Bombed AW section on GRE...chances are?

[nuttyt]

I didn't really study for the AW section at all and it's been 15 years since I've really had to analyze, concoct and write arguments, thus I really messed up the first two essays.  Excuses, excuses I know.  Anyhow, my verbal score was 164 and quant was 162 according to the unofficial report at the end of the exam.  Let's say I get a whopping 2.5 on the AW section, what are the chances that will have a significantly negative affect on my admissions app to University of Pennsylvania for their Masters in Computer and Information Science?  Their averages for the GRE for admitted students are V161, Q164, AW4.  I have a 4.0 GPA in the final two years of undergrad at a not-so-prestigious private school in Delaware along with 14 years of work experience in the field.  

 

Thanks in advance for any replies.  

 

-J

[nuttyt]

Oh, I'm also considering their Masters of Computer Information Technology which has averages of V160, Q163, and AW4.  

 

Thanks again.

 

J

[midnight]

First of all, wait and see what your actual AW score is. You might be surprised; what you consider 2.5-level work might actually end up as a 4.0 if you wrote enough content.

 

Anyway, if you do end up scoring a 3.5 or lower, you probably want to retake the GRE. It's hard to say how much the AW will affect your chances, but at some schools, it does affect acceptance, funding, and other important opportunities, and you don't want to raise any red flags over it, especially if you know you can do better.

 

If you do retake, make sure to practice by randomly choosing prompts from the ETS site and timing your writing. Also, while your Q and V are strong, a retake may be a good chance to boost your Q a bit more to be as competitive as possible for CS programs.

 

Good luck!

[nuttyt]

Thank you for your reply.  I agree with everything you said, it's just good to hear confirmation from someone who's more familiar with the process.  It's too late for me to take it again for this application cycle, so I think I will apply and see what happens.  If I don't get accepted I will surely study hard and try to improve my scores.  I'm hoping that a decent SOP and years of pertinent work experience will make up for possibly lackluster scores on the AW section.  

 

Thanks again.