Taking GREs multiple times

[steiner-5]

If I wanted to take the GRE again to boost my verbal and quant score but I didn't want to do the AW section again, is that problematic from an admissions standpoint, or do they tend to just use the best?

[fuzzylogician]

Some (most?) take the best, but some take the last. You need to check with the programs you're applying to.

[glasses]

If I wanted to take the GRE again to boost my verbal and quant score but I didn't want to do the AW section again, is that problematic from an admissions standpoint, or do they tend to just use the best?

I know folks say you can only take part of the test and leave the rest blank if you want, but personally, that'd make me uncomfortable. I think that if you re-take, you're in for a redo of the entire shebang. And fuzzylogician's right--schools deal with this kind of thing entirely differently, so you'd want to check. I guess what I'm wondering is: how much of a boost do you want, and do you think you can get it? If your score isn't going to be dramatically improved, I'm not entirely sure it's worth it--and if you don't need dramatic improvement, I'm not entirely sure it's worth it then, either. Maybe mull it over a bit before you plunge in and ask schools how they deal with it?

[steiner-5]

I'd like to eke out a few more points on the verbal, but probably not if I have to do the essays again. Part of that is because I haven't received my AW score yet. If it's bad, I probably will.

[natofone]

I got a 6.0 on the writing my first try (610v, 720m) and didn't take it the second time (720v,730m). I also went 0 for 13 in phd applications (but I got into 2 MA programs at top 10 schools 3 years ago with these scores).

I am retaking them in September to apply again this year just in case schools used my crappier scores instead of the better ones because I avoided the writing section on the second one.

[steiner-5]

I'll probably decide not to do it again. I suspect that spending a lot more time on SOP and the essays will be a better payoff than 40 points on the GRE.

[natofone]

Probably true.