<p>I was thinking of taking the humorous/ sarcastic approach and laying it on thick, revealing things about myself while at the same time humorously mocking the stereotypical college applicant showboating their accomplishments and pitying themselves excessively.</p>
<p>I was thinking this would reveal a measure a measure of writing skill, as it takes a certain amount of talent to write a satirical college application essay while not sounding mean-spirited, and simultaneously revealing who I am. </p>
<p>Well, think about it. Wherever it is that you’re applying, your essay is really the only chance you get to show your personality (and you’re also stuck with a word limit that might not be enough). So the question really is, do you think writing a satire really speaks to who YOU are more so than any other message you think you can produce?</p>
<p>I like the bold idea, but I’m just a little skeptical as to how useful it can really be. But if you truly believe the satire captures you perfectly and you can’t do better, then go for it.</p>
<p>You take a risk. Is it worth it? Neither of my children is sarcastic, but I am. If you choose to take the risk, make sure you have more than one trusted adult read it and believe what feedback they give you.</p>
<p>For me, it is not worth taking the chance of offending someone.</p>
<p>I thought about doing something similar when I was applying to colleges. I would avoid it - even something like A Modest Proposal might be a stretch for the wrong college.</p>
<p>If you did go this route, you would need to take extreme care not to come off as stuck-up or proud, as your description above already has unintentional tones of “I’m better than these stereotypical losers.”</p>
<p>Non-satirical humor, however, can be a huge plus.</p>
<p>Making satire work is difficult, not because it’s a terrible way of writing a college essay, but because it won’t have the effect, if written well, as if the reader were an English major. The majority of college essay readers probably don’t read like someone who writes for a living, and using satire appeals to people who understand it. Unfortunately, not all people will. It’s a risk, but it could be one worth taking. It all depends on your reader.</p>
<p>Is your satire essay for an application to a reach, target, or safety school? </p>
<p>If you’re considering satire for a target or safety school, then I’m not sure the risk is worth the potential reward. Satire/sarcasm sometime falls flat in person, and it’s even dicier in writing; will the writer know if you’re making fun of yourself or will she just think you’re full of yourself? When you’re applying to a school where your chances are already good, you might not want to take that chance of offending the reader. </p>
<p>At the same time, if you’re applying to a long-shot school (like any Ivy, or any school where your SAT/ACT <25th percentile), then you don’t have much to lose. Maybe you gamble. </p>
<p>You can have different strategies for different groups of schools - take advantage of the fact the Common App lets you create different versions of your app.</p>