<p>The OP isn’t censoring himself, he is censoring the speaker of the quote, something that newspapers, television and radio do all the time. Given that the OP is the one who ultimately gains or loses by using the quote, it’s in his best interest to maximize his chances of a positive reaction. Frankly, using "*"s seems to be the best strategy. By “bleeping” out the words he is displaying a certain amount of concern for the reader of his essay while still giving more “worldly” readers the nearly full impact.</p>
<p>I’m a middle aged adult who has been an editor and also has been on scholarship committees: My advice is not to use profanity in a college essay.</p>
<p>And using asterisks as censors just looks silly.</p>
<p>Disregard everything people in here have said. I know for a fact that if it’s done in a classy way (which can be done), it will NOT be looked upon negatively.</p>
<p>I have seen the s*** word used in a successful Harvard essay.</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe an adult would be offended at the OP’s quote in question. Using profanity to attack someone is obviously not a smart thing to do in a college essay, but if it’s funny and harmless - I say go for it.</p>
<p>I have yet to read any serious piece of writing that uses asterisks in a way that doesn’t make me a.) cringe and immediately stop reading, or b.) laugh. Again, if you’re going to censor, censor all the way. Say something like, “He cursed/swore.” Much more effective and concise. To use an extreme example, I would certainly prefer it to: “F<em>**ing h</em><em>l, s</em><strong>, d</strong>n!”</p>
<p>Younger generation. I don’t believe in censoring with regards to writing if you think it will honestly contribute to the impact of your piece or the characterizations of specific characters. Curiously enough, though I curse prolifically in my writing, I very rarely curse in person. I think the most I’ve ever let out of my mouth is “damn”, and I can count those occasions on one hand.</p>
<p>Exactly. Beloved is filled with it- yet the book is very powerfull, and considering Morrison did teach at Princeton…</p>
<p>I say, use it wisely and make sure that it has a purpose. Have some one else read the essay and if they can understand the purpuse of the profanity good. If not, then you have numerous options to take.</p>
<p>This adult says “don’t do it.” I don’t care if you’re quoting someone else or quoting yourself. The smart and crafty thing to do is figure out a way to get your compelling and intriguing points across without resorting to a potty mouth.</p>
<p>Curse words are certainly an attention grabber, but they automatically make the reader focus on the word, instead of the point you’re trying to convey. I don’t deny that they can make you feel better (as when you *just barely *miss the nail, and instead hit your thumb with a hammer), and they are frequently handy during intimate moments with your lover. ;)</p>
<p>^^ Notice how in this paragraph, I never used a swear word, nor did I use an asterisk, but everybody out there knows exactly what I’m talking about, and knows what words I *could have *used, right?</p>
<p>Try it. Your essay will be much more compelling without ***ing.</p>
<p>“Toni Morrison uses profanity prolifically. Do you consider her to have a “limited intellect and lack of creativity and dexterity with the language?” After all, that Nobel Prize in Literature hanging on her wall doesn’t at all prove her authority over language.”</p>
<p>I don’t think there are any students who are writing college essays who have the writing prowess of Toni Morrison.</p>
<p>I doubt that Toni Morrison used profanity in her college essays or would use profanity in a 500-word essay now.</p>
<p>Everyone has a different view on this subject. My opinion is that you can and the thing is the people in colleges not only look at your grades but they look for individuality. Most colleges don’t want all people who only care about their grades but people who have the courage to use a quote like that in their essay. But it is your decision and what you think will happen is up to you.
Good Luck :)</p>
<p>I agree that English is a wonderful language. And by no means do I think curse words should be eliminated from the language (if such a thing were somehow possible). I suppose you could even say that offending people has some sort of value, as a social statement perhaps. But your college admissions essay is perhaps the most important piece of formal writing you will have produced up to this point. Is that really where you want to insist on being offensive? If so, like I said, knock yourself out. </p>
<p>A lot of cursing in essays written by high school students comes across as children who have recently discovered naughty words and are thrilled with idea getting away with it and of shocking people. In any case, I sincerely doubt that profanity will cause someone on the admissions committee to conclude that you must be the next Toni Morrison.</p>
<p>For those of you who are so confidently cussing in you essays, I say good luck to you. Unless you get into all your schools you’ll never know whether your little literary/social experiment backfired and got you rejected. </p>
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<p>Please read my post. I wasn’t replying to the OP in that post. I was replying to assertion that profanity “shows an intellectual honesty and courage.”</p>
<p>I never implied the OP could hold a candle to Toni Morrison’s writing ability. I was reacting to coureur’s generalization about the use of profanity.</p>
<p>I was simply making the point that profanity doesn’t always have to be used as a blunt instrument to intensify. For some effects, it’s the only instrument available. Profane words have their own specific roles in the English language along side all other words. </p>
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<p>I fail to see how the length of a piece of writing directly affects the effectiveness of profanity.</p>
<p>I am currently a first year at UChicago, actually, which is the only school I submitted the essay to (as the essay was actually specifically tailored for one of their main prompts). In this case, I don’t think it backfired. Of course, my evidence consists 100% of my own experience, so OP, take that with a grain of salt (and I didn’t use anything much stronger than “hell”, from what I remember).</p>
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<p>You might be surprised. There are some very good young writers out there, and I’m not talking Paolini-types. (Ha.)</p>
<p>I used “damn” in my final sentence, and I thought its impact was perfect. Sure, it is a risk, but everything you write, or fill in, or send in a risk, so one more, one that is the cherry on top of your essay, will not land your application in the rejected pile.</p>
<p>I don’t think you should use it. Toni Morrison and other authors may have Nobel prizes in Literature, but they got it for their novels, plays, and works - not admission essays. You have 500 words to say whatever you want about yourself. Perhaps there are officers who will view your diction as individualism and a daring initiative. I doubt there are many though. You should post this in the parents forum and see how many adults would say “go for it.”</p>
<p>I’m writing a diversity essay, and I was thinking about using profanity in my paper. Basically someone is calling me the n-word. Is this too risky to have in my essay?</p>