<p>Pleeeeeeeeeease help! Okay so I've been getting a head start on my essays. Mostly I'll mull over an idea, write it down one day, think it's terrible the next day, fix it, refine it, and then love it. It works out quite well. All but one of the schools I'm applying to are common application though, and I'm quite happy with my personal statement. It's a pretty serious yet quirky (ahh, quirky) account of something that affected me. Most of the school's supplements require a second essay though. This is where the trouble starts. The first essay I wrote to fulfill the requirement was a pretty good one about my most important activity. It's not really funny, but it's pretty well written (but then again I could be so, so, wrong, haha) and I like it because the activity is of importance to me</p>
<p>Now I was recently inspired by a University of Chicago essay question and I ended up writing another essay about my foray into vegetarianism and the madness that ensued. This essay is pretty funny to me, I think it's probably somewhat amusing to someone besides myself (I'm trying to be conservative in my reviews of my own work, which is probably for the good) And I really really like it. Now neither of these essays is done, but now I'm having a conflict about which one does a better job - the not as good one about a great activity, or the good one about a common topic, I was thinking that my activity sheet will probably detail the activity enough, but I'm still not sure. So, what do you think?</p>
<p>Often one of the shorter essays is required to be on the topic of your most valued EC and why, so you'll likely get use out of that one, no matter what.
As to choosing between the quirky one and the vegetarian madness one, it's possible that you could vary which one you use, depending ont he school (even using the common app). It's also important to realize that humor is one of the most difficult things to convey in an essay. EG, my S started out on that path, but on my reading of his draft, I commented that he came off "flippant" rather than funny. He chose a different tack and a different topic and it worked better. He certainly could have worked to revise the funny one, though.</p>
<p>If you want to go with the funny one, be sure and have several people look at it and see if it is getting the reactions you would like.</p>
<p>I agree with Jmmom. It's hard to be deliberately funny (and it may rub some readers the wrong way). But one can still write an essay that is humorous in tone as well as light-hearted as to topic. One such essay from last year was Raspberrysmoothie's on being a somewhat reluctant jogger.</p>
<p>Humor works well in admissions essays but you have to make sure that you don't come off as flippant or arrogant or incapable of writing. I would recommend that once school starts, ask an unbiased adult, maybe one of your English teachers to look over the essay and give an honest opinion. It's probably better to ask a teacher from last year (who knows you better) and one who has been teaching for a while (who has read admissions essays before)</p>
<p>Thanks! The essay, of course, isn't laugh out loud funny, it's more like smile along i guess (haha that sounds lame). Mostly it just doesn't take itself seriously. I wouldn't assume myself to be a very hilarious essay writer, but it's mainly the events that happened around my vegetarianism that are amusing.
I'm going to have a lot of people read and critique it to make sure it conveys what I want it to. I think I'm going to go with this one though, just because it's a better essay.
Once again, thanks for all the responses.</p>