twodrifters

I know. My friends who are in T-10 programs as you would agree on the general ignorance of the AW score in the admissions process. I'll double check with UCSD since the minimum scores listed on their website are still using the old GRE format. I think you are very right that the AW graders look for a particular type of writing and there are "unspoken rules" such as the ones you listed.

Hi Penelope, following up on your hint for the weight of GRE AW in poli sci PhD admissions, is the spreadsheet used for all rounds of selections? Do most schools follow the same policy as yours? I am curious to know because I'm afraid my AW score of only 4.5 due to lack of preparation will hurt my chances of getting into a T-10 program. If my worries are well-grounded, I will need to take the GRE for the second time.

The PhD in Political Science and International Affairs Program requires a minimum AW score of 5.0; on the other hand, the minimum verbal score is only a 560 on the old GRE. Help, please! How do I improve my AW score??

I got my official results for the revised GRE General Test today, with both Verbal and Quantitative in the high-90th percentiles. However, I only got 4.5 for AW. It's not too surprising because I worried too much about Verbal and Quantitative, and ignored AW until three days before the test. I'm applying for PhD programs in the social sciences and many of my target schools pretty much require a minimum of 5.5 AW to be considered a strong candidate. What do I do to improve my AW score in one month? Any recommendations for books? Many thanks!

I am currently trying to decide whether I should apply for PhD or MA programs. I am an international student who graduated from an American college with an academic background in Chinese politics, Asia-Pacific security, and US-Asia relations. I will be happy either becoming a professor or working at a think tank, with a slight preference toward the latter. I have read through several of the posts in the forum suggesting that an MA program is more tailored for future policy wonks. However, given the fact that I am a foreign national and need visa sponsorship to be able to work legally for any employer, should I go through PhD training just to "play it safe" since sponsorships at think tanks can be quite hard to obtain even with a masters degree? When I say it is hard, I do not really know how hard it is, but all the foreign nationals I know who hold masters degrees unanimously experience great difficulty in nailing down positions at think tanks. It might well be the case that their credentials are not strong enough, but I do suspect for good reasons that their need for sponsorship worked against their candidacy. Will obtaining a PhD ameliorate the hiring situation? I'd be most grateful to receive any insider advice!