Do colledge admission advisors appreciate Humor in essays?

Question

topic: what is something you secretly like but pretend not to?

my answer: the jonas brothers and hannah montana.

(I'm not a fan of either, i just made it up for a funny essay)

Answer 1

Nothing wrong with humer, Not sure he or she will know who Jonas Brothers or hannah Montana is. I sure don't amd the reader may be as pld as I am.  Good Luck

Answer 2

If you're capable of writing humorously then there is nothing wrong with cracking a simple, appropriate joke.

Your entire essay should not be based around punchlines, though.

Answer 3

Unless you keep to the brief given, the answer is no, you are given a task driven examination, no amount of humour will benefit you if the work is not done....

Answer 4

Actually i am gonna have the same steps to take in what you are struggling with right now. I think if you show more serious manner of your life which is giving importance to education, you will show you are ready to continue in the university you are applying. Also, don,t tell a sad story because, they don,t want to hear you had alot of problems. Instead, tell them how you learned from your mistakes. Plus, admiting the weaknesses is fine with school admissions because, it shows you want to strenghten them.

Can u answer my question please????

Thank you. By the way, GOOD LUCK!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...

Answer 5

Humor CAN be a way to stand out...but it is VERY risky is you come across as a "class clown".  In the case of the topic you mentioned, a small dose of humor might be OK, but sincerity is far more important.  I'm more concerned that you made it up...if you don't really feel that way, it will probably be VERY obvious to your readers that you didn't take the question seriously...and that would be a bad thing.  

Try doing a little more self-reflection...be honest and open and really identify something that you secretly like but pretend not to...and if that topic lends itself to a little humor (e.g., a humorous story, a little satire, whatever), then you can use it to convey your point.  However, humor for the sake of humor would be a mistake!

For example, something I like but pretend not to is Fairly Odd Parents.  If I wrote an essay about that I would talk about the reasons I pretend not to like it (it's childish, it's silly, it portrays authority figures as idiots, and pretending to dislike it allows me to change the channel when my son becomes obsessed with it)...and the reasons I really do like it (the witty references that only adults could fully understand).  The foundation of my essay would be a serious pyscholgical self-analysis...but I would include some humorous stories related to the show and the way my son responds to it.

Answer 6

Humor can be tricky, and I'd probably avoid it. If your humor falls flat and doesn't impress the person/committee reading it, if could seriously damage your chance of acceptance. I don't think that's a chance worth taking.

I would stick to a more professional tone that is not likely to offend or be misunderstood, but still lets your personality/individuality shine through.  

Answer 7

I think a more serious response would be more appropriate.  Beyond your GPA and your test scores, the admissions essay is the single most important thing in your application.  Don't blow it by making fun of adolescent pop culture figures.

Humor is fine -- but honesty is more important.  Your idea here is dishonest, since you do not secretly like either one.

Also -- use a spell checker.