Here we go:
GRE Q151/V151 AWA 4.0
Undergraduate GPA 2.6/4.0
4 years in the service industry in a leadership/supervisory position
2 years in Peace Corps
Accepted: Brandeis, DU, SIS
Waitlisted: UCSD
Denied: GSPIA, SAIS, Elliott, GT SSP
I knew I wasn't going to get in to a lot of the schools (esp. SAIS & SSP), but I wanted to try for it anyways. I had really strong recommendation letters from a well-known research professor and Peace Corps country director.
I think for me, waiting a while to apply to school and having the experience in between contributed to my acceptances. Don't know how I managed 3 acceptances, but I'm really honored that the schools are giving me a chance. I definitely think the schools accept you for something that they think you could offer, and I'm pretty sure my SOP, PC experience, and LORs are what got me into school.