I got my AW score...I could cry.

[caffeinated librarian]

I took the GRE on the 23rd. I got a 650V, which I was okay with, and I got a 4.5 on the writing. I could cry. I thought I wrote two very strong essays, and I thought I would get a 6 on the argument essay. I was expecting a 5.5 or 5 total - not a 4.5. I'm applying for an MA in English. I have a 3.94 undergraduate GPA, and a master's in another field (Library Science.) My graduate GPA was 3.98. I also have a major conference presentation under my belt.

Will the 4.5 kill my chances? Should I pay the money to have the essays rescored? Has anyone ever had their scores go up after requesting a rescore?

Thanks in advance!

Edited January 10, 2011 by caffeinated librarian

[cherubie]

Wow...you're kidding, right?

[fuzzylogician]

Here are some older threads for you to read for more information about your situation. Getting a high verbal score and a low AW is apparently not all that uncommon, and the general advice seems to be that it's not worth it to retake the test or to pay or a rescore as long as you can submit a writing sample and your SOP is well written. Just make sure that the schools you are applying to don't have AW cutoffs (I've never heard of any, but apparently they do exist).

[caffeinated librarian]

Wow...you're kidding, right?

No, I'm not. I'm applying for an MA in English, so I should be able to write a 5 or a 6 essay. It looks odd that I didn't. I didn't prepare as much for the AWA as I did for the other sections, but I did prepare. The Argument Essay was even on a subject that I knew something about. I wish I knew the breakdown of the scores.

There isn't much I can do now anyway. The applications are due on the 15th, so a retake isn't an option. I also found out that my undergraduate transcripts never arrived, so all but one of my applications will be incomplete. My undergrad institution refuses to overnight them (at my expense) and standard mail won't get them there fast enough. So, yeah, I'm screwed.

Edited January 11, 2011 by caffeinated librarian

[Count de Monet]

No, I'm not. I'm applying for an MA in English, so I should be able to write a 5 or a 6 essay. It looks odd that I didn't. I didn't prepare as much for the AWA as I did for the other sections, but I did prepare. The Argument Essay was even on a subject that I knew something about. I wish I knew the breakdown of the scores.

There isn't much I can do now anyway. The applications are due on the 15th, so a retake isn't an option. I also found out that my undergraduate transcripts never arrived, so all but one of my applications will be incomplete. My undergrad institution refuses to overnight them (at my expense) and standard mail won't get them there fast enough. So, yeah, I'm screwed.

The AW score isn't so much about how well you can write, but how well you can write a GRE essay. What they look for is quantity. How much can you write and how much of it makes sense. Quality over quantity does not apply. That was my mistake the first time I took the GRE. Perhaps that was yours as well?

[KirotBeiti]

I feel your pain. My scores were even more extreme: 790 V and 4.0 AW!

I agree that the most annoying thing is not understanding the basis for the scoring they make. I did prepare. I did write, as far as I could tell, in the GRE style. And based on all the information I had, I thought I did well. But I did terrible, and I don't know why. Seems like they should at least be willing to provide the scores by essay, given all the info they provide on the Q and V on GRE Diagnostics.

Also, regarding the transcripts, a possible thought: when I talked to one of the schools I'm applying to, they specified that the Jan. 15 deadline (for the transcript, or possibly for the whole app.) is a postmarked deadline, not a received deadline. Maybe that's the case for some of your schools as well. (I just waited too long to request mine.)

[balderdash]

I took the GRE on the 23rd. I got a 650V, which I was okay with, and I got a 4.5 on the writing. I could cry. I thought I wrote two very strong essays, and I thought I would get a 6 on the argument essay. I was expecting a 5.5 or 5 total - not a 4.5. I'm applying for an MA in English. I have a 3.94 undergraduate GPA, and a master's in another field (Library Science.) My graduate GPA was 3.98. I also have a major conference presentation under my belt.

Will the 4.5 kill my chances? Should I pay the money to have the essays rescored? Has anyone ever had their scores go up after requesting a rescore?

Thanks in advance!

As fuzzylogician pointed out, there are numerous - numerous - threads where people have presented exactly this worry. Also, there are quite a few that discuss the scope of the AWA and how it differs from the ability to "write well." I think the reason some don't believe that your post is sincere is that this concern is so common, it sounds like you're mocking the people who ask it.

[caffeinated librarian]

As fuzzylogician pointed out, there are numerous - numerous - threads where people have presented exactly this worry. Also, there are quite a few that discuss the scope of the AWA and how it differs from the ability to "write well." I think the reason some don't believe that your post is sincere is that this concern is so common, it sounds like you're mocking the people who ask it.

There was nothing in my post to indicate insincerity or mocking. In a five minute span, I found out my AWA score and found out that my transcripts were missing. My deadlines are on the 15th. Who wouldn't panic?

There are hundreds if not thousands of "evaluate my stats posts" or "Oh my God, I got a X on the GRE when I expected Y." Everyone's situation is different, and everyone - including myself - is hoping that someone here can offer some hope or, at the very least, a more objective eye. How many people complain that they were in the 98th percentile instead of the 99th? Everyone has different goals for the GRE. There is nothing wrong with that. I'm amazed at the engineers on here who fret over getting a 760Q, but I don't say anything because it's not my field and I don't know what the expectations are. Just because a 760Q would be my dream score doesn't mean that it isn't someone else's nightmare.

KirotBeiti, thanks for the encouraging words. Your verbal score is awesome, and I don't think any adcomm can see the 4 as anything but a fluke. (And thanks for the advice on the transcripts. I checked, and two of my schools say that everything has to be postmarked by the 15th. The other two say that everything has to be received by the 15th.)

The AW score isn't so much about how well you can write, but how well you can write a GRE essay. What they look for is quantity. How much can you write and how much of it makes sense. Quality over quantity does not apply. That was my mistake the first time I took the GRE. Perhaps that was yours as well?

I think that's it. I definitely went for quality over quantity. My issue essay had the required number of paragraphs, but they were a little shorter. The argument essay was longer (and the stronger of the two.) I figured five good sentences that supported the points were better than eight mediocre sentences. Maybe the key is to do the opposite of everything I learned in college about writing a good paper.

Anyway, I'm going to stop worrying about it. There isn't anything I can do. Hopefully, the rest of the application will balance it all out.

Edited January 11, 2011 by caffeinated librarian

[Eigen]

Eh, a 4 really isn't that bad. From my understanding, no one really cares much about the AWA score.

The writing samples you submit are a far more important measure of your writing, because it actually lets them see how you write- it's not a black box type score, it's an actual sample.

[bluellie]

My GRE scores are almost identical to yours, and had a BA in another field and no thesis/major research. I applied to English MA programs last year and got in everywhere. Focus on a strong writing sample and an excellent SOP, these will make or break your application. Remember, MA programs are MUCH less competitive than PhD programs.

Good luck!

[balderdash]

There was nothing in my post to indicate insincerity or mocking. In a five minute span, I found out my AWA score and found out that my transcripts were missing. My deadlines are on the 15th. Who wouldn't panic?

There are hundreds if not thousands of "evaluate my stats posts" or "Oh my God, I got a X on the GRE when I expected Y."

I was just trying to alleviate your confusion over some of the responses you received. Chill.

[caffeinated librarian]

I was just trying to alleviate your confusion over some of the responses you received. Chill.

You suggested that I was mocking posters who were worried about their scores. I was simply pointing out that I was asking the same question that many other posters ask. Different people have different goals for the GRE. No big deal. I just don't like being accused of something that is absolutely false.

blueellie, thanks for the reassurance. Although I have been through the application process before, it seems like this year has been filled with frustration. As soon as I stop panicking needlessly over the GRE, I find out someone lost my transcripts. As soon as I resolve the transcript mess, one of my recommenders asks me when the letters are due. (Tomorrow.) At several points this week I've almost just given up and decided that it wasn't meant to be this year.

[Growltiger]

I took the GRE early Jan and got 740V/750Q -- and was recently informed via their "pay per call" phone service that I got a 4.5 AW score. I was offended. I've since looked online everywhere and the best I can tell, this section is a crapshoot when it comes to scoring. I didn't do all that much practicing compared to how I approached the other two sections, but certainly understood the ideas of how to properly structure an essay to score well on the GRE. Didn't happen. I've also since learned that (at least for vet school) a number of the best schools don't look at this section at all, and others are dropping it as a component of the application.

I'm almost at the point of being able to convince myself that it's a mostly erratic attempt by ETS to standardize via an objective approach something that is inherently subjective, and basically doesn't work in practice. Almost. I'm still really annoyed.

[TheDude]

I can save you some time with a synopsis of what you will find when you search for details surrounding this issue:

1) People shocked their AW score is lower than what they felt their ability level, and thusly discrediting it as a valid instrument of assessment.

2) People who are shocked their AW score is high, and thusly are looking for reassurance adcom committees will care.

After following this forum for a year, in my opinion, there has been one thread pertaining to this subject that was worth reading . This is still running:

Read post #35 by Ishtmus

Don't freak out... I'm sure you submit writing samples aside from your SOP, right?

Edited January 17, 2011 by musicforfun

[mostlygoo]

Just adding my own experience to what some others here have already posted. I had a high verbal score and a 4.0 AW. Just killed me, because (like you) I thought I'd nailed the essays. And I'm going for an M.A. in English as well. So then I was stupid enough (at least in retrospect) to request a review of the score, mainly because I just couldn't believe it was right. I honestly thought that maybe they'd made a mistake, or maybe half of my essay got chopped off when it was submitted... So I paid the fee ($55, I think), and a few weeks later I got a letter back from ETS, which read something like this:

"After reviewing your essays for the AW portion of the GRE, we have concluded that the scores are correct. Thank you."

(It wasn't exactly like that, but it was close. And here I thought I'd get some kind of explanation for the score... Again, I was stupid, or naive, or both.)

I considered re-taking the whole thing, just as you mention. I didn't do it because I realized that 1) it was insane, 2) they'd see both scores anyway, and just assume I'd figured out how to write the GRE-approved version of each essay if I did well, and 3) admissions folks had to care a lot more about the writing sample than a single, necessarily subjective score from ETS. (Right?)

Anyway, I didn't re-take the test, and I got into the one program I applied to last year. Not all that statistically significant a sample, I know, but it beats the alternative.

I think you'll be fine. If you can write, they'll see it in your writing sample. And re-taking the test is too risky if that's the only black mark. (And requesting an official review... I'm horrified that I spent money on that. Just don't do it.)

Good luck!

[cookd2]

I took the GRE on the 23rd. I got a 650V, which I was okay with, and I got a 4.5 on the writing. I could cry. I thought I wrote two very strong essays, and I thought I would get a 6 on the argument essay. I was expecting a 5.5 or 5 total - not a 4.5. I'm applying for an MA in English. I have a 3.94 undergraduate GPA, and a master's in another field (Library Science.) My graduate GPA was 3.98. I also have a major conference presentation under my belt.

Will the 4.5 kill my chances? Should I pay the money to have the essays rescored? Has anyone ever had their scores go up after requesting a rescore?

Thanks in advance!

I'll trade my 5 AW for your 650V any day.

Q720 V530 AW5 (engineering)

[UFGator]

I studied for the writing section 45 minutes before the test and got a 5.5.

I'm not saying this to brag, I can't write for crap.

But I did write ALOT of material, and alot of the study guides say that length matters a ton, especially due to the e-reader. It's just as much about communicating effectively as it is about analyzing the issue and and argument.

[MoJingly]

Here's a fact:

I just had an interview last week. I told the interviewer I was worried about my 4.0 on the AW. He said, "don't worry. It won't keep you out of anywhere."

[Joe22c]

What they look for is quantity. How much can you write and how much of it makes sense. Quality over quantity does not apply. That was my mistake the first time I took the GRE.

Are you sure it wasn't because you wrote a crappy essay? Most people overestimate their writing quality.

I got a 5.5 and I did not write large quantities whatsoever, in the sense that I wrote them in half the time allotted and spent the other half editing for quality.

[fumblewhat]

Are you sure it wasn't because you wrote a crappy essay? Most people overestimate their writing quality.

I got a 5.5 and I did not write large quantities whatsoever, in the sense that I wrote them in half the time allotted and spent the other half editing for quality.

It's actually true -- statistically, the biggest indicator of a high AW score on the GRE is length. I've won undergraduate writing awards and I got a 3.5 AW score. One of my advisers suggested I call ETS up to make sure they hadn't made a mistake... But I'm not a fast writer, period. I just trust that the adcomm will read my statement of purpose and writing sample.

[Joe22c]

It's actually true -- statistically, the biggest indicator of a high AW score on the GRE is length. I've won undergraduate writing awards and I got a 3.5 AW score. One of my advisers suggested I call ETS up to make sure they hadn't made a mistake... But I'm not a fast writer, period. I just trust that the adcomm will read my statement of purpose and writing sample.

No, that's not "actually true."

Yes, I've also read that statistic in PrincetonRev. Bear in mind, however, that correlation does not indicate causation. It's Ironic that Princeton Rev encourages test-takers to write as much as they can using the assumption that the correlation between length and score indicates causality as they explicitly tell readers to look out for that particular fallacy. (ProTip: That's the kind of logic flourish that'll get you points. BAM!)

Perhaps writing longer = better AWA score.

Or perhaps people who have better AWA scores are more fluid and have a tendency to go on and on.

If the latter is true, you can't earn extra points by just rambling on and on in an attempt to imitate good writing. It wouldn't work.

And again, if length is the most important determinant of AWA score, then my 5.5 would be quite the anomaly indeed considering I divided my time 50/50 on writing and editing.

Edited February 1, 2011 by Joe22c

[fumblewhat]

I'm sure you're an excellent writer, and I'm sure your essays on the test were excellent. In questioning the validity of ETS's assessment, I in no way intend to question the skill of your writing.

There's been a lot of discussion about the analytical writing section here:

People in this thread seem to have covered most angles of argument about the AWA, while still remaining civil. It's good reading.

[noir_it_up0716]

Wow, that's great. I am also going to be applying to programs that are in a different field than my BA and I was very worried about the lack of research, etc. If you don't mind me asking, how did you approach your writing sample? Did you submit undergraduate work from the previous major you had? or was it related to the program you were applying to?

My GRE scores are almost identical to yours, and had a BA in another field and no thesis/major research. I applied to English MA programs last year and got in everywhere. Focus on a strong writing sample and an excellent SOP, these will make or break your application. Remember, MA programs are MUCH less competitive than PhD programs.

Good luck!

[abram]

I took the GRE on the 23rd. I got a 650V, which I was okay with, and I got a 4.5 on the writing. I could cry. I thought I wrote two very strong essays, and I thought I would get a 6 on the argument essay. I was expecting a 5.5 or 5 total - not a 4.5. I'm applying for an MA in English. I have a 3.94 undergraduate GPA, and a master's in another field (Library Science.) My graduate GPA was 3.98. I also have a major conference presentation under my belt.

Will the 4.5 kill my chances? Should I pay the money to have the essays rescored? Has anyone ever had their scores go up after requesting a rescore?

Thanks in advance!

Your verbal score is great, don't worry about the AW. Your writing skills will be largely analyzed by your writing sample, not your rushed response to a random question.

[firefly28]

I scored 4.5 on the AW section, too. I hated the question that I was answering (slightly less than the alternative question), and a good bit of my essay was spent attacking the underlying premise of the question. Now, I've written for a major university newspaper, I write for a pretty major podcast, and I got As in 3 writing seminars spanning my two majors. So, I am inclined to agree with the general consensus that the AW section isn't a good measure of one's writing ability, nor is it something that admissions are going to put much emphasis on, especially if one can provide a strong writing sample.