AW horror story; need advices and experiences with regrade, thanks!

[Otherworlder]

Just recieved full online score report; I had 800V 800Q, but somehow, a 4.5 in AW. I really, really was expecting a full-on 6. During prep times I had one set of essays marked by Princeton Review's essay review, and it was 6s across the board. On the day of the exam, I also feel like I wrote solid essays; it wasn't like I was nervous and just crashed through the first section. I studied social sciences in undergrad and did a lot of researching and writing, with a couple papers presented at major conferences too.

I am wondering if anyone had experiences with regrades, is asking for a regrade is worth it? Can someone please share some experiences? Also, if this is the AW score I have, will it significantly hurt my chances? I am applying to a political science PhD program, and will generally go for the big names (Harvard, Stanford, etc). I heard social sciences and humanities take AW scores fairly seriously, and I even heard that some schools consider the writing score more important than the other two scores. Is it true, and would it be a good idea to prepare for a retake? Thanks for all the help!

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Edited August 4, 2011 by Otherworlder

[kaykaykay]

Relax, poli sci departments do not care about the writing score. Your GREs are stellar, move on to your SOP, writing sample (these will prove that you are competent in English) and gathering your recommendations.

[wtncffts]

Yeah, I agree with the above. In fact, from what I've gathered here, noone cares about the writing score in any field. It's not hard to see why: ridiculously artificial and often inane issue prompts evaluated by god knows who using god knows what criteria.

You didn't ask about this, but you really should consider your list of schools seriously and not just apply to the top ten regardless. First off, though some don't agree, I agree with the general idea of 'safety schools'. Not that you're automatically guaranteed acceptance at those places; far from it. But I think you want to apply to a range of schools. Second, and most importantly, it's all about fit. Departments are looking for students they think they can support in terms of faculty, institutional resources, etc., in relation to your research interests. If you're an excellent candidate otherwise but are an ill fit, it's unlikely you'll be accepted. Similarly on your end, you want to go to a place which will enable you to do your best work, not just the most highly ranked one.

[Otherworlder]

Thanks to the above replies! They certainly helped me to calm down a little. I looked through the old posts from 2010 and before and saw generally unfavorable reports about regrades from years before, so I am hesitating over this issue. Can people who have had regrades share some experiences?

Edited August 4, 2011 by Otherworlder

[bluejay16]

You should be proud of yourself. Can I ask you what you did in preparation for the GRE? I'd love to score as high as you. I'm taking the revised GRE in about a month.

[kaykaykay]

just see what Penelope Higgins wrote about AW scores at the Poli sci forum. PH served as an adcom before. I would really not waste any more energy on the GRE if I were you, but of course it is your choice

[We regret to inform you]

posts like this make me sick.

boo hoo! i scored perfect on 2 sections but not the third! how should i kill myself?

It seems to me that a reasonable chunk of the threads started on this entire message board are just people bragging about themselves and then trying to disguise it with a question.

[Otherworlder]

just see what Penelope Higgins wrote about AW scores at the Poli sci forum. PH served as an adcom before. I would really not waste any more energy on the GRE if I were you, but of course it is your choice

Thank you very much for pointing me to PH!! Her posts helped with the immediate concerns for sure, and she also wrote a lot of very useful and interesting information about grad schools and poli sci programs. That's great stuff, and thank you again! I have been pawing around this forum, but there is simply so much stuff, and sometimes helpful pointers like yours are worth a day or two's digging.

[kaykaykay]

yes she is very helpful. Also maybe you have already seen it but there is also a useful thread on adcoms revealing some hidden aspects of the selection process on the poli sci forum.

good luck with your applications,