GRE writing

[feefeefee]

So I just got my official scores on my GRE the second time around and I did better on everything....except writing. I'm pretty happy with my other scores (158 verbal, 154 quant) but got a 3.5 on writing I got a 4 the first time!

 

I already sent the scores to my top 4 schools since they give you the option to send them for free right after the test. I know writing is not the biggest deal but it's really not a great score. 

Should I send my original scores too? What do I do?

[when]

If you're not going to sit the test again and there are no automatic cut-off policies at the schools you're applying to, I would suggest creating a very strong statement of purpose/interest that demonstrates your writing skills and maybe even explicitly addresses your disappointment in that score, how it's not reflective of your usual quality of writing for research purposes etc. If you have publications or academic awards, that should also be evidence of your abilities, as all of that should involve some kind of analytical writing. Perhaps also ask whoever is writing your letters of recommendation to mention your writing, if they are indeed familiar with it and can say good things.

 

Whether you should send your first set of results to your schools, I am not sure.

 

I feel your pain, though; the GREs are such a stressful formality that pretty much everyone knows is, for the most part, an extremely poor indicator of future success in grad school.

Edited September 15, 2014 by DeltaSkelta

[lhommependu]

 

maybe even explicitly addresses your disappointment in that score

please do not do this. your statement of purpose is for talking about why you're hot shit, not for making excuses about why the things you aren't great at don't matter.

 

Perhaps also ask whoever is writing your letters of recommendation to mention your writing

better idea

[feefeefee]

So should I send both scores and let them see my worse (but not terrible q:152, v:157) quant and verbal?

[when]

So should I send both scores and let them see my worse (but not terrible q:152, v:157) quant and verbal?

I really can't say whether that would hurt or help, but I'm leaning towards it being a good thing if at least it shows you're capable of higher scores at various times.

 

As for mentioning your poorer score in the statement of interest, Ihommependu is of course right that you should only be drawing attention to all the positives (and those that set you aside from the rest), so on second thoughts maybe an average score isn't something to highlight. I definitely had to highlight my utterly appalling quant score, however, because I felt it important to point out that it was completely misleading in terms of my actual ability (but I had evidence to support that).