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Embarrassingly low AWA score; cause for a retake?

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Embarrassingly low AWA score; cause for a retake?

by SDHoost » Wed Jul 15, 2015 7:52 am
I recently beat the GMAT; after several months of studying I scored 47V/48Q for a 760 overall score with an 8 on IR. I was ecstatic and glad to have put the test behind me. At least, I thought I had put it behind me... However, once I got my official report today, I discovered that my lack of review/practice for the AWA had truly come back to bite me; after scoring 6 on my first try, this time I received a 3.5, good for 13th percentile.

I really don't want to take the GMAT again and I would hate to take it a third time just to improve my essay score if it doesn't matter, particularly since I would then risk a lower score than the 760 I got last time. On the other hand, I'm applying to M7 schools and the margin for error on admission is obviously razor-thin.

Tell me truthfully- am I going to have to re-take the exam again?
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by Rich@EconomistGMAT » Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:05 am
Hi SDHoost,

First of all, a 760 is a great score. You should be very proud. While you might be disappointed with your AWA score, your overall score is VERY high. It's also important to remember that while the GMAT is an important piece of your profile, it's one of multiple pieces that make up your overall applicant profile. Feel free to reach out to admissions officers at schools you're interested in to discuss your situation. If for some reason they do let you know that your AWA score will be prohibitive, you'll at least know how to proceed to put yourself in a better position.

However, your current overall score doesn't seem like it would be a deterrent to applying to most business schools, at least in my opinion (which is why it's a good idea to discuss with admissions officers ).

Best,
Rich
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:29 am
It'll be interesting to see what the admin folks have to say, but I can tell you that in all my years of teaching, I've never heard from a student who'd been rejected from a program because of a low AWA score. And for someone with a 99th percentile composite score to get dinged because of the AWA would truly be novel. (You'll notice that whenever school rankings are published, the mean or median GMAT score is always given, and the AWA is not. This not a coincidence.) My guess is that your time will be much better spent making sure your application essays are polished to a high sheen. In any event, this is a dilemma that most test-takers would like to have.
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by SDHoost » Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:42 am
I did reach out to admissions at HBS; I think it's most accurate to say that the answer I got was calculated. They were careful not to say that the AWA score is unimportant. More specifically, I was advised that if I feel that I need a high AWA score in order to convey that I can write well, I ought to retake the exam.

However, they also said that there is ample opportunity on the application and within the essay to demonstrate competent writing, and that as long as I feel comfortable that those parts of my application will clearly show that I am a better writer than my score indicates, it should not be an issue.

I admit that I'm somewhat torn. On the one hand I know that I will have no issue presenting a well-written essay to any school I apply to. On the other hand, when it comes to the best schools, your best strategy has to be removing any red flags that you can.

I'm getting an early start and don't intend to apply until Round 1 2016, so I have time to consider my options. I appreciate the feedback and would welcome any additional perspectives.
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by Rich@EconomistGMAT » Tue Jul 21, 2015 6:38 am
Hi SDHoost,

With that added clarity from HBS, if you feel like you need to retake, you should feel free to go for it. Additionally, if your next score isn't quite what it was in some areas on your first attempt, keep in mind that the GMAC recently updated its rules to allow test takers to cancel scores on the day of the exam without having to report them to business schools, which should also give you peace of mind about a retake.

Best of luck,
Rich
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