Is this too informal or unprofessional? I am wishing to put a single word in all caps because it adds a sense of humor to one of my sentences (plus it reads better this way).
I always tell my students: if I can’t tell which word in this sentence is supposed to be emphasized from context, then typographical trickery is not going to improve it.
That said, the application essay is not entirely a formal or professional document, particularly if you are intending to inject humor into it. It is a personal statement, and as such, if capitalizing the word is a more sincere expression of how you communicate and think, then include it.