It can't be THAT bad, right? Oh yes, yes it can.

[dimanche0829]

13 days post-GRE epic fail (440v, 500q...test anxiety...ugh), I came home from work today to find the little white envelope containing my official scores, just sitting there on the counter, waiting for me. I didn't expect the V/Q scores to change, and have already come to accept that I have to retake, but I was dying to know how I did on analytical writing.

"It can't be THAT bad," I told myself. In fact, I had no reason to believe that I would score anything less than a 6. Writing has always been my strongest area - particularly essay writing - and I left the exam feeling ecstatic that I was wrote a lot, gave myself about 5 minutes to proofread, and gave lots of detail and analysis.

3.5.

3.5.

3.5?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

This one "little" test is threatning my ability to even meet the minimum grad school requirements. It's hard to feel like grad-school material when I feel more like an embarrassment to my field.

Sorry for being so negative, I'm just really stressed out about this and need to vent. I'm scheduled to re-take in November and just hope that I can pull myself together enough to do better. So disappointed.

Edited August 2, 2011 by dimanche0829

[theregalrenegade]

I so feel for you. Writing is my strong point, too, and I totally, TOTALLY, botched the ENTIRE GRE. I knew I had royally messed up when I finished the test, so I chose not to record my scores. Luckily, I didn't need to take the GRE to get into the MA program at my school. I had just scheduled it prior to knowing whether I should apply for the MA or PhD. I studied and thought I would at least see what I could do. Ugh! I'm dreading having to take it for PhD apps.

Keep studying and I'm sure you'll improve in November. Keep practicing and focus on strategy, like I've heard time and again on the board. I wish you the best of luck!

[dimanche0829]

Thanks for your response, and my apologies if I came off as whiney. These apps have me so stressed that I've pretty much thrown rationality out the window lately. It's just a number, it's just a number, it's just a number...a really important number, but just a number. Breathe, rinse, repeat, right?

[noodles.galaznik]

I feel your pain! I'd done well in all of my courses, and then I go and totally bomb the GRE (I got a 1070 overall)! I thought I had done pretty ok on the test, but my scores aren't surprising, given that I usually freak out during tests like that. I'd talk to POIs at the schools you want to apply to and get a feel for what kind of GRE scores they're expecting, and how much weight is given to them. Usually, there are other parts of your application that are much, much more important. For, instance, my POI said that she doesn't really care about GRE scores, since she knows that there are some people that just don't do well on standardized tests and the GRE isn't a really good measure of how someone will perform in a graduate program.

With that said, I'd still retake it! Get a book, and just work your way through the whole hefty thing. The GRE can be studied for, and preparing yourself will give you a better idea of what to expect.

best of luck!

[kaykaykay]

don't worry too much about the writing score. Schools do not worry about it. Some people say that any originality actually hurts your points As for the other parts of the exam you can overcome anxiety with some practice ..

Edited August 2, 2011 by kalapocska

[wishingstar]

hey. this is my first post actually. but yeah i feel your pain. i got my scores back today too and...:/ i actually consider myself a good writer as well and have written many papers for very strict professors and have gotten their compliments aka As on my papers and somehow ended up with a 4 on the exam. i feel like ranting too!!! *sigh*

[myacu]

Sorry to hear about that. As someone who never thought they could do well on standardized tests (took the SAT four times) I approached the GRE from the standpoint that its definitely not a metric of your competency to succeed in graduate school but simply a matter of "can you figure out the "formula" to do well on the test. Test taking is certainly an art and unfortunately doesn't reward creative thinking often. I took the old GRE and did quite well but the same principles of good studying apply to the new one. For the writing, I highly recommend reading sample essays and breaking each paragraph apart line by line. Examine the "function" of each sentence so that you can literally make a "road map" of the essay . It doesn't hurt to rewrite a sample 6 essay in your own words (while staying faithful to the original version) so that you can get a sense of what makes a strong introductory sentence, thesis, how to introduce supportive evidence, etc. Hope this helps!

[Kitkat]

I took the old GRE and did quite well but the same principles of good studying apply to the new one. For the writing, I highly recommend reading sample essays and breaking each paragraph apart line by line. Examine the "function" of each sentence so that you can literally make a "road map" of the essay . It doesn't hurt to rewrite a sample 6 essay in your own words (while staying faithful to the original version) so that you can get a sense of what makes a strong introductory sentence, thesis, how to introduce supportive evidence, etc. Hope this helps!

Very true. To the OP, basically what it is, is not that you are a bad writer, but rather the test is a very formulaic test all over. Like what myacu said, just study previous answers to the essay questions and learn the kind of formula that they want for it and do that. I honestly have to say that what they want is a very basic freshmen in high school kind of essay. I think a lot of people mess up because they attempt/succeed at writing something better for the test that doesn't fit what they are looking for, and then end up with a less then stellar score. But like people have said before, it's also the least looked at part of the exam. Since you are going into english, I am assuming you also need to submit a writing sample, which they will think is far more important to judging the quality of your work, then what you can do in half an hour in a testing area.

[Guimauvaise]

don't worry too much about the writing score. Schools do not worry about it.

Not necessarily. It depends on your program, and the score is -- or can be -- a factor in how likely you are to receive funding. At least two fellowships at my school, and maybe a handful of scholarships, require certain GRE scores before a student can even be nominated. For the "distinguished doctoral fellowship," students have to be in the top 10% on the verbal, and MUST have at least a 5.5 on the written. My department also takes GRE scores into account, to some degree, when considering TA applicants. They aren't going to nitpick over the quantitative (thank God), but they do look at the verbal and writing. I'm not trying to dishearten you, and I don't want to frustrate you further, but I would hate for you to brush off the GRE when you might be denying yourself some good opportunities as a grad student.

As Kitkat said, the writing sample will be a better indication of your writing skill. After all, your adcomm will actually see that essay, as opposed to just seeing a somewhat empty score on an official GRE record. I'd still study for it, if I were you, and focus on both test-taking strategies and exam content.

[dimanche0829]

Thanks everyone!

While I realize the writing won't have as much weight as my writing sample, it was just frustrating to know that I didn't do well on any part of the test...and the fact that I couldn't even do well on the one area I excel in brought me down even more. BUT, whining and complaining won't help me, either. Today is a new day and I have the opportunity to turn this around, so I just need to re-center my focus.

[trevortiger]

If it makes you feel any better, my AW score was also much lower than I expected (test date July 23) - I've been looking at a bunch of similar recent posts and maybe we all just got a group of hard graders. I have a PhD from an Ivy League school in literature, so God only knows what rubric they used to grade these. I'm pretty sure I can write a coherent essay with good vocabulary by now:) I am tempted to ask for a re-grade, but it's probably not worth the effort. If your departments request a SOP or a writing sample, I think they are bound to be much more interested in that than on a random topic the ETS board dumped on you under less-than-ideal conditions. That is my optimistic take on things.

[autumn_leaf]

is it bad that i'm hoping that i get a 3-3.5 on my AW? lol. i totally had a brain cramp. my writing is usually a 3/6 all through my life since grade school, but this one...jeez, i'm thinking 2 range... i'm happy most schools i look at don't even have a min/avg listed for AW, just V and Q.

[JCoe Wants to Go to School]

Hey all,

I got a 5.5 and i dumbed it down as much as possible. I stripped my writing of all nuance and originality. I wrote clean and straightforward sentences. And I made as clear a logical progression as possible. I knew what they were looking for, and it wasn't my thoughts on Foucault and auteur theory. It's a dumbed down and stupid test that is only testing your ability to write an intro paragraph with a thesis, three supporting arguments with topic sentences, and a conclusion that recapped everything. Yes, it's a little insulting to us Humanities majors, but it's a game and we might as well win. The entire GRE is like this, so it's best to think of it as a game that only tests your ability to play that game. It makes it easier. Good luck..