I would recommend looking for ways your current experience relates to your field and putting that into your applications and resume. Keep looking through forums and discussions for tips and information about schools, and use your network! Friends, family, classmates, and professors can all lend a helping hand.
If you are looking for more ways to stand out, there's a great article here, http://www.vidcruiter.com/blog/2013/06/27/tips-on-how-to-write-a-winning-resume/ , that relates more to a resume, but can definitely lend itself to applications and reaching out to schools.
Hopefully that helps!