{"id":47072,"date":"2019-09-22T06:00:56","date_gmt":"2019-09-22T13:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=47072"},"modified":"2019-09-18T04:59:52","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T11:59:52","slug":"two-grad-school-applicants-walk-into-a-bar-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/two-grad-school-applicants-walk-into-a-bar-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Grad School Applicants Walk Into a Bar\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Two<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This might be a great opening line for a comedy night at a university student center, but can you use humor in a graduate school application essay<\/a>? Should you even try? The answer is\u2026maybe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a funny bone, use it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you can use humor effectively, it will help you stand out from your competitors<\/a> in an unexpected way. (\u201cOh, is she the one who joked about her first time playing jazz in a live audience?\u201d an adcom member might ask while reviewing the season\u2019s applicants.) Humor can make us appear more human and relatable, especially with the most popular form of humor: the gently self-deprecating remark. For example, \u201cMy single New Year\u2019s resolution this year is to buy a new bathroom scale, and perhaps one day use it.\u201d Or, \u201cI discovered that I had a textbook case of \u2018Congenital Fraidy Cat Syndrome.\u2019 I knew it: my expanding medical knowledge was slowly killing me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This kind of humor reveals a writer\u2019s vulnerabilities, making the readers sympathetic. If you lack the confidence to show that vulnerability, or the confidence to try to get a laugh, do not try. It is far more important to speak with your authentic voice<\/a>. But if you have a track record of getting laughs among friends, don\u2019t be afraid to use humor \u2013 judiciously \u2013 in a personal essay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And don\u2019t forget: as a grad school applicant, your goal is to show yourself as a focused, qualified, intelligent, and capable individual. Your essay can include some humor, but you\u2019re writing an essay, not a comedy sketch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of good humor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few examples of how \u2013 and how not \u2013 to use humor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Good:<\/strong> \u201cIn all my travels, I had never before sipped anything called Toadstool Brew. After I was finished, I hoped never to have to sip it again.\u201d This works because it is gently self-deprecating; you are poking fun at your own lack of appreciation for an exotic tea.<\/li>
  • Not good:<\/strong> \u201cIn all my travels, I had never seen a more bizarre-looking individual. My first thought was, \u2018This guy could get a gig on a reality TV show in the States.\u2019\u201d This doesn\u2019t work because poking fun at someone else looks petty and rude.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t ever use humor at the expense of answering the question<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Never force humor into your writing. Use it when it feels natural, and perhaps try it out on another reader first. Adcom members may appreciate a laugh while reading through all those serious essays, but make sure that your essay reveals your focus and intelligence, and not just your funny bone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some additional thoughts from Accepted\u2019s CEO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In this one-minute video, Linda Abraham expresses her opinion on humor in admissions. She takes a slightly more cautious stance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n