Worth it to submit an article to put on application?

[phyanth]

I have an article that I've been writing for a while now. Would it be worth it to submit it to journals before I apply so I can say that I have an article in submission in my CV?

 

 

[TakeruK]

If you are asking whether or not it would be worth it to put in the effort and time necessary to turn your manuscript into an article that would be accepted by a journal, then my answer would be "maybe". As long as the time doesn't detract from other things you really need to be doing (coursework, other application materials etc.) then yeah, it is much better for you to have a submitted article within the next month than for you to put in the same amount of work but spread over a longer period of time and not getting it submitted until next summer. However, whether or not it is realistic that you can get the amount of work necessary done in time is something you have to decide (perhaps with consultation with an advisor/mentor). I find that most people, including myself, underestimate the amount of work necessary to get to the submission stage.

However, if you are asking if you should just submit whatever you have now just to say that you did submit something, then I don't think that's a good idea. I would only submit something that is truly ready for submission and peer review!