<p>Quick Bio: I grew up in a harsh environment while a teenager and had to fend for myself since I was 17. I have worked full-time in the IT field since graduating high school (a vocational school). I started off at a community college, then transferred to a 3rd-tier university and eventually graduated at 30 with an undergraduate in CS specializing in bioinformatics (essentially a CS degree plus lots of science classes like biology, o-chem, physics, a&p, and biochem). I graduated with a 3.79 GPA (combined CC and uni) and didn’t do research due to the time constraints of my job combined with my full-time school schedule. </p>
<p>I no longer find the IT field challenging and feel drawn toward the sciences. If accepted into a good graduate program I plan to quit a very comfortable-paying job and live on a student budget. I plan to take the GRE soon and start applying into graduate programs - specifically in some discipline of chemistry. </p>
<p>I have never truly felt like I was worthy of attending a well-known university, but I’m trying to challenge my beliefs to test whether I’m really just holding myself back. This leads me to my question:</p>
<p>Assume for the moment that I score extremely well on the GRE. Given my background, which universities should I realistically apply to? Who would have me and who would be a waste of time and money to apply to?</p>
<p>Thank you for your help.</p>