Will a low writing score hurt my application?

[Marbel]

Hi everyone,

I'm applying to Masters programs in international affairs (SAIS, SIPA, Fletcher, all the usual suspects) and recently received my full GRE scores. My Q/V scores are 710/660, which I feel is decent, but my AW score is a shocking 4.0. The rest of my application is strong (graduated magna cum laude from an Ivy League school with a double major in IR and economics, speak 2 foreign languages, worked abroad my first year out of college, and am currently working for an international development NGO in DC, where I feel that I'm doing quite well and have been promoted in the past year). I know that work/academic experience speaks for itself and I can prove my writing ability in my statement of purpose, but I'm sill very worried that a 4.0 writing score is far too low. Plus, a 660V isn't stellar either, even though it's in the 90+ percentile.

From all the personal experiences out there with the application process, do you think the low AW will hurt my application? Should I retake the GRE just to improve it?

Thanks!

[dimanche0829]

No.

The AW tells little more about an applicant than "Hey, this person knows how to write the traditional 5-paragraph essay." BORING. Plus, writing about topics that likely aren't in your field does nothing to show your ability to write within your field. Seriously, I was asked to argue for/against science being more important than art and then I had to analyze a faux statistical newspaper article - neither of which pertain to my particular academic focus.

Most programs put more emphasis on your writing sample and SOP. They are more interested in analyzing your work for themselves rather than relying on scores for writing they never see.

[emmm]

I don't know how the 5-paragraph essays typically score, but I did fine on the AW without writing one. I agree, though, that the writing score is the least important of the GRE scores.