GRE: Writing score for top programs

[annei]

Hi -- first post on the forum! I was wondering what is considered a good score on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE for top-10 to top-5 programs. Is a score of 5.0 going to put an applicant at a disadvantage, assuming that the scores on the other two sections of the test are around the 97th percentile?

[AP]

GRE scores are used more as a filter than a requirement. Most R1 universities have similar standards. It's not that because one is a top 5 program it has tighter GRE demands. What sets people aside is the SOP, letters, and writing samples. Pay more attention to that than to GRE scores.