of submitting a research report to ArXiv for graduate school admissions, particularly from the perspective of an undergraduate student nearing the completion of their research project. The conversation touches on the value of research experience, publication, and the role of letters of recommendation (LoRs) in the admissions process.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about the weight of an ArXiv submission for graduate school admissions, questioning its value compared to traditional peer-reviewed publications.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of having a positive attitude towards the research process, suggesting that motivation should not solely depend on potential outcomes.
  • A participant asserts their commitment to writing and submitting the report to ArXiv, indicating excitement about formalizing their research despite uncertainties about its impact on their application.
  • It is noted that publications are not typically expected from undergraduate applicants, but relevant research experience is crucial, and having written a paper can signal research understanding to admissions committees.
  • Concerns are raised about the unknown factors influencing admissions decisions, such as the content of the paper and the perspectives of the admissions committee members.
  • A correction is made regarding the spelling of ArXiv, clarifying a common misconception.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the significance of submitting to ArXiv for graduate admissions, with some emphasizing the importance of research experience and others questioning the impact of the submission itself. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact weight of an ArXiv submission in the admissions process.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the uncertainty surrounding the admissions process, including the variability in committee expectations and the content of the research report. There is also a lack of consensus on how much weight an ArXiv submission carries compared to other factors like letters of recommendation.

juggernaut5452
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I'm a junior based in the U.S and my research project is ending in one or two months, so I am writing a report with my results. I am not sure if I will be a first author as there are two other students, but they have graduated so I have been working on it alone for a while now since the summer.
I was hoping to submit it to a journal but as my professor is also retiring, there will not be enough time to go through the peer-review process and we are unsure yet if the report is worth it to be submitted as I am still running some simulations. We are planning on just uploading it to Arvix. Will it still be helpful for graduate school admissions? If so, how much of a weight will it carry?
 
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Why do you care? If the answer is "I won't get anything out of it, I won't do it"? That's not the attitude of a successful scientist.
 
No, I'm definitely going to write and submit it to Arxiv one way or another. I'm excited to write a formal report to summarize everything that I've been working on as I've put a lot of time into it. However, I just wanted a sense of how it factored into my application so I can see where I stand.
 
Publications aren't a expectation from undergraduate applicants and they aren't a requirement for getting admitted to graduate programs OP. Relevant research experience is however and it seems like you have a fair bit. Just having written a paper will be a strong signal to admissions committees that you have an understanding of what it means to conduct independent research. To increase your chances make sure that you're a really strong fit for the specific programs you apply to and that the researchers you would match with are actually in a position to be accepting new students. Also be sure to clearly outline in your SOP how your background would be of benefit to their specific topics of research.

Best of luck.
 
Well, I am a little puzzled. We don't know what the paper says, nor who will be on the admissions committee and what they might think, and you don't plan on doing anything differently anyway. It seems hard to give constructive advice in this case.

What matters at least as much, and probably more, is what the LoRs say.
 
Oh, and it's ArXiv, not Arvix.
 

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