GRE Weirdness!!!!

[ptry7]

Took the GRE 100% cold turkey two years ago, immediately after they switched to the current, revised format. Scores as follows:

 

V:mid-upper150s    Q:low 140s    AW:6.0      

 

I'm applying for English Literature and Education. My goals have changed since I took the test cold two years ago, and now I'm prepping to retake.

 

Things I'm worried about: (1) Getting a worse AW score (2) Knowing which test to send based on results

 

This is the best education program I'm applying to and their averages (hgse):

 

Verbal Average: 83.1 (percentile)
Quantitative Average: 66.6 (percentile)
Analytical Writing Average: 4.7

What would you guys suggest I do? Thanks in advance!

 

What do schools think of two scores being sent in--based on you guys's experience? If I didn't retake, would the 99th% AW help overshadow the worst-ever quantitative?

[33andathirdRPM]

Have you practiced at all for the VR portion of the exam? If you would essentially be taking the exam cold for a second time, you're kind of rolling the dice. That said, you wouldn't have to report the results of the second exam if they were not where you would want them to be.

[ctcpx084]

In terms of the writing score, I'm not sure what the value of that really is. The analytical writing prompts seemed to me to be no more than a silly timed exercise. How many times in your graduate studies, or whatever comes afterwards, will you have to write timed essays responding to a prompt? It seems far too artificial to hold serious weight unto itself. However, I'm sure it depends on the program. I also have to believe that your statement of purpose is going to receive more weight, or will receive more weight at most places; I can't speak for Harvard, as I never looked into their programs seriously.

Edited May 27, 2013 by wjdavis