<p>Will doing research in the same major, but not in the same research area you want to study in grad school effect your chances of getting into top tier schools? For example, i'm a mechanical engineering and I'm doing some undergrad research in laser ignition and then I want to study something like energy or some other area in grad school. Will that look bad on a application that i dont have the prior skills in energy research?</p>
<p>I believe it’s not as bad as if you haven’t done any research in your undergraduate!</p>
<p>My question is, how much my 40 page undergraduate reseach related to my graduate major will increase my chances of being admitted to a graduate school?</p>
<p>Many grad students don’t get into the same subject because they take what they can get. I didn’t do much directly related to my grad research either. Experience is the most important part. In the hard sciences, the major issue might be skills - but you can usually learn those.</p>
<p>As for the 40-page paper, not directly. It will help in that you have a research experience to talk about and a writing sample to submit to the programs that require it.</p>