Can a great research LOR make up for lack of pubs?

[YoungMoneyMint]

I've been leading my own virtual research project since Summer 2020 with minimal input from my PI, and have put in about 1100 hours so far. I don't have any pubs (yet) but I am working on a review paper with my PI and a couple of grad students for submission in July/August. I've also given 2 presentations at conferences (1 for a different project.)

However, my PI and I discussed my LOR today, and she told me she's going to write me a glowing letter that details my transformation as a scientist and a
person. She's also going to detail her expectation of me getting first or second-author in a mid/high-impact journal once I complete my project next year, and the fact that my research is setting the foundation for the labs direction in the future.

My question is: for the really big research schools (Mayo, Columbia, UCSF etc.) will this help mitigate my lack of a science pub? My stats are a 3.9/521, and I'm first-gen/
disadvantaged (but White) with pretty significant service hours (currently doing AmeriCorps.)

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[YoungMoneyMint]

@Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM

 

[Goro]

@Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM

My understanding is that the research who.....um, sex workers like productivity

 

[gyngyn]

Very few applicants have publications.

 

[LizzyM]

On a scale from 0 to 4, your research activity would be a 3. The letters, on a scale from 0 to 4 could be a 4. Your community service would be a 4. You would be two points above everyone who might have a 4 in research (pubs) but with a 3 out of 4 for letters and 2 out of 4 for service. (those aren't the only factors but three where there might be differences between yourself and other applicants).