Can I Skip the AWA and IR?

Question

I need to obtain a minimum of 600 to meet a conditional offer for a place at a business school. They haven't set any criteria for the AWA and IR. Is there an option to opt out to take those two parts of the exam because together it is about 1 hour of the exam, and although for some people it works as a warm up, I find it a total distraction and it only serves but to help lose my concentration.

MzJavert · Answer

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nevermerlot · Answer

Ok guys here is my somewhat unique predicament.

I'm to retake the GMAT on the 5th of August. I scored a 5.5 on the AWA the first time round. I have a conditional offer for a place at business school, with that condition being a minimum of 600 on the GMAT. I need to submit the unofficial score by the 6th to confirm my place.

The school does not care about the AWA or IR (well I guess they do not since no part of the condition mentions them), and by the time the AWA score gets back to me I would have already been accepted/rejected from the program, and about a week or two till I start the actual program.

I understand that its *only* 30 minutes, but I could really do without my brain having to be used for this extra time, especially when my score is make or break in the verbal section which unfortunately comes last.

I wont be using the score to apply elsewhere to business school un the future, well not at least for 5 years when I'd have to re-sit it anyways.

j0yd1v1s10n · Answer

Seems like a particularly bad idea. Why not work on building your stamina?

brianlange77 · Answer

I'd really advise against a 'complete blow off' of the AWA and IR portions of the exam. Even though the school doesn't make any mention of 'needing it', that doesn't mean that they won't look at it. I can tell you that there is definitely a 'red flag' raised in the eyes of many admissions offices when they see a 0 on the AWA section (and I'd assume similarly on IR.)

Maybe you don't exert the same level of energy on these sections as you would on the quant/verbal suggestions --- but I think blowing them off is just not a great idea.

Just my $0.02.

Hope this helps.

-Brian

Maybe you don't exert the same level of energy on these sections as you would on the quant/verbal suggestions --- but I think blowing them off is just not a great idea.

Just my $0.02.

Hope this helps.

-Brian

Jamon · Answer

This is a horrible idea. Why would you try to test the waters when the essay isn't even that hard or draining?

CMcAboy · Answer

I don't know, I think nevermerlot has a good point. If the school is truly giving you an explicit condition, such as get a 600, then that should be all you need to do. From a logical perspective, he should skip it.

if  ]
then
 Get into school
else
 Don't get in

If they explicitly say a 600 will get you in no matter what, then there is no reason to waste your time with IR and AWA.

Just my $.02

rexman · Answer

If you're certain that getting a 600+ is all it takes to get in then yes, you could skip IR and AWA.

But you shouldn't.

What if God forbid you get a 590 and need a backup plan? Odds are any other school would like to see those numbers.

What if a future employer wants to see your GMAT score to distinguish you from a similar candidate?

Obviously it's your decision but I would personally suffer a little bit now so that I could rest easy later.

brianlange77 · Answer

We're totally all entitled to our own opinions -- and let's be honest, they are just that... opinions. But, too often, I get nervous that people approach/consider applications as a solely scientific process. While drones may be taking over the world day-by-day, they haven't made their way into the admissions offices of MBA schools yet! Skipping AWA/IR gives people a chance to say "Hmm... what's the deal here?" on a section that should never be more than a "Check.. scores fine... move along."

Good AWA/IR scores never get you 'in' to b-school, but bad AWA/IR scores can certainly cause your file to get put in the "Hmmm..." pile. That's not the pile you want your application to be in.

Just my thoughts.

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Can I Skip the AWA and IR?

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