GRE writing :/

[StatsNerd]

---

Members don't see this ad.

How bad it would be to get a 3.5 on the AW section of the GRE? I took the GRE yesterday and overall I'm pleased with my scores (164 V, 153 Q). I know the quant isn't great but for me it was an accomplishment (dyscalculia) and combined I'm still well above the old unofficial 1200 cut-off when looking at concordance charts. I'm concerned about my writing though... obviously I don't have it back yet but I'm expecting at best a 4.0, and possibly even a 3.5. 😱 I have no excuse except that I was SUPER jittery going in and spent too long trying to word things nicely and not enough time actually developing my points. I think my essays were well-written but lacked the length/development required for decent scores.

So, assuming I'm correct and I do end up with a 4 or a 3.5, do I bother trying to address it in my applications (clinical PhD), or having my letter writers address it? Or would that just draw more attention to it? My gut tells me it would be best to just let my SOP and writing samples (for some schools) speak for themselves. I think I have a pretty strong application... several years research experience with 5 presentations, great LORs, 4.0 GPA in an experimental master's program, etc. Also, my Verbal is in the 93rd percentile so maybe that would help off-set things.

What made me feel a little better is that two of the schools I'm applying to specifically state they only look at verbal & quant scores. Yay! I would hate to even have a 3.5 on my score report though... 😳

 

[LisaLisa86]

How bad it would be to get a 3.5 on the AW section of the GRE? I took the GRE yesterday and overall I'm pleased with my scores (164 V, 153 Q). I know the quant isn't great but for me it was an accomplishment (dyscalculia) and combined I'm still well above the old unofficial 1200 cut-off when looking at concordance charts. I'm concerned about my writing though... obviously I don't have it back yet but I'm expecting at best a 4.0, and possibly even a 3.5. 😱 I have no excuse except that I was SUPER jittery going in and spent too long trying to word things nicely and not enough time actually developing my points. I think my essays were well-written but lacked the length/development required for decent scores.

So, assuming I'm correct and I do end up with a 4 or a 3.5, do I bother trying to address it in my applications (clinical PhD), or having my letter writers address it? Or would that just draw more attention to it? My gut tells me it would be best to just let my SOP and writing samples (for some schools) speak for themselves. I think I have a pretty strong application... several years research experience with 5 presentations, great LORs, 4.0 GPA in an experimental master's program, etc. Also, my Verbal is in the 93rd percentile so maybe that would help off-set things.

What made me feel a little better is that two of the schools I'm applying to specifically state they only look at verbal & quant scores. Yay! I would hate to even have a 3.5 on my score report though... 😳

Don't address it directly. Write an awesome SOP, and if any of your LORs think you write well, ask them to mention that in their letter.

 

[docma]

The kind of reviewers you hope to work with will be far more influenced by what you present in written form and other evidence from c.v. and reference letters. No one believes a standardized test is a good way to measure the quality of true professional writing. It is simply a screening item I suspect and can be balanced by more important evidence.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

The kind of reviewers you hope to work with will be far more influenced by what you present in written form and other evidence from c.v. and reference letters. No one believes a standardized test is a good way to measure the quality of true professional writing. It is simply a screening item I suspect and can be balanced by more important evidence.

This. Don't worry about it OP. They'll see your other good qualities.

 

[quickpsych]

That's a bit low for a writing section score but as others said, I wouldn't worry too much especially if your verbal and quant scores are great.

Plus you have to write a SOP right? That right there is a good show of your writing ability. After all adcoms look at SOPs not only for interest match but also how well you can write.

Also I had a professor tell us once that basically we're all terrible writers before saying he probably was and probably still is a bit but we're all obviously where we are because we have intelligence and skills. He then handed out a "guide" to common writing errors. This was during first week of "getting to know" everyone when we started the program. To be fair his point wasn't to bash anyone, it was that even he needed to do multiple drafts to turn his writing from ok to great.

 

[StatsNerd]

Well, I got a 4.0... 🙄

On one hand I'm just relieved it was at least a 4.0. I think AdComs are more likely to overlook a 4.0 than say a 3.5 (what I feared it may be) if my SOP is well-written and there are no other glaringly negative pieces of my application. Still, I'm upset with myself. I know I'm a decent writer, I just couldn't pull it together for that hour and spent too much time planning and not enough time actually writing. 😡