Hello! This is a long read so please forgive me.
So, my GPA is pathetic. 2.5 overall. My Psychology GPA is 3.0 or so, though. I went to a private, liberal arts college and I entered my undergraduate life forcing myself to be a Chemistry and Biology major. I was also minoring in exercise/health sciences. I was miserable and hated it. I did so poorly, it affected my overall GPA. I was actually academically dismissed my GPA was so low (oops). However, after working with an advisor and appealing my dismissal by writing a well-written, argumentative letter, I was accepted back into school (which is a rare occurrence). I did a lot of maturing, changed my major (my advisor noticed I did well in general psychology and I did take an interest to it) to Psychology, and ended up doing a ton better. Eventually, I raised my gpa enough that the academic committee sent me a letter that I wasn't even on academic probation anymore. The provost himself signed it, congratulating me on my hard work.
I did so well I made Dean's list my last semester, was accepted into the competitive nursing program (I was still in my exercise/health science major as well), did my senior thesis with cancer-based research under one of my professors (results weren't significant enough to be published, though), and received an "outstanding academic achievement" certificate. I did plenty of psychology research through courses (the class sizes were smaller, and our courses such as Sensation & Perception and Research Methods requires students to form a research project, execute it, and present results. Again, nothing is published but I have experience working with statistics, research papers, and the general research process). My social psychology professor even selected me amongst several other students to go to Germany and Austria for a spring semester. At school, I was well-known in the Psychology department, and did very well in courses, especially in Abnormal and Developmental.
I'm currently working as a mental health worker in a short-term psychiatric hospital for kids. My aim is behavioral clinical psychology (a focus with adolescents) so I do have work experience. I love my job and so glad I decided to pursue behavioral medicine. I would like to continue on and become a behavioral clinical psychologist.
I have yet to take the GREs (I have been studying for months preparing because I know I'll have to rock them). I definitely plan on taking the general GRE, but am debating if I should bother with the Psych one (all the programs I am applying for do not require it, but I feel I would do well on it and would like to strengthen my application as much as possible).
The programs I would like to apply for have the usual minimum of a 3.0 GPA for psych, 2.7 for general admission. So I am below the cutoff, which is off-putting. However, I have been working on my personal statement explaining my school circumstance, what I learned from it, and relating it to my current work experience. I have three professors (1 in social psych, 1 in developmental psych, and 1 that coordinated my senior thesis) that would gladly write me letters of rec.
So questions:
1. Realistically, what are my chances of getting accepted? Academic dismissal is a major turn-off, as is my gpa, so I'm worried.
2. Is the Psych GRE worth my time and money to strengthen my app even if it is not required?
3. Is my situation with my thesis/nursing program even worth mentioning? I had an odd mix of Psychology and Exercise/Health Sciences because I thought it would be a good fit with behavioral medicine. I'm familiar with things like psychopharmacology, brain anatomy and physiology, etc that can relate to the Psychology field.
4. I have a few other options if these seem like better ideas: If rejected from all the schools I apply to, I can either get an online MS (they are not accredited by APA, so I would have to do well, show that to a physical university that is accredited for a doctorates) or enroll as a non-degree student at any of the programs I apply for.
Thank you