Veritas Prep Admissions Consultant
Joined: 25 Jul 2010
Affiliations: Veritas Prep
Posts: 1910
Given Kudos: 3
Re: Low AWA score.....Plz help
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03 Sep 2011, 06:17
The AWA is definitely the red-headed stepchild of the GMAT and is generally not held in high esteem by the admissions committees. Some schools are purported to have cutoffs on AWA, but know that all schools have the ability to read your actual AWA essays if they choose. In your case, with a low score, it might attract the attention of someone in the adcom to want to read over them if not for any other reason than to compare the writing style with your application essays. As a consultant, I coach clients on how to improve their style and structure in their essays, but in your case, you'd need to be careful if you use a consultant or even a friend to help you edit your essays, that they not appear dramatically different in style or structure than the ability you displayed on the AWA. Hope that makes sense. Ultimately, I don't think the AWA alone would trip you up in the admissions process, and if you are an honest person, which I am sure you are, and write your own essays (which I am sure you will), you should be fine. If you need help, use a reputable consulting service like ours or others who can help you organize your process.