Racist joke in essay????

fizzy110
Sat, 07 Mar 2015 18:12:28 +0000

OP, your question was “whether adcoms will realize that it is just harmless humor, or may some take offense to it?”.
Most people have given you an appropriate answer: some adcoms MAY not take it as “harmless humor”, as your “play on words” rings of an old racist joke.

I understand that you are looking for reassurance - I would be too if I had done such a thing in my essay, however, the reality is that you don’t know how the adcoms at these schools will react, as you don’t know their values or their sense of humor. That is why in most essay advice resources (idk if you consulted any), humor is relentlessly cautioned against. Also, considering both the historical and current racial climate in the US… who knows where the line is drawn in terms of what is offensive.

You have gotten into some other great schools that you seem excited about, which is great! So in regards to the schools you are still waiting for, if I were you, I would sit tight - maybe it won’t mean anything to them. Nevertheless this is a lesson; even though you didn’t mean any harm, you may have unintentionally inflicted some. Hopefully you’ll learn to tread more carefully in the future.