Got 330 on Q and V but 4.0 on AW, should I retake?

[marco_p]

Hi all, I have recently taken the GRE and at first moment I was really happy with my score: 163V (92nd percentile) and 167Q (94th percentile), but then the AW score came: 4.0 (56th percentile).

Keeping in mind that I want to apply to the top public policy schools (HKS & WWS) and I am not a native speaker (and have never studied in any English-speaking country), what's your opinion on retaking the GRE? I am really disappointed with my AW score but on the other hand I don't know if I am able to improve it. I assume my problem is the language part (it is really hard for me to write a 500+ words essay in 30 min without any misspellings and minor errors, like missing or redundant articles).

So what should I do? I believe that my verbal and quant score would be feasible to achieve again, but is getting 4.5 in AW worth the trouble?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

Edited August 21, 2015 by marco_p

[xolo]

First of all, for a non-native speaker your GRE scores are fantastic. An AWA 4.0 is usually considered 'safe'. I can tell you though, I studied and re-took the GRE and raised my AWA from a 4.0 to a 5.0. That was with moderate study for a month, but focused. So it can be improved.

[fuzzylogician]

I would be inclined to say it's not worth it, unless a school explicitly says they have a 4.5 AWA (or higher) cutoff. It's a question of what else you could be doing, and it seems to me that your time would be better spent working on your SOP and writing sample than on studying for the GRE again. Reason being that GRE scores can keep you out, if they are too low and don't meet cutoffs, but it's the SOP, LORs, and writing sample that really get you in. On top of that, the AWA score is probably the least important of all the scores. As a non-native speaker, you'll also submit a TOEFL score, hopefully with a decent writing score.* There will also be the actual essays you write for your application, and you could get one of your letter writers to comment on your writing ability as well. Those are all better indications of your writing ability than the GRE score.

*For reference, I got 4.5 on the GRE AWA (which I am still mildly pissed about!) and a full 120 on the TOEFL. 

[paulwece]

I would be inclined to say it's not worth it, unless a school explicitly says they have a 4.5 AWA (or higher) cutoff. It's a question of what else you could be doing, and it seems to me that your time would be better spent working on your SOP and writing sample than on studying for the GRE again. Reason being that GRE scores can keep you out, if they are too low and don't meet cutoffs, but it's the SOP, LORs, and writing sample that really get you in. On top of that, the AWA score is probably the least important of all the scores. As a non-native speaker, you'll also submit a TOEFL score, hopefully with a decent writing score.* There will also be the actual essays you write for your application, and you could get one of your letter writers to comment on your writing ability as well. Those are all better indications of your writing ability than the GRE score.

*For reference, I got 4.5 on the GRE AWA (which I am still mildly pissed about!) and a full 120 on the TOEFL. 

What about GPA? Is that something that keeps you out or is that something that get you in?

I was told that admission occurs in 2 rounds. The first round they weed you out based on GPA and GRE. Once you make it to the 2nd round, it's all about "fit" and things like SOP and LOR. But does this mean they'll completely overlook the GPA and GRE in the 2nd round though? And what if you failed to find a professor (you tried to contact a few, but either they were full or didn't respond), are you screwed?

[fuzzylogician]

It's really not the case that there is one procedure that everyone follows. Some professors, in some cases, really put a lot of emphasis on grades, while others think the SOP is much more important, others start from the LORs, etc. Grades might also matter for funding and fellowships. 

As a general rule, *for (research-based) PhD programs*, the intangibles are a lot more important. You're choosing someone who will be around for the next 5-7 years. You're going to invest a lot of time and money into their training. Their main goal is to become an independent researcher who can identify open problems in the field and develop solutions. Grades from undergraduate courses tell you something about who will be good at that, but prior research experience and ability to articulate ideas (as reflected in the SOP, writing sample, etc) are much more indicative of success in this kind of endeavor. 

On the other hand, if it's a coursework based Masters program, we're talking about a 2-year program, often with less funding for students. There is less prior experience to base an opinion on, and so obviously grades become more significant in the admissions decision. 

For professional programs, I have a lot less experience, but from reading on this board for many years, it seems to me that it's a combination of relevant experience (in the form of internships, language skills, etc), essays, and grades. Basically, wherever there is less "other stuff" to go by, grades take on a more important role.

 

The " it depends" answer also goes for prior contact with professors. In some fields it's absolutely crucial to have a potential advisor lined up before you apply, and if you don't have one then it may be a problem. In others you aren't expected to make contact at all. I don't know what the norm is for your field. The one thing I'd worry about is that if you're trying to apply to a certain department, but no professor there does the kind of research you want, or all of them have explicitly told you they won't take you as a student, then that's not a good place for you. If they didn't respond it's hard to know. You can try to make contact again once the semester begins, and you might just have to take your chances if they still haven't replied. It's certainly not as good as having a 'yes, I'm interested' response from someone. 

[AkashSky]

I don't think you should retake since you got really good verbal and quant scores.  Also, if you are scared that the institutions you are applying to think you are a bad writer, you can prove it to them otherwise by writing a really good personal statement.

[eeee1923]

Not worth it. Your scores are strong enough for most programs. Focus on making the other portions of your application package (SoP, LoRs, TOEFL) as strong as possible. 

[GREMasterEMPOWERRichC]

Hi marco_p,

With a 330/Q167/V163, you have an outstanding GRE score and your V163 far 'outweighs' the AWA 4.0. As an 'informal rule', most Schools expect a minimum of 4 on the AWA, so you likely have nothing to worry about there. You CAN contact the School directly though, if you have questions. 

All things being equal, you would probably be better served by working on the other parts of your application(s).

GRE Masters aren't born, they're made,

Rich