Hi guys! I submitted my early action application to Yale about a week ago, and haven’t really looked at my application until today. One of my friends read my essay and said that the humor included was good, while another said that it was bad and unclear. If one of the admissions officers took my humor as “unfunny,” how would that affect my application? The essay as a whole is good, just that one paragraph is up in the air.
@WinnerWannabe I wouldn’t sweat a possible minor humor fail, as long as it doesn’t come off as blatantly offensive (racist, sexist, etc.).
Humor is very subjective – and what is often funny to a teenager falls flat with an adult. So please show your essay to one of your recommendation writers and ask them if they think it is funny. If they say no, I would call the university and tell a white lie. Tell them you accidentally uploaded the wrong version of your essay and could you FAX them, or upload another version to their portal. Hopefully, in that way, they’ll ignore the essay with questionable humor and give you the benefit of the doubt.
@tdy123 @gibby The humor certainly was not offensive in any way, it was just the situational irony not be caught by the admissions officer. My teachers thought it was funny, just not one of my friends.
Try to relax. I know that’s easier said than done, but it’s probably the best thing to do.
Given how many tippy top applicants apply to HYPS, especially in the EA round, applying a strategy of “go big or go home” to an essay is not an unreasonable one. I reviewed my son’s bf’s Common App essay, and it was definitely out there. He got into H early. His objective stat’s were decent (competitive for highly selectives, but not tippy top) and he had strong/unusual EC’s. I don’t doubt that his essay was an attention grabber and was part of the reason he was admitted.
As long as the humor was not out of bounds offensive (racist, sexist, homophobic, etc…), I’d not worry about it and actually hope that it made your essay stand out in a good way. If come EA decision day and you get rejected, then you might want to think of a revision for the RD applications. So if you are really worried, I wouldn’t rush to press the send button for your RD applications until after you hear from Yale.
At this point, it doesn’t matter; your application has been submitted.
I read this thread, and then had a look at my Common App essay from when I applied. I cringed. It was definitely… out there. I don’t know what strange mix of chemicals were hanging out in my brain that made me thought it was OK to submit. It worked out though - no rejections or waitlists.
My takeaway from this is that selective colleges don’t expect students to nail the tone of their essays. Or for the structure to be perfect. They want some personality and introspection, and if you can do that without being inappropriate or trying too hard, then they’re unlikely to penalize you for a mediocre joke.
Google “clam fart Yale”
@WinnerWannabe I don’t think that you should be so concerned. I don’t think you should call and retract it. You wrote it, you thought it was funny and you submitted it. It is a part of you, your personality and shows a side of you that you felt comfortable sharing until someone questioned it. Why are you letting someone else determine if your writing was funny or not? Don’t dwell on this. If you don’t get through it will probably not be because they didn’t get your joke. But putting your personality into the piece is more important in showing who you are than a piece that isn’t you but pleasant for all.