<p>I plan on applying next year to the Fletcher MALD program. While I understand that the GRE is far from being "all-determining," do you think that a 4.5 (58%) on the analytical writing section look particularly bad to the admissions committee. My scores were otherwise good: 700 Verbal, 760 Quantitative. Thanks for your responses !</p>
<p>Are you an international student? I mean, numbers wise, a 4.5/6.0 doesn't seem so bad, until you realize that a 4.5 is 58%.</p>
<p>Your other scores are really good, especially verbal, so it's probably that a significant factor amongst your entire application, at least the scores aspect.</p>
<p>I got a 4.0 and got interviews everywhere I applied :-) Nobody cares about the AW score.</p>
<p>The writing portion is a joke. 4.5 is fine.</p>
<p>I really doubt anyone looks at a writing 6 score and thinks, "Wow this person must be a great writer!" Likewise, no one is going to see the 4.5 and think it's particularly bad. Out of the 3 GRE sections, I think the writing portion is taken with the biggest grain of salt.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>"Are you an international student? I mean, numbers wise, a 4.5/6.0 doesn't seem so bad, until you realize that a 4.5 is 58%"</p>
<p>Really? They scored better than 58% of the other individuals who took the GRE in writing and you would ask if this meant that they were an international student or just a blathering idiot? As you might imagine, I also got a 4.5 on the analytical writing subsection. I am a native English speaker and can compose thoughts and ideas in writing quite well. I think that these analytical writing scores are meaningless and really suggest nothing about one's mother tongue.</p>
<p>I read graduate applications. The writing score is virtually meaningless (4.0 and under does draw attention). In fact, a 6.0 can raise eyebrows. Good writers generally get a 5.5 or lower. I don't know what ETS was thinking. I guess they were under pressure from grad schools, but the result has been very expensive for them and unimportant for grad schools.</p>
<p>I get 5.5 & I has a smallish spelling problims.</p>
<p>I had a 3.77 as an English/Spanish major and have written countless research papers in both languages...and got a 5.0. Needless to say, I don't feel the AW holds that much water as far as an indicator of writing ability. Supposedly, there's a strong correlation to AW scores and undergraduate English grades...at least that's what study guides and the company I work for (think test prep stuff) say.</p>
<p>Most schools use the GRE as a low-bar test - they only matter if you are below their threshold. If you have a significant weakness somewhere else (GPA especially) it helps a little to show you have some intellect, but otherwise do not worry about it.</p>
<p>if it makes you feel any better, i got the same AW score and was accepted to Fletcher’s MALD program (my V and Q scores were similar to yours). i too was nervous about my AW score after i received my score report, so i emailed the admissions office at another top 5 IR school, and they immediately replied saying they don’t really care about the AW score since they’ll be reading your statement of purpose and supplemental essay anyway.</p>
<p>what about AW 4.0 for electrical engineering major?
i got 700v and 790q
does 4.0 stands as a blemish?</p>
<p>satrianic: no</p>
<p>Hi , I have an extremely low AWA , 3.5 while my Verbal and Quant scores are 760 each. I am an international student with a TOEFL score of 116/120 . My GPA is 3.8. How badly do you think the AWA will reflect on applications to Major IR schools such as Fletcher , SAIS , SIPA AND Georgetown ?</p>
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Uh… lol. This, class, is what we call “sour grapes”.</p>
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<p>The first person is correct. Good writers get a 5.5 or lower. Great writers get a 6.0 :)</p>
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Not sure, you might represent the rare case where it may be an issue. When there is the mismatch you describe it implies someone who can read well but writes poorly, or someone who is better at studying for multiple-choice exams than for writing essays. In a native speaker, this might be dismissed as a “bad day”, but as an international student you are already fighting the expectation of weak English skills, so this score might be interpreted by some as the “true measure” of your ability.</p>
<p>Anyway, as always it will depend largely on the rest of your application, and on the presence or absence of other writing evaluations. If you have a high GPA, or good references, or a couple of well-written essays they may overlook the AW score. If you are otherwies marginal, this may tip things in favor of your competition.</p>
<p>I don’t remember the AW section being a test of how well you can write, but a test of how you analyze an argument–hence the word “analytical.” As others have said it doesn’t really matter much (kind of sucked from my perspective as I got a 6, but whatever…)</p>
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I think its used as a bit of both - if you look at the criteria, they are looking at a lot of basic grammar, spelling, and structural elements. It is definitely not meant as a test of creative writing or fine prose, but as a test of your ability to eventually write for publication.</p>
<p>I do think it is usually the least important part of the entire application</p>
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Great writers can also get a 3.0, which is why no one gives a damn about the AW section.</p>