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<p>Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not sure that holds even for engineering. If your research skills have advanced to the point that you’re already actively publishing, particularly in A-level academic journals, and especially as first or even sole author, it’s very hard for me to see how or why a top engineering grad program would reject you even with mediocre grades. Like I said, it seems to me that what academic departments, including engineering departments, want most of all are new graduate students who can immediately improve the faculty’s chances of publication through collaboration, along with somebody who is going to place well on the (hopefully academic) job market. All of that is clearly demonstrated by an applicant who is already publishing top papers.</p>