can i apply with this aw score?

[Lost in transition]

Hi,

I'm planning to apply for pol.sci program with strong interest in IR..civil war and conflict resolution.

I'm an int'l student..no experience of actually living abroad except several travel experience.

Here's my gre score, though - v780 q800 aw3.0!!!!!!!

my toefl writing was 29 and 28.....omg...Can i get excuse with my toefl for the gre aw?

What should i do withvthis awful aw score? i registered for another gre test but my grandfather was terribly ill so i cancelled the test and attended the funeral the day after that scheduled day. Cbt is not available in my home country and i cannot afford another travel abroad for taking gre.

Can i still apply with this score? My UGPA is not excellent but i got magna cum...no work experience nor publication.

[adaptations]

I'm inclined to think that your other scores are strong enough to compensate for the low AW. It's a small blemish, but I think your near perfect scores in other areas will off set the low AW. Also, make sure you have a strong writing sample to prove you can make a good argument. Best of luck.

[Kunal]

A Strong SOP will surely help you out I feel, So don't worry about it that much . All the Best . By the way, Ur Scores in the V&Q are too good.

[Penelope Higgins]

The AW score doesn't matter, especially for students also submitting TOEFL scores. Just don't worry about it.

[Lost in transition]

Thank you for your encouraging reply...now i have some hope to go on!

[Charlie2010]

AW is a noisier signal than most. Committees would rather not see a 3, but if you have a good essay, writing sample, and other scores, they'd treat it as a fluke.

[JMoo]

Sorry to bring you down, but that score will be very hard to overcome. If you don't get in anywhere this year and decide to apply next year, you should definitely retake the test.

[catchermiscount]

You'll get a lot of conflicting opinions, but Penelope is an excellent source. Amid the noise already in this thread, I would go with her, since what she says is the most sensible thing about 99.9% of the time.

Edited December 28, 2010 by coachrjc

[shepardn7]

Your 780V will likely not make up for a poor AWA score -- at least not for those who have any familiarity with the test -- because that section really has nothing to do with assessing your writing skills. Instead, your writing sample and statement of purpose will assure the committee you can write well. Make sure they're polished to a sparkle. Honestly, people say the AWA doesn't matter, and I'm inclined to agree, but I think it might matter a little more (whether fairly or unfairly) for ESL students than for native speakers, namely because enough people who have difficulty with writing in English (i.e., with grammar and syntax) can still do very well on the verbal section with a lot of preparation.

[Charlie2010]

At top programs, TOEFL scores become irrelevant because they are all basically perfect. AWA is marginally helpful, but the foreign students (even good ones) mostly seem to get 3s or 4s. A 5 or 6 would be a little impressive but if you're good enough to get in we're going to read your SOP and some of your writing samples to form our own opinion not just of you writing/grammar but also of your understanding of the field. If I'm uncertain about mastery of English grammar and usage I usually turn to page 15 or so of the writing sample and look at a couple of paragraphs. People with bad English are rarely able to produce polished prose that far into the piece.

[oasis]

Hi,

I'm planning to apply for pol.sci program with strong interest in IR..civil war and conflict resolution.

I'm an int'l student..no experience of actually living abroad except several travel experience.

Here's my gre score, though - v780 q800 aw3.0!!!!!!!

my toefl writing was 29 and 28.....omg...Can i get excuse with my toefl for the gre aw?

What should i do withvthis awful aw score? i registered for another gre test but my grandfather was terribly ill so i cancelled the test and attended the funeral the day after that scheduled day. Cbt is not available in my home country and i cannot afford another travel abroad for taking gre.

Can i still apply with this score? My UGPA is not excellent but i got magna cum...no work experience nor publication.

Hope you sent in a good writing sample.

Not to be snarky, but at least your AW score reflects your composition. Very odd, since V and AW are usually highly correlated, but I suppose its easier to train V.