How do my scores stack up?

[Qalfa47]

Greetings! I've been a lurker here for some time, and figured I might as well ask my question directly. This fall, I'm planning on applying to a number of history Ph.D. programs. The institutions I'm most interested in are Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Chicago, and CUNY. My GRE scores are as follows: 163 (VR), 147 (QR), and 5.5 (AW). I'm currently in an M.A. program for historical studies in which I have a 4.0; I graduate in May. I will also be serving as a teaching assistant this fall, as well as a research assistant for this final year. I know that the GRE only comprises one component of the application as a whole. Additionally, I recognize that one's research interests and project fit some institutions better than others. Given my scores, would I be better served to spend my time on focusing on my statement of purpose, writing sample, and gathering letters of recommendation (of which I have formed excellent relationships with my letter writers) rather than taking it again to improve my QR score? I should also add that for my undergraduate studies, in which I earned a B.S., my GPA was a 3.28 overall and a 3.8 in history (my major). I know many programs vary from one to the next, but I figured it couldn't hurt to have an idea of everyone else's experiences here.

Thank you all for your time and input!

[PolPhil]

Your GRE scores are fine, but not amazing. They likely won't help or hurt you. Your GPA is bad, but you should be helped by your major GPA. At this point, work on your qualitative material (SOP, LoRs, etc.). Also, you should consider applying to some lower-ranked schools in addition to the schools you listed. For places like Princeton, Columbia and Chicago, even many students with "perfect" application profiles get rejected, so it's best to keep your options open.