Trying to find a school for BioMEMs research

[HappMatt]

So I would like to get into grad school and research BioMEMs but am having issues figuring out where to apply and whether or not I should.

A little background:
I will be graduating in may with a degree in biomedical engineering from the U of MN. I currently have a 3.0 with a 3.26 in the last 60 credits and in addition I have done this with a learning disability and no accomidations. I taken the GRE and got a 680Q/520V. I have been reseaching thin films transducers getting some good research experience in the last year. I am in my late 20s and before going back to school 4 yrs ago I was doing auto body.

I really want to get a phd reseaching BioMEMS and more specifically lab on a chip. My disability has made getting top grade hard but I have been getting better and expect that my grades will keep increasing. I am definitely applying to UCLA and probally UC Irvine and possibly U of Maryland for biomedical and likly PennState for engineering science. I doubt I will get into them but would really like to. I need to figure out if there are some other school that may not be so selective but still have descent facilities and reseach. I don't care what type of engineering I do wether it be a EE, ME, BME or what ever as long as I get to do the right research.

So I am looking for advice as to how to approach this and are there maybe some schools that are a little less know but still might be descent to go to in my situation.
Thanks

 

[Mapes]

You may get some ideas if you look through recent issues of Lab on a Chip, J Micromech Microeng, and the proceedings of conferences like µTAS.

 

[HappMatt]

I have done a little of that and unfortunately it always appears as though the research I would like to do is being done at a school that I don't think i will get into. I will definitely look some more though.
Thanks