Disappointed with my AWA score

Question

I took the GMAT a month ago and scored a 720 (Q-47-79%, V-42-95%, AWA-5). I am trying to get into a top MBA program (INSEAD in specific) and so to boost my score I took the GMAT again last week. This time I scored a 770 (Q-49-88%, V-46-99%). However, to my shock, I scored a 4.0 on my AWA.

Even though I am trying to convince myself that a 4.0 on my AWA is not going to affect my chances, I can't seem to get over this. What do you think are my chances? Will my previous AWA score or my verbal score compensate for the low AWA score?

I have 5 years work experience and a 3.85 GPA.

Blayze · Answer

Suku, just out of curiousity what did you do to boost your score so significantly the second time around? How did you change your studying?

refurb · Answer

A 4.0 AWA will not make any difference to your application.

RF

sukumarr · Answer

Blayze,

I focussed more on my weak areas, which, in my case, happened to be Data Sufficiency and Sentence Correction.

Also, in my first attempt I would try my best to answer each and every question which put the time available for me to answer the later questions at risk. This time around, I identified those that were going to take too long for me answer, took an educated guess and moved on. This, in my opinion, helped me the most in improving my score.

Besides these, I did not change anything else. Good luck!

-Sukumar

ncp · Answer

Sukumar, I wont worry about the AWA. To begin with, a 4.0 AWA is not a big deal. Also, you have the 5.0 from your 1st attempt to balance it. Move on and focus on other things.

AlexMBAApply · Answer

What everyone else said here. The AWA isn't going to impact your chances.

Disappointed with my AWA score

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