Questions about applying to grad school for engineering.

I am working on applying to grad schools and am just about to send my first app in and am looking to see what others have for advice/ experiences, especially as far as getting into a engineering program is concerned.

Background:(read if you would like of skip and go to questions further below)

I'm 28 go to the University of Minnesota and am in their Biomedical engineering program. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia/dysgraphia last year, though I was diagnosed with severe dyslexia and a vestibular processing order when I was young and I trust that diagnosis much more than the clown who did my second one. Before this I went to a tech school for auto-body and did that professionally for a couple years before deciding to head back to school. I started at a community college had a ruff time but after retaking classes got into the U of MN with a 3.1 AAS degree. At the U of MN, my first year was horrible and I think I had a 1.9 GPA after my first year. I got kicked out and petioned to get back in based off my LD and the fact that I was put into classes where I did not have prereqs. Since then over the last 60 credits my GPA is 3.26, and I just rettok the GRE and got a 520V/680Q. Throughout all of this I only had LD help during one semester which was last spring where I gt extra time on math related test(My life). I took on a large challenge last semester and took 25 credits(13 undergrad/12 grad) and got a 3.26 the only thing that kept that from a 3.5 was 2 classes that were relatively complex math intensive. I have also been doing research with a Prof who seems to like me and Im sure he speaks very well of me.

Questions:
1: In applying to grad school what has been your experience with LD.

2: How have you written your personal statements is such a way that you are not try to make it a life excuse but show that your abilities are not exactly what is seen on paper.

3: what experiences do you have with very competitive grads programs(top 30 or better)

4:Should I really try to hit them with how I have gotten what I have with extremely minimal assistance.

thanks
Matt
[Modified by: heinx055 on January 05, 2010 06:28 PM]