Publications: Do they make a big difference?

[lpruj]

Hey guys I posted here a couple weeks ago(link to post below) with no idea and direction on what kind of an applicant I am but you all gave me some great feedback! After a lot of careful evaluation and looking at my current research interests and future goals, I have decided I will be applying for Biostats PhD's. 

I recently just had a publication accepted to a biology journal! I worked on the statistical analysis and genomic data visualization in this paper. By December I might have 1-2 more potential papers being published too with this same group. At the moment though, will this publication help me for applications? I am looking to go to a program like MD Anderson, Vanderbilt, Columbia, or NYU, and am also going to apply to a couple of the top 5 programs to see if I get lucky. 

Something I forgot to mention in my previous post: My freshman year was pretty terrible. I finished calc 1 with a B, and calc 2 with a C (retook it the summer after freshman year and got an A) and finished the year with a cumulative 3.3 GPA. However, after freshman year I have been getting only 4.0's every semester which includes my upper level math and CS classes and am up to a 3.8 now. Will my freshman year grades hurt my admissions chances or will they look over it because of my improvement? 

[Stat Assistant Professor]

Yes, the publication should enhance your application. Not necessarily because it is very relevant to biostatistics but because it is a clear sign of "research potential."  I would ask your research supervisor for a letter of recommendation. That letter, plus one recommendation letter from a professor who can state how adept you are at advanced mathematics, should make your overall application very strong. 

I don't think your freshman years should hurt your application much since you got all A's after that in upper division classes. Best of luck.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Stat Assistant Professor