<p>I am looking to transfer to get an education degree, primarily special education. I have a 2.85 GPA currently. I had a 3.5 GPA the first year of school, and the summer after I was diagnosed with a neurological disease that created tremors which severely affected my note and test taking abilities, as well as some psychological issues. The psych issues are all sorted out now (almost two years after getting them,) but between those two it obviously affected my grade. I have re-taken some classes to raise my GPA over the last semester, but I doubt that has done enough. I would like to think that my first year as a student showed my ability as a hard academic worker, but I'm unsure ... I am applying mostly to lower tier schools known for being less discriminatory towards who they accept (Washington State University-Vancouver, University of Oregon, North Carolina State-Raleigh, etc.), so I'm guessing my chances are far better than applying to a CSU/UC school. Also, does applying out of state make a difference on acceptance rates?</p>
<p>EC/work experience wise: For the last three years I have worked full time teaching people with mental retardation how to successfully live on their own. I have helped two people to achieve living on their own, one halfway done to getting an AA at a community college, as well as was the main drive in re-arranging how staff interact with the clients, which made it easier and more effective for staff to work in getting clients' needs met. I am also a certified sexual assault counselor and have taken crisis line calls at a rape crisis center for over two years on top of volunteering at local events on behalf of the group, on top of helping run the local Special Olympics each year.</p>
<p>I have not taken the SAT - should I? Would it, after three and a half years of schooling, make a difference in my chances of getting in? Also does being half Native American still mean anything? I'm hoping white guilt from the generally successful genocide and corruption of my ancestry still means something :(</p>