<p>I'm most likely going to graduate (undergrad) with no research publications. It really seems like almost everyone shooting for the big name schools for mech/aero have at least one under their belt. Will this be a disadvantage for me? What are other ways to show research potential besides the letters of rec and saying "I was a member of this lab for a while" in a personal statement?</p>
<p>I was awarded several grants/fellowships (internal and external) for the research I'm doing... but no publications...</p>
<p>Not very many students get publications as an undergraduate and a lot of it is luck and timing (getting into a lab and project at the right time with the right people working with them). Of course, it’s always nice to have a publication as an undergraduate, but it is certainly not a requirement nor is it expected of all competitive applicants. Having research experience, being able to write and speak intelligently about the work that you have done and what you want to do, having letters of rec from people in your field that speak highly of your readiness for graduate level work, and having awards/grants/fellowships for research are all great ways to show your readiness for graduate school.</p>
<p>I agree, having a publication is great but most applicants don’t have any. If you have had a high quality research experience with good letters of reference, you should be OK.</p>