Thanks for sharing. That's interesting. I almost wonder if you would be better off not having a background in math/econ (maybe that would make your score a little more self-explanatory/lower their expectations from the outset?). Though I'd imagine in the long run they will (hopefully) figure that you just didn't perform as well as you may have hoped on that one particular exam, and if everything else looks fine, just move past it. I would be surprised if that one hiccup did you in even at top programs, though I suppose stranger things have happened.
Thanks also for this. Fortunately I was poli sci undergrad, so while I don't have a substantial math/econ background, I do have letter writers in the correct field! If it's not one issue it's the other these days, I suppose!
Thanks again for providing clarity on these issues. My attitude has always been that if a school is going to turn you down for something as menial as a lowish SAT/GRE score, you probably don't want to spend 5-6 years of your life there, anyway. Your performance over 4 yrs of undergrad is a much better indicator of future academic success, IMO.