Graduate School Advice regarding Arvix

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A junior researcher in the U.S. is nearing the completion of a research project and is preparing to write a report on their findings. With uncertainty about authorship due to the involvement of graduated students and the professor's impending retirement, the researcher plans to upload the report to ArXiv instead of submitting it to a journal due to time constraints. There is a focus on how this publication might impact graduate school admissions. While publications are not a requirement for undergraduate applicants, having written a paper can demonstrate independent research experience, which is valuable to admissions committees. It is emphasized that relevant research experience is crucial, and applicants should ensure they align well with the programs they apply to. Additionally, the strength of letters of recommendation (LoRs) is highlighted as a significant factor in the admissions process. The researcher is determined to complete the report, recognizing its importance in showcasing their research capabilities.
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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.
 

Thread 'PSA -- Contact PI's before applying to graduate school in the US'

Given the current funding situation, you should contact potential departments or research groups before you apply and pay any application fees. Many programs are not taking new graduate students at all this cycle because of funding uncertainty, unless a specific advisor can show they already have money to support you for five years. This is what I’ve heard directly from 20–30 programs. Do not waste money applying blindly.
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