Disparity in gre sections

[JWPoods]

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I recently took the GRE and did well on the Q and V sections (90th+%). However, I know I bombed the writing section. I haven't received official scores yet but I had horrible allergies during the writing section and was feeling nauseous. I just went blank and barely made it through half of the first essay.

Have I just screwed myself for this application round? I can't imagine even getting a 4.0 on the writing section but I scored in the 90th percentile (about the equivalent of a 1420 on the old test).

I have fantastic research experience with researchers well known in the field. I know my letters will be superb.

I just want to cry because I feel like everything I've worked for is thrown out the window.

FYI, I am applying to mid-top tier programs.

 

[futureapppsy2]

You should be fine with a 4.0 in writing--I doubt think many programs really look at the writing score much at all, tbh. If you got like a 2, it might be a problem, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. 🙂

Congrats on the high Q and V scores!

 

[phillips101]

I just want to cry because I feel like everything I've worked for is thrown out the window.

..........😕

 

[AcronymAllergy]

The good thing about the writing section of the GRE is that if you do poorly, you still have your grad school application essay(s) and/or personal statement to showcase your writing skills. Thus, even if you end up scoring a 2, assuming your application essays are coherent, well-structured, and typo-free, I would imagine most POIs are going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Having a 1400+ combined (again, I would imagine) is probably also going to serve to convince POIs to give you a "pass" on the writing section, at least until you can explain what happened.

 

[paramour]

I only know of a select few profs who have outright acknowledged that they will only consider students with "top" writing scores (they value writing, and it helps weed their applicant pool further), whereas I know considerably more profs who have admitted that they don't look twice at writing scores. I suspect that, as long as your score is passable, you'll be fine (particularly if you craft a well-written personal statement).

 

[bmedclinic]

I bet no one actually cares about your writing score. Do they care that you can actually write? Oh yeah. Otherwise, grad school will be much, much harder for you. But your writing score IMO counts for very little, from what I've seen.

FWIW I consider myself (compared to my peers) to be a very bad writer, and somehow I got a 5.5 on the writing section. Obviously, it's not very accurate.

 

[JWPoods]

Thank you so much for your feedback! I have been working so incredibly hard for years to get to where I am now...to be a competitive applicant. I would be so devastated if this moment ruined everything I've worked for.

 

[paramour]

I bet no one actually cares about your writing score. Do they care that you can actually write? Oh yeah. Otherwise, grad school will be much, much harder for you. But your writing score IMO counts for very little, from what I've seen.

FWIW I consider myself (compared to my peers) to be a very bad writer, and somehow I got a 5.5 on the writing section. Obviously, it's not very accurate.

Er, I wouldn't say "no one." This has actually been discussed on threads elsewhere, but there are more profs who have started looking at those writing scores than when they first came out. Yeah, for many people, I agree that it probably doesn't matter and they probably don't amount to a hill of beans. However, I do know profs who will not look twice at students unless they have a 5/6 on that section--regardless of how accurate one considers it, then you should be able to do "well enough" to earn a decent score.

 

[gth1985]

However, I know I bombed the writing section. I haven't received official scores yet .

Then you don't actually know, do you? I don't mean to sound incisive, but you're catastrophizing without even knowing your score yet. Your feelings about how you did could be entirely wrong. You don't know until you receive those scores, so just try to put those concerns in a box until you do.

 

[JWPoods]

Then you don't actually know, do you? I don't mean to sound incisive, but you're catastrophizing without even knowing your score yet. Your feelings about how you did could be entirely wrong. You don't know until you receive those scores, so just try to put those concerns in a box until you do.

Thank you so much for your great insight but I did mention in my post that I barely made it through half my essay. I wasn't being dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. I knew that I didn't do well and my official scores have confirmed it...a 3.5. Thanks, though.