What's my favorite word? What would I do with $10? What's the most significant challenge I've faced? What did I do last Sunday afternoon?
When first hit by the seemingly endless stream of undergraduate admissions essay topics, ranging from weird to serious and sad to humorous, three simple words often come to mind: I don't know. (Three down, 497 to go.)
Thinking back to those days of late nights, coffee overloads and last-minute mad dashes to the post office, University students tend to come up with four simple words: Thank God it's over. Nonetheless, in retrospect, those essays topics all of us struggled with, and the manner in which we chose to respond to them, are often bizarre and surprisingly funny.
Parke Muth, senior assistant dean and director of International Admission, said he has seen many interesting and amusing essays.
"There's this incredibly funny essay where [the student] begins by saying that, in regards to college admissions essays, 'My guidance counselor told me I had to sell myself.' Then he does a for-sale ad," Muth said.
This particular student continued on, according to Muth, saying that upon showing his essay to his English teacher, the teacher told him the essay needed to be more personal. Insert personal ad. Then his mother told him he could not possibly be serious about this essay and he should take his future more seriously. Insert horoscope. Finally, the student's brother told him he was crazy and dared him to actually send the essay in. Mission accomplished.
"I read that as the last essay when I'm doing presentations," Muth said. "It's such a great mix. He shows me he's smart."
Other students also took the opportunity to put an out-of-the-ordinary spin on their admissions essays.
Third-year College student Alexandria Hawkins wrote about an incident that occurred when she was performing at church.
"I had to go on in spite of my hair sitting on the floor," she said, explaining that the hair piece she was wearing fell off in the middle of the performance.
Indeed, students are sometimes capable of finding something to laugh about in any and every situation. One of the University admissions essays that often sparks humor among students is, "What is your favorite word, and why?"
"I wrote about spatulas
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