Hi everyone, I plan to apply for a Ph.D in sociology next fall (2016 fall semester) and recently took my GRE exam with V 161, Q 164, AWA 4.0. I would like to apply for programs within top 30.
I know that 4.0 probably is too low for a phd in social sciences since writing is such an essential skill.
More about myself -- English is not my first language but I did a master in public policy in the U.S. and I am working in the U.S. now. My GPA is 3.84/4.0 for master and 3.7/4.0 for undergrad. I don't think my writing skill is at 4.0 level but I admit that I am not good at writing with an aggressive time frame.
Is it possible to make up for my poor AWA performance with personal statement and writing sample? Should I consider retaking GRE to improve my AWA score?
Any thoughts and comments are appreciated. Thank you in advance!