Joke in SOP?

[cwasson]

Okay, So, I'm applying for a neuroscience grad programs and In my SOP i talk about how I became addicted to the subject.

 

I want to write: "I would later learn this addiction behaviour to be associated with my Mesolimbic reward pathway" 

Because like, it's an addiction pathway, haha;). Is this in poor taste or too cheesy? or do you think it makes me stand out by showing that I actually have knowledge of neuro concepts? 

[lzs]

Probably most other applicants will also have knowledge of neuro concepts, so I doubt it would make you stand out. Generally humor is a very tricky thing to navigate in SOPs and you're safer not attempting it. You don't know what the ad com members' senses of humor will be like.

[TakeruK]

I don't think it will hurt but it probably won't really help either. I would say be true to yourself in the SOP--if you try to force anything: a joke, a story, etc. it will sound really awkward. Show your genuine self and enthusiasm and if this includes jokes, then go do it (to a reasonable extent). Just remember that this is still a professional document, but scientists put jokes in professional things all the time such as conference talks, department colloquium talks etc. Jokes are definitely not found in peer reviewed research journals, but I feel that in most science fields, the SOP is not the level of formality as a journal paper. I would place the SOP at the level of if you met someone at a conference (or if they were visiting your school) and you sat down to have a talk and they asked you about yourself. 

[LittleDarlings]

I feel like if you can pull it off and it's in good taste then go for it, you never know right? I mean it could be a standout but it could also not be. I say go for it

[socioholic]

Okay, So, I'm applying for a neuroscience grad programs and In my SOP i talk about how I became addicted to the subject.

 

I want to write: "I would later learn this addiction behaviour to be associated with my Mesolimbic reward pathway" 

Because like, it's an addiction pathway, haha;). Is this in poor taste or too cheesy? or do you think it makes me stand out by showing that I actually have knowledge of neuro concepts? 

 

I would just say be careful "inserting" a joke if the rest of the SOP does not convey the same lightheartedness. They won't read it the way it sounds in your head.

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

At least try to make the joke cool. Sounds like something that cut from Big Bang Theory. 

[cwasson]

At least try to make the joke cool. Sounds like something that cut from Big Bang Theory. 

 

Well I mean, I am the "Sheldon Cooper" of my friends

[Loric]

I think when you ask these sorts of questions you're getting the right sort of feedback, despite it varying from person to person.. you just have to know how to interpret it.

 

No single person really decides if you're in/out. Adcomm rmeans "admissions committee" refering to a group. The number of people in the group varies and who they are varies (from vested interests in a department to random admissions people). However, it's likely going to have a few of each flavor you'll find here.

 

Taking the advice of any single person or that of a particular mindset isn't going to neccessarily do you much good. Yes, you pleased the stiff upper lip but you annoyed the hippie on the adcom. 

 

Knowing you likely cant please all these people (much in the same way you cant get people on these forums to agree) is going to help you hedge your bets. At the same time, if you are admitted to a program by changing who you are to fit their desires you're likely going to be unhappy.

 

If you want to make the joke, make the joke. If you get rejected because of the joke, did you really want to go and work with those people? Imagine daily life where you crack a joke - as you're apt to do - and they respond with grimmaces. Is that where you want to be working? Disguising your personality to gain admission is some of the worst advice you can get in this game. Yeah, someone gets in by presenting everything an adcomm wants to see.. but then what? They're miserable because they aren't that person and end up quitting.

 

It happens all too frequently.

Edited December 20, 2013 by Loric

[TakeruK]

I think when you ask these sorts of questions you're getting the right sort of feedback, despite it varying from person to person.. you just have to know how to interpret it.

 

No single person really decides if you're in/out. Adcomm rmeans "admissions committee" refering to a group. The number of people in the group varies and who they are varies (from vested interests in a department to random admissions people). However, it's likely going to have a few of each flavor you'll find here.

 

Taking the advice of any single person or that of a particular mindset isn't going to neccessarily do you much good. Yes, you pleased the stiff upper lip but you annoyed the hippie on the adcom. 

 

Knowing you likely cant please all these people (much in the same way you cant get people on these forums to agree) is going to help you hedge your bets. At the same time, if you are admitted to a program by changing who you are to fit their desires you're likely going to be unhappy.

 

If you want to make the joke, make the joke. If you get rejected because of the joke, did you really want to go and work with those people? Imagine daily life where you crack a joke - as you're apt to do - and they respond with grimmaces. Is that where you want to be working? Disguising your personality to gain admission is some of the worst advice you can get in this game. Yeah, someone gets in by presenting everything an adcomm wants to see.. but then what? They're miserable because they aren't that person and end up quitting.

 

It happens all too frequently.

 

I agree (as evident by my earlier post). I would just caution against applying "if you get rejected because of X, then so be it because you wouldn't want to be there anyways if you can't X". I know Loric is not meaning that X can be anything here, though, but I'm just saying! 

 

For example, it's probably sound to apply the above if X is a tasteful joke (as above), or X is the fact that you are married and/or have children. But even though expression of self is important, sometimes we just need to remember that some situations are not the appropriate place to express every part of oneself. For example, I would not encourage someone to include X in their SOP if X is the fact that they like to brew alcohol, or if X is the fact that they are a vegetarian (nothing wrong with any of these things of course, just not appropriate for a SOP). Even if these X's are important parts of the applicant's personality, sometimes you do need to "censor" yourself a little bit. I put "censor" in quotes because I don't really think it is censoring/disguising your personality, but rather applying boundaries on certain types of interactions! 

[comicline865]

To be frank: who cares? Do you really think they will make a decision on the basis of a joke in your statement, no matter how hard it makes them laugh?

 

Cf. TakeruK's first post:

 

 

I don't think it will hurt but it probably won't really help either.

 

Nothing more to be said.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Starbuck

[ereissoup]

I think the problem is that even if it makes you stand out, will it make you stand out in a positive way? Having a good sense of humour isn't necessarily a crucial component in the adcom's decision, so I would worry that it would just distract from your own strengths as a candidate, and pose the (perhaps very slight) risk of irritating/alienating the people reading your statement.