Retaking 770 GMAT because of 4.0 AWA?

Question

Hi everyone!

Recently took my GMAT to apply for finance masters programmes at Oxford, LBS, LSE and HEC. When I got the combined score of 770 (Q 49 V 49) I was quite happy, but felt bad seeing that I only got a 4.0 in the AWA.

My question is: would any of these programmes care about my AWA score?

Only Oxford mentions that applicants should aim for a 5 in AWA, but also that it is not a strict limit. If this would kill my application than maybe I would consider retaking the test, but you can see why I am hesitant to do this.

For context, I am non-native speaker.

Anybody with some insights? Thanks!

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi pluto6000 , Congratulations on the 770.

As for your AWA score, you may want to reach out to your target schools and ask them about that 4. I don't think it'll be a major problem, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

pluto6000 · Answer

Hi  AjiteshArun !

I just did, this is a response I got: "Thank you for your enquiry. An AWA score of 4 would not automatically rule you out of consideration, since we take every aspect of an application into account when making our decisions. You do have a high overall score and I believe your quantitative and verbal scores are over the recommended 80% percentile, so I would still encourage you to submit an application." Guess it is not a huge issue, but will try to compensate with essays and TOEFL writing score.

pintukr · Answer

Heartiest Congratulations on the GMAT score. A '4' on AWA shouldn't desist you from submitting applications.

All the Best.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi pluto6000,

First off, a 770/Q49 is an outstanding Score, so you can comfortably apply to ANY Business School that interests you. As such, a retest is not necessary. Most Schools expect that you should be able to write a decently-organized essay in a short period of time (which shows your ability to communicate effectively with written words). As long as you score at least a 4.0 on the AWA (which you did), then you should be fine at most Programs.

If you have a list of Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement (and the more time that you have to act on that advice, the better).

There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Gratz on the stellar 770. May want to reach out to your intended schools just in case or some current students/alumni in regards to their thoughts about the AWA.

If anyone reading this is working on their AWA, here's a post you may find helpful:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-to-get-6 ... 64327.html

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Sounds as though your AWA score is fine.

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Retaking 770 GMAT because of 4.0 AWA?

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