Which schools don't care about the AWA once you have it?

Question

Hi there! I have a question.

I know that most schools do not care too much about AWA. As long as you pass it once with 5, 5.5 or 6 that should do it. My question is if you have a good AWA score, but low GMAT. Is it ok to skip the essays when you take the test second time? I know for sure that INSEAD are ok with that. I went at this MBA event some time ago and INSEAD admission officer said that AWA is not a big deal and if someone has to retake the GMAT he/she can skip the AWA. Do you know if Harvard, MIT, LBS, Cambridge and Oxford will mind if you skip the AWA the next time you take the GMAT? Thanks in advance!

rni · Answer

Really? Can that be done?

If the 1 hour in AWA can be skipped, the test will become more bearable.

I would also like to know if this option is viable

georgepaul0071987 · Answer

Wow are you serious ? I highly doubt too many schools will let you skip the awa . It would be really unfair for the candidates who sat through TE entire three and half hour exam

https://gmatclub.com/static/posted_from.png     Posted from    GMAT ToolKit

Zynga · Answer

wow , was the INSEAD admission officer really serious when he said that ? :shock:

GMATLA · Answer

DONT SKIP THE AWA... it would be a dumb move... There is no better way to show the adcoms that you are lazy. Your GMAT score will not count if you don't do the AWA in the eyes of the Adcoms b/c you just blew past 1 hour of work. The GMAT is a grind, and if you can't hack it, then you shouldn't take it.

Using a loophole to try to raise your score shows bad ethics, and bad business school principals. You think they want someone that cuts corners in life? Trust me, take the AWA. I have seen this question come up MANY times, and every professional would tell you that you're crazy for not doing the AWA. Plus, many people actually say it helps them calm their nerves before they start the test.

It would be smarter to take 10-15 minutes on each essay, score a 4.5 or 5, and then move onto the test. COme in with a template, and atleast give them a try. This way you cut come time out, but you still get a reasonable a score. An AWA score of 0 would look terrible and raise red flags about your common sense.

msvel2304 · Answer

Yes I agree with gmatla. DO NOT SKIP awa. Instead try practicing it while taking mock tests. I am able to finish each essay in 15 to 18 mins. Understand the argument clearly. Take some main points to argue or analyze and then elaborate on them, arrive at a conclusion, its over. With practice you can finish it in 15 mins. That saves me almost half an hour which is more than enough to maintain your concentration for verbal part, after all we try so many ways to get through the last half an hour in verbal part.

balkan · Answer

wow , was the INSEAD admission officer really serious when he said that ? :shock:

I can tell you the admission officer's name. His name is Andrew Bueno. I have an e-mail from him after the event that I attended. He said that the applicants have to write so many essays in their application and ONLY if the admission committee is having a second thought whether an applicant has wrote his essays personally then they will look at the AWA. He also said that this is concerning people that take GMAT more than once. Of course the first time you have to write the esssays and come up with a decent score. This is what he said. Of course everyone is thinking for himself. It is obvious that most school will not approve such a move. I was just curious whether there are some other top school that are fine with it.

rni · Answer

So does this mean that adcoms don't like it when applicants get help from consultants? 
What would happen if the submitted essays are top class but the AWA essays are not?

balkan · Answer

I don't know.

I think that the worst that could happen is that you are not gonna be accepted.

rni · Answer

funny... so doesn't it defeat the whole purpose of getting services from 'admission' consultants?

From a different perspective, there are people who get admits in spite of this..so woulnd't that put a question mark on the theory of adcoms reviewing AWA?

yogesh1984 · Answer

Ditto I did the same as ROI on investing whole 30 minute is not great compared to later part of the test. So I finished both the essays in @ 20 minutes and rest of the time I was proof reading ... this way I was very relax and calm to attack the next sections...between just got AWA score (5)..so In all I am happy to improve it also from the last time(4.5->5)!

MBADreamzzz · Answer

Skipping the AWA essays only gives the impression that you are not able to focus for the extra hour to maintain a good score, not really the kind of student who would go far in the real business world... train yourself to work for the extra hour, getting a 4.5 or a 5.0 with a little additional effort will go a lot further than skipping it all together in the eyes of the average Adcom.

	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $79 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Target Test Prep - Save up to $325 $200 Discount + $79 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

Which schools don't care about the AWA once you have it?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards