<p>I am very serious about school and ECs. However, in general I don't take myself (or most things) very seriously. As I have sat down to write my common app essay, everything I churn out seems way too SERIOUS. I am a seventeen year old who has experienced minimal hardship when compared to the world at large. Everything written in the sort of "memoir-esque" tone required of college essays sounds ridiculous. The only parts of failed essays that sound like something I could actually turn in are comical. Not like "I fell down and hit my face it was hilarious" funny; I just tend to make fun of myself and the situations around me. So is it appropriate to write a "funny" essay? I hate serious first person writing; everything seems to end up sounding contrived. But will colleges be like "Oh look she's trying to be funny. Reject."?</p>
<p>I felt the same way so I wrote a whimsical, humorous, border-line absurd essay. It was about my real life but purposefully exaggerated and facetious. I think it’s a great approach, but my opinion is just based on intuition, not on experience with college essays.</p>
<p>I wrote pretty informal essays, and I got into almost all the top schools that I applied to. I think its important to just be yourself. If the more formal essays feel forced, the admissions committee will probably sense that too. I think humorous essays are the way to go, just make sure it feels natural. Forced humor is much less likely to actually be funny.</p>