Is a 4.0 in GRE AWA good enough for MS in Computer Science in the US?

Question

S Raghav · Accepted Answer

Plenty of CS admits in the US have landed spots at great schools with a 4.0 in GRE AWA ,  it&rsquo;s rarely the dealbreaker. The catch is that it matters more in certain situations.
&bull; If applying to programs that involve a lot of writing-heavy coursework (like HCI or computational linguistics), a higher AWA can help. &bull; When the verbal score is low (below ~150), a 4.0 in AWA might not be enough to convince the committee about communication skills, so the SOP becomes critical. &bull; For most pure CS or data-heavy programs, a strong Quant score and solid academic record will outweigh AWA. &bull; Applicants with publications or technical blogs can use those to prove writing skills beyond the test score.
For instance, an admit to Purdue&rsquo;s MSCS program last year had 4.0 AWA, 168 Quant, and 152 Verbal, plus strong coding competition wins and got in without any issue.

Aarushi S · Answer

A 4.0 in AWA won&rsquo;t ruin chances&mdash;but it won&rsquo;t impress either. In CS admissions, it&rsquo;s more of a checkbox than a highlight.
&bull; Most mid-to-top tier CS programs accept 4.0 as &ldquo;good enough,&rdquo; especially if Quant is 165+ &bull; AWA becomes more relevant only if applying for roles involving writing&mdash;like TA, RA with documentation duties, or interdisciplinary CS+Humanities tracks &bull; Schools like Stanford or MIT might expect 4.5+, but even there, it&rsquo;s weighed far less than GPA, projects, or publications &bull; SOP quality matters more than AWA score&mdash;if the essay is clear and well-written, it compensates easily &bull; If there&rsquo;s concern, submitting an academic paper or writing sample can show writing strength beyond the test
Unless the rest of the profile is weak or writing-heavy, there&rsquo;s usually no need to retake GRE just to improve AWA.
For more details you can read this blog on "MS in Computer Science Abroad"

V Ritik · Answer

A 4.0 in GRE AWA is generally considered acceptable for MS in Computer Science admissions in the US, especially since most CS programs weigh Quant and Verbal scores far more heavily. Many top schools set their AWA &ldquo;comfort zone&rdquo; at 3.5&ndash;4.0, so a 4.0 won&rsquo;t raise concerns if the rest of the profile is strong.
For example, a recent admit to Georgia Tech&rsquo;s MSCS had a 4.0 AWA, 167 Quant, and 154 Verbal, along with strong research projects and two internships, the AWA wasn&rsquo;t a barrier. However, for highly selective universities like Stanford or CMU, a higher AWA (4.5&ndash;5.0) can be a plus, especially if the statement of purpose and letters of recommendation also show strong communication skills. The main focus should be on showcasing coding projects, research publications, or work experience to outweigh any doubts about writing ability.

Mansih K · Answer

A 4.0 in GRE AWA is generally considered acceptable for MS in Computer Science programs in the US, especially if the rest of the application is strong. Most CS departments focus heavily on Quant, coding experience, and academic background.
For top 20 schools, an AWA score of 4.0 may be slightly below the average, but it&rsquo;s rarely a deal-breaker unless writing samples or SOPs are poorly written. A score of 4.0 shows competent analytical writing skills, which is sufficient for most technical programs.
If the Statement of Purpose, LORs, and undergrad projects demonstrate clarity and communication skills, a 4.0 is unlikely to raise concerns. For research-heavy tracks or TA roles, slightly higher writing scores may help, but not having a 4.5 or 5.0 won&rsquo;t block admission by itself.