How Humor Can Kill An Essay

How Humor Can Kill An Essay… :


The dean of undergraduate admission at Case Western Reserve University recalls when humor failed.


A humorous essay can be one of the best types to write. With a stack of essays to read, admission officers appreciate clever writing that makes them laugh. However, writing one of these essays is extremely difficult. Unless you have had experience with humor, we generally recommend that you don’t rely on it to carry your essay.


William T. Conley, dean of undergraduate admission at Case Western Reserve University, always warns potential applicants to be cautious about using humor. Conley says, “Unfortunately a lot of adolescent humor can too often appear to be cynical, almost mean spirited even if unintentional.


It’s very hard to translate your humor from voice to paper. I’ve seen students succeed wonderfully because they can write humor effortlessly and others fail and fall flat on their face.”


Conley recalls one incident where attempted humor totally bombed. He says, “I remember one essay where the student tried to be humorous and wrote about how smart he was and how he was smarter than all his teachers. Well, I used to be a teacher and I wasn’t laughing.”


If you do attempt to write a humorous essay, be sure to have an adult read it and verify that it is funny. Remember that if you don’t laugh at your parents’ jokes, they probably don’t laugh at yours either.


More College Admission Essays

How Humor Can Kill An Essay…:

Essays Index


How Humor Can Kill An Essay…. To HOME PAGE