Humor in a personal statement?

[toyingwithathought]

I'm applying for PhD programs this semester, and I'm in the process of writing my personal statement. For my opening paragraph, I wanted to share a light-hearted anecdote about a conversation I had with a friend, in which I excitedly explained my research and they looked repulsed and totally bewildered by how I would ever find such work interesting and exciting. I think this does a decent job of conveying the idea that not everybody gets as excited as I do about research. I intend the story to come off as mildly humorous, which is why I'm a bit concerned. I know that most people advise to avoid humor in personal statement, in case it is misinterpreted. Does it seem like a bad idea to start with this, and should I opt for something more formal?

Edited October 27, 2012 by toyingwithathought

[asleepawake]

I would advise you not to do it. I think that humor MIGHT work it some scenario (though I'm not sure I can think of an example), but this doesn't seem to be it. I've been advised not to waste space with anecdotes about how you love your field. So does everybody else in your field, all the other applicants - it's a given.

[fuzzylogician]

I would advise you both to stay away from humor and from making statements like "not everybody gets as excited as I do about research." The adcom members will be passionate about research and so will the other applicants they will be considering, so this is not going to be a successful way of distinguishing yourself from the crowd. It's really only going to waste valuable space that you could use to set yourself apart from other applicants and might additionally turn people off. Either way, that's not something you want in your SOP.

[TakeruK]

In addition, it's never a good idea to "put down" others to make yourself stand out when applying for jobs or grad school. I'm not saying that you want to do this intentionally, just making a general statement that might help you or others that read this. Statements in the theme of "I always worked harder than my peers", "Not everyone is as [fill-in-the-blank] as me", etc. are not good! I'd recommend to avoid comparing yourself to others in any way and just focus on emphasizing your strengths in any application.

[gilbertrollins]

I wouldn't crack jokes right at the beginning of a job interview, and I don't think it's an appropriate way to start the SOP. That the general public is either mystified or turned off or both by primary research is widely known, and will likely make you sound naive or immature for pointing out in the SOP.

Generally, any tactic to get attention in the SOP other than explaining in a clear tone which mimics that taken in the professional journals of the field you're applying to is not wise, I think. The content of your research and interests should speak for themselves, and window dressing, humor, personal fluff, etc are probably taken as signals of weakness in research and training, and a need to compensate for them. That's a cynical analysis, but at least true for the most cynical reader on the committee -- who may be the veto you need to convince.

[R Deckard]

First, assume that nobody will find your jokes funny.

Then, consider whether you would still like to include them.