Can a 6 AW outweigh a lackluster verbal score?

[Emelye]

I know a lot of people have questions about how a low AW looks with good scores, but I have kind of the opposite question. While my verbal score (670) isn't abysmal, it's not a knock-your-socks-off score for most Lit programs. In fact, it's pretty low average for admited students at most schools I'm looking at. However, I did get a 6 on the AW (the only section I felt great about), so I was wondering if that counts for anything or if I should try for a higher verbal. I know niether score is ultimately going to make a huge difference in admissions, but I'm still curious how adcomms look at a meh verbal and a good AW.

[ivyhopeful]

I have heard that the AW score doesn't count for much in Lit programs for a simple reason: the ad com already has an analytical writing sample sitting in front of them, the applicants essay and SOP.

[dimanche0829]

For us English/lit majors, the AW score doesn't really mean much aside from showing that you were able to follow the standard (might I add generic and boring) 5-paragraph essay structure. The adcom is really more interested in your writing sample and SOP. This is where you really have the chance to step out of the "typical" to show who you are as an applicant - much easier said than done!

Anyway, despite the fact that the GRE as a whole isn't weighted as heavily as the rest of your application package, adcoms have certainly been known to use GRE scores to choose between similar applicants. One of my instructors gave me a couple of questions to ponder, which I will now share with you: If you do a retake, what do you think you can do differently to get a better score? More importantly, with only a few months left before app deadlines, will you be too burned out to handle the retake?