<p>I am planning to apply to a PhD in Political Science . I have a verbal score of 162 and a quantitative score of 155, which I feel pretty OK about. However, my analytical writing score is 3.5. Should I be worried about having such a low score on writing, since I am applying to writing intensive programs? I know that many things are taken into consideration, but I would still be interested in some feedback. I do not feel comfortable about re-taking the GRE, unless it represents a significant problem. </p>
<p>How is the written portion of the exam? And how much time are you given to produce a response?</p>
<p>The university I graduated from had a timed essay test, forgot what it was called, that all students had to take upon completing 70 units. If you failed or scored below the standard you were required to take an additional English course where you’d produce a paper showing that you could write - essentially it’s just a way for the university to make more money. I mean students with high GPA’s have obviously mastered basic sentence structure. The thing I found hardest was writing about a random topic and being timed. For a paper/essay you have an idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to structure your response. Quite the contrary when the topic is selected at random. </p>
<p>In regards to your question I think it depends on the university, from what I’ve seen most schools require you to submit a writing sample or you’re required to submit a personal statement. Both documents prove that you can write. Plus I’m sure these carry more weight than a standardized exam score. </p>
<p>The topic is, on the general GRE, chosen at random and timed very harshly (30 minutes apiece), hence why the writing sample and the personal statement hold way more weight.</p>