Yep, too short. At your size, and skiing in NE, you'll want to go for the unisex skis. Conditions lately have been such that I've been enjoying riding the lifts and watching everyone else's tips flapping like mad. Mine don't because they've got major vibration-damping technology built into them, but it sounds to me like what you have is chatter, not flap, and chatter is from riding skis that are too soft or too short on ice.
You'll know when you have the right skis, because you won't want to give them back to the demo shop. Keep trying different skis (or different lengths) until that happens. At your size, you shouldn't be on anything shorter than a 164, 168 (depending on the ski technology and your personal ski style). If you've got something with a lot of rocker in the tips and tails, maybe go even longer.
My experience is that you're either a Volkl Girl, or you are NOT. Nothing wrong with either, but people tend to be pretty polarized about that whole line.
Don't worry about the experience ratings. Try the ski on some friendly terrain, and if it talks to you nicely, take it down some more interesting stuff. If you start on easy terrain, you won't be in too much trouble if the ski doesn't suit you at all. Those experience ratings do have some information value, but what matters more is being able to explain to the shop what kind of skiing you're doing now, where you want to go, and when you bring back a pair of skis you don't like, being able to articulate to them what you didn't like about them (too squirrelly, too damp, not enough energy, too much energy, difficult to get on edge, etc.) (and vice-versa for skis that you do like, of course). A good ski salesperson should be able to start zeroing in on your preferences pretty quickly. And if they're pushing you toward women-specific skis, you're not talking to the right person, not at your size and experience level.