Undergraduate resume for PhD application: Include publication in preparation? I am an undergraduate student currently applying for PhD programs. I am trying to decide whether I should include the citation of a work that will be submitted for publication in the near future with me as a coauthor. I've confirmed with the PhD candidate and my PI that the work will definitely be submitted for publication, but I am not sure how to mention it.

Some answers on this site have said not to include any work that hasn't been published yet, and one answer said that it might be good for an undergraduate student to show that level of involvement. What would be the proper way to indicate my contribution to an upcoming submission?
I would definitely include the (future) publication in your applications. Add a section for publications to your CV. In this section, simply write


  [Title of your Paper], Author A, Author B and Author C, in prep.


This is a common shortening for "in preparation" that is used in academic CVs, talks and even published papers to refer to a work which is nearly ready for submission to a journal. You can talk about the work and your contribution to it in more detail in your personal statement.