How important is the GRE AWA / essay score? Does it matter?

For most programs, the AWA is the least important part of your GRE score. Admissions committees focus primarily on your Verbal and Quant scores. That said, an AWA score below 3.0 can raise red flags, especially for programs that value writing. Aim for a 4.0 or above and spend the bulk of your prep time on Verbal and Quant.