[PROFIE_EVALUATION: PhD in CS, Fall-2020 (computational biology/bioinformatics)]

Thank you for your suggestion. 
Yes, I am an international applicant. 
And I agree, this is an overall slightly below than the average profile.
However, I have found that getting into the Master's program is even more competitive in my prospective research area.

I am not applying to very ambitious programs. For now, I will at least keep trying to find some schools that are ranked >= 80 for Ph.D. programs.
Again, thank you for your response.
 

[PROFIE_EVALUATION: PhD in CS, Fall-2020 (computational biology/bioinformatics)]

[PROFILE EVALUATION POST]
[TL:DR: Need suggestion on graduate school selection]

Hello good people,
Hope you are doing well.
I have found the resources available in this site really helpful and am on the verge of applying to graduate schools for PhD in CS.

I may have a below than the average profile due to a lack of publications or a slightly concerning GPA. I have prepared a VERY LONG list of programs that are aligned with my interest. However, most of the programs I found are from the top 50 universities and it seems their acceptance rates are very low.

I will try to apply to some of those ambitious schools.

But what I am stressing about is actually finding at least 2 or 3 safe or moderate programs. The deadlines are closing in and I would really appreciate it if anyone can give me any suggestion.

My profile:

CGPA: 3.48/4.00, (institution is in top 10 of my country)
GRE: 324 (Q165, V159, A4.0),
Toefl: 104 ( R30, L: 25, S20, W:29),
Research experience: Undergrad thesis on phylogenetic trees( relevant to computational biology)
Publication: NONE,
Job: 2 years in the software industry,
Research Interest: Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Advanced Algorithms, Theory of Computation.

LoR: 2 from university professors, 1 from former employer

 

 

Some universities I found aligned to my interest: (with their usnews ranking)
1. Rice University [20]

2. Johns Hopkins University [25]

3. Pennsylvania State University [30]

4. New York University [30]

5. University of California--Irvine [30]

6. University of Virginia [30]

7. Virginia Tech [40]

8. University of California--Davis [37]

9. University of Colorado--Boulder [40]

10. Stony Brook University--SUNY [40]

11. Michigan State University [55]

12. Indiana University--Bloomington [55]

13. Iowa State University [61]

14. University of California--Riverside [61]

15. Case Western Reserve University [68]

16. George Mason University [68]

17. Florida State University [82]

18. University of Central Florida [82]

19. CUNY Graduate School and University Center [82]

20. University of Connecticut [83]

21. University of Texas-San Antonio [119]

 

I have got only a few generic replies from some professors of these schools. But could not decide any. Some programs ask for a Master's degree for PhD admission and I only have BSc. Also, TOEFL speaking score is making me omit some programs from this list too.

My Queries:
[1] What usnews ranking ranges could be considered as ambitious, moderate and safe based on this profile?
[2] Could you suggest any safe schools for this profile?