gre analytical writing-does it matter??

[phdwannabe]

I'm planning on applying to some fairly selective phd programs in anthropology. I took my GRE a couple of weeks ago and I left thinking I'd done fairly well: 660verbal/750quant. However, when I got my writing score in the mail, I was shocked. I got a 4.5. For me, this is a very low score. I was an English minor in college and was always considered by my professors and classmates to be an excellent writer. In fact, I was so confident in my writing abilities that I did almost no preparation for this portion of the test. I was nervous on test day, and I guess I wrote some pretty unremarkable essays. Anyway, I'm sure that if I retook the test I could improve my score. I've heard that the AW section is not very heavily weighted (if at all) by admissions committees. Is it worth it to retest? Or is it a waste of time and money? I'm fairly satisfied with my other scores, although I did score 700 verbal on both ETS practice tests, and it's possible I could improve this score as well. Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated!!

[frankdux]

A 4.5 is fine. Besides, you scored over 1400. That's phenomenal. Move on to the rest of your application materials and stop second guessing yourself.

[socialcomm]

I don't think I'd redo either. You did a fantastic job on the rest of the test. Are you also submitting a writing sample? A writing sample and your statement of purpose will give the admissions people a better understanding of your writing ability.

[Stories]

You're fine.