GRE too low for top programs?

[wannaDoPhysics]

Hey everyone,
I want to apply to some top graduate schools (both top 25 and even top 10-15ish, specifically UCSB) and right now, this is where I'm at:
GRE:
Math: 800
Verbal: 590 (...ouch!)
Writing: 4.5 (...bigger ouch!)
I go to a small LAC and my GPA is about a 3.67, a little higher in Physics/Math. I'm also a CS Major and have a 4.0 in that. I haven't taken the Physics GRE yet and I have no idea how I'll do on that. I don't really want to go into too many other details but I've done 4 years of research and some of it should be published before I graduate (as like a 3rd author, but it is really rare at my school to get anything like this).
Should I retake the GRE? I did SO much better on every practice test. I just get really nervous on the real thing. I knew I bombed the Writing (I really, really didn't like either of the prompts on the Opinion section) and that threw me off on the rest. On practice tests, the lowest score I ever got was M:780, V:640,W:??(but the essays were a lot better than mine on the real test...) and I was getting consistently more like 670-690 on the Verbal after my studying.

Thanks a lot for any reply!

[grae313]

Check the profiles threads. You're fine.