Blessed, why are Duke, Michigan-Ann Arbor, Northwestern and UPenn not on your list of reaches? They make more sense than most of your existing reaches. Columbia, CMU and USC are not known for their BME programs. Northwestern’s absence is especially intriguing given its proximity to your home (you said you are a resident of Illinois), and its awesome HPME program.
I agree with Warblersrule, Brown’s PLME program is awesome.
And why is UIUC not among your targets. Again, as your state’s flagship public institution, UIUC would seem like an ideal target.