The ACT exam is a grueling standardized test that evaluates students’ English, math, reading, and science skills as they prepare to apply to colleges and universities. While the content and format of the ACT stress the importance of conveying information in a clear, organized manner, including subtle humor in your ACT essay responses can be an effective strategy – if done right. Humor has the power to capture readers’ attention, clarify complex ideas, and showcase your personality. Humor also comes with risks, so any attempts at humor during the ACT require finesse, self-awareness, and an understanding of what admissions officers are actually evaluating.
The first step to considerating including humor in your ACT essay is to understand the purpose and constraints of the assignment. The ACT writing test asks you to analyze an argument and express your own perspective on the issue. Your goal should be to demonstrate your ability to comprehend, evaluate, and build upon the given topic – humor alone will not accomplish this. Also keep in mind the time limit of 40 minutes to brainstorm, outline, write, and revise a single essay. Forced or misplaced attempts at humor under these constraints could backfire and detract from your main points.
When done correctly, subtle humor has the potential to enhance an ACT essay by achieving the following:
Capturing and maintaining the reader’s interest. Admissions officers will be reading dozens of essays on the same prompt. A well-placed funny line or subtle joke early on can make your response more memorable and engaging to read compared to bland or overly formal writing.
Clarifying complex ideas and arguments. Choosing the right humorous analogy or metaphor can help illuminate difficult concepts in a creative, accessible way. For example, comparing two conflicting philosophical viewpoints to characters in a sitcom known for their rivalries could help readers more easily discern the nuances of each perspective.
Showcasing your personality and voice. While the ACT seeks to evaluate your academic writing abilities, admissions officers also want to get a sense of you as an individual. In moderation, your unique personality and sense of humor can shine through to make your application materials more multidimensional and authentic.
Humor is also a double-edged sword that requires finesse. Poorly executed attempts at jokes or “funny” lines in an ACT essay risk:
Detracting from or undermining your main argument. Admissions officers are evaluating the strength and coherence of your position – humor that obscures or weakens the development of your thesis will backfire.
Crossing lines of taste or appropriateness. Given time constraints and lack of nonverbal context, written humor loses subtleties and increased chances of offense. Stay away from punchlines related to race, gender, religion, or other sensitive topics.
Being forced, awkward or cringeworthy. Going over-the-top to be “funny” exposes a lack of self-awareness. Subtlety is key – an essay should never devolve into a comedy routine.
You can responsibly include humor in an ACT essay by keeping the following best practices in mind:
Use humor sparingly and strategically to enhance key points, not define your response. The central focus must remain compelling argument development.
Choose self-aware, inclusive forms of humor appropriate for a diverse audience of educators (puns over crude jokes, for example). Avoid humor with potential to offend or that relies on pop culture references.
Incorporate humor naturally and smoothly into the overall flow and tone of your writing. It should never disrupt the logical progression or force the reader to double take.
Aim for subtly witty observations or turns of phrase over overt “jokes.” Readers want to appreciate your cleverness, not groan or cringe.
Ensure any attempts at humor directly relate to and clarify aspects of the prompt, not serve as standalone creative writing unrelated to the assigned task.
With finesse and self-awareness, appropriate doses of humor sprinkled strategically throughout an ACT essay response can help reinforce your key ideas and paint a more multidimensional picture of you for admissions officers. But humor alone will not compensate for weak argument development – the priorities remain conveying a clear, coherent position supported by analytical thinking and evidence. In the end, keeping things positive and in good faith will serve applicants best on the high-stakes ACT.