What are the general rules (if any) about swearing in your essays? Obviously f*** probably won’t fly, but I can think of some good contexts in which b<em>tch, cr</em>ap, as<em>, and d</em>mn would make the essay “pop”, if done conscientiously and deliberately. Or do you think that anytime a person feels like she wants to use a “bad word” there’s a far better alternative?
I’ve already sent in an application where I chose to say, “I tried my damndest” because “darndest” seemed too weak to fit the situation and “hardest/best” seemed too cliche. Anyone’s opinions? And also, for instance, in the Stanford app one of the mini-essays is a “note to your roomate detailing something interesting about you”. I’m mulling over using the phrase “kicking as*” or one of its derivatives (since it’s more of a “quirky”, “informal” essay). Would you all advise against it, or would you really need my whole essay to judge the swear in context? And if the general consensus is “no”, is “kick butt” far too lame, so lame that I should just think of something new to write about? Or, once again, do you need context.
Or is the whole thing far too subjective to offer an absolute?
<p>erm. find a different way to say it.. cuz swearing USUALLY doesn't look good... it kind of brings your language down a level sometimes
that's my opinion anyway</p>
<p>i have a book entitled "how to get into the best colleges" and it has numerous quotes from interviews with adcom ppl and some of them state that the thing that they just cant stand is swearing in an essay</p>
<p>Swearing is okay when it's called for. But about the only time it is called for is when you just burned your hand and dropped a hot casserole all over the floor making a big mess and destroying your dinner. </p>
<p>Swearing is usually regarded as a deliberate defacement of the conversation and is viewed as low class and unprofessional. I recommend that you never employ it with anyone you are trying to impress.</p>
<p>its a bit more complicated i think. swearing conveys an extreme feeling and emotion, and in some situations it just warrents. now i think saying "****" is low class is just snobbery. yes i understand the case of finding a different word, it is the english language, but sometimes certain words fit the case. ie doushbag, perfect word sometimes. depending on the essay you wrote, it could fly. it might even add color and humor if done very well, probably best if you were addressing the readers themselves, not swearing at them, but in a naration form</p>