<p>Risk can pay off in essays. I heard of instances when people wrote “Yale rocks!” on a “Why Harvard?” Essay. I also heard about this one UChicago prompt that asked about a time when one took a risk that paid off, and someone simply wrote “This.” and got in. UChicago is known for its incredible breadth of idiosyncrasy, however. You can be risky, but if you do it in a likeable and individualistic way, it’s not much of a risk. I stress the individuality, because UPenn once asked to write one’s favorite word and explain it, and about 30 people submitted “Brevity.” If one person had done it, it would have been great, but…
Additionally, satire is great, but it should be used sparingly. Being funny is good, but you are kinda opening a window to your soul to the adcoms. You don’t want to conceal it with a layer of satire that may make them laugh, but really tells you nothing. If you have let’s say, not the greatest personality, emphasize the positive aspects, and acknowledge the negative ones without drawing too much attention to them.
Hope that helps!</p>