GRE: You are a bastard

December 11, 2008 11:36 AM

How important is that analytical section on the GRE?

See, I took the test once: 580-V and 600-Q, 4.5 A

This was unacceptable, so I studied as hard as I could for a month, basically willed a great score out of the machine: 690 V (96%!) 780 Q (90%!)

And I was high on my horse until two days ago: my freaking analytic score was 3.5 (20%!!!!!!!!). I have no idea why I got a lower score (last time I didn't even finish writing), let alone such a lower score.

This is totally killing my high. All the programs are accepting writing samples, and I feel I'm a fairly accomplished in this area, so I'm _sure_ it will be ok. But...

Am I? Should I note in my SoP that I have no idea why I got such a low score, but bet-you-ten-bucks I can write? How important are these 'analytical' scores anyway? Everyone seems to get 5, why can't I?

should I.....retake???

posted by mrgreyisyelling to education (11 comments total)

I got a pretty low score for the AWA (3.5) and I was accepted into most of the programs I applied to. I don't think that my AWA score was the deciding factor for my rejection from the other schools, either.

I guess it really depends on your field of study though - I'm in a quantitative field so I don't think they cared very much about the AWA essays.
posted by pravit at 11:44 AM on December 11, 2008

Most programs don't care about it. It's new enough that many programs don't have good data comparing analytical scores to student performance. A whole lot of admissions people still don't know what tha analytical section is attempting to measure, or how to read the score.

What are you applying for? Unless it's an extremely prestigious or competitive writing program, I can't see this mattering, especially with your exceptional verbal. Don't even mention it.
posted by almostmanda at 11:46 AM on December 11, 2008

By the way, I agree with almostmanda that you should definitely not mention anything about your GRE score in your SoP.
posted by pravit at 11:48 AM on December 11, 2008

Totally depends on your field and the program.

BTW, a secret for next time - there is a formula to writing those.
posted by k8t at 12:46 PM on December 11, 2008

Depends where you're applying. The only school that brought my 4.5 up with me was Stanford.
posted by namesarehard at 12:58 PM on December 11, 2008

As always, it depends on where you're applying. In programs where there are tons of applicants, they may use GRE scores as a first-line cutoff, and then move to your transcripts / writing samples / letter of interest. In more than one case when I was applying for PhD programs back in 2004, the faculty didn't care about the GRE scores, but the department / division administration placed cutoffs anyway. Anyway, as long as you're not trying to get into a humanities program, you should be OK; just don't bring it up if you don't need to.
posted by LMGM at 1:25 PM on December 11, 2008

Right. Unless you're applying to a writing program, it probably isn't going to matter much. Most of the minimum GRE cutoffs I have seen only take the V and Q into account as a combined score, and you should be totally fine on that. I agree with the others; don't bring this up in your personal statement. Also, it's worth noting that all the schools will see BOTH of your scores, regardless of whether you want them to or not. So they'll see that you have a previous score that has a higher writing mark...but they'll also see the lower Q and V scores too.
posted by theantikitty at 1:29 PM on December 11, 2008

I wouldn't bother retaking it if the programs you are applying to ask for writing samples. I think that most programs totally get that standardized tests measure very specific skills under very specific circumstances. After all, once you're in the grad program you won't be producing your scholarly work in one 45 or 30 minute session in a proctored exam room, you know? If you are applying to a program that requires a writing sample, you must be able to write well, which means that your personal statement will totally speak for itself--I wouldn't mention it at all.

Best of luck!
posted by Rudy Gerner at 1:59 PM on December 11, 2008

My GRE scores didn't matter at all when I applied, just the fact that I did it. Which is good as I was applying from overseas, had never heard of the GRE and had two days to 'prepare' for it. YMMV a lot. It really depends on your specific field and specific schools.
posted by ob at 4:06 PM on December 11, 2008

Thanks for the remarks - it is for a sociology program. Its a humanities, so it will probably be looked at, but it makes sense there will be a grain of salt with it. Your reassurance makes sense, correct or not, and helped me move on to the next step of the application-panic process.

Cheers, and good luck to anyone else doing the same.
posted by mrgreyisyelling at 9:47 AM on December 12, 2008

Good luck with the rest of the process! One point of advice: perhaps don't refer to sociology as "humanities" in front of your professors. Many sociologists (myself included) consider it a social science, and are already a bit defensive about the perceived "softness" of the discipline.

This is not to say that the positivist assumptions behind the designations of "hard," "soft," and "non-sciences" are necessarily true. However lumping in sociology with english will raise eyebrows, especially among the more quantitative crowd.
posted by ChutneyFerret at 3:37 PM on December 15, 2008