Humor, hot dogs and surviving committee…

The final weeks of November are kind of like running the hundred yard dash for admission officers at schools where early decision is alive and well. Here at W&M we are approaching the finish line of that race- the final admission committee decisions. About a thousand applications have been read, narrative evaluations have been discussed, the easier calls have been made, and now- we are slam in the middle of the “muddy middle”, debating the relative merits of each remaining applicant. We’re tired- but strangely, our spirits are not low. We’re down, but we’re not out- as they say. With tired eyes and many too few hours of sleep to look back on over the past few weeks, how do we accomplish this, you ask? You take one part “thoughtful, hardworking, friendly team of folks”, two parts “caffeinated beverage consumption”, three parts “committee sustaining snack foods” (see my colleague, Wendy Livingston’s recent post on the sundry goodies we consume during this time of year) and ten parts “laughter”. There you have it- the ingredients key to how we finish the Early Decision review process with smiles on our faces.  Humor and laughter are the keys to many successes in life and (if we were honest), a little levity goes a very long way towards making lengthy committee meetings fun.

Dr. John Morreall, a religion professor here at W&M, teaches a much loved class about comedy tragedy and religion. He would tell you that humor results when you are faced with incongruence and enjoy it. When what you get isn’t what you expect- but you get a kick out of it just the same. That, my friends is one way we survive the committee process. While plodding our way through incredibly tough decisions about academic preparedness and debating competitiveness within the pool, we revel in the moments when students share comical pieces of writing about unexpected topics and, or divulge unique personality traits that make us laugh. Done in an effort to identify the ways in which they might impact the W&M campus, both are refreshing and, at times, a fantastic departure from the typical. Essays, personal statements and optional submissions very often become the crux of our discussions when we reach the final “muddy middle” phase and lightheartedness- a little self-deprecating commentary- a tasteful joke or two- they all keep us smiling. That isn’t to encourage you to contrive a comical piece of writing, if that isn’t who you are at your core; but rather to tell you that we like to be surprised. We enjoy incongruity, and it can be accomplished in lots of ways.  I’ve worked in college admissions for the past twelve years, and every year I ask myself, “Is it really possible for there to be topics, styles of writing, optional submissions etc…  left which will surprise me?” Then I fondly reflect on some of my favorite quirky (but amazing) contributions from recent applicant pools and am reminded of how creative students can be. Despite the fact that there will always be some essay topics and optional submissions which students elect to use in huge numbers (for example: writing about your biggest learning experience to date or submitting a picture collage- respectively), there are always ways to differentiate yourself.

Another thing Dr. Morreall says is that, “Humor promotes creative thinking, mental flexibility and the ability to cope with change…”. Interestingly enough, those are also some of the characteristics we seek when crafting W&M’s freshman class. Creative thinkers, people who are mentally flexible and open-minded, people able to cope with change and who have an interest in being change agents.  So, although the student who makes us laugh is just one type of student (and there are lots of reasons we might think highly of you), rating high on the humor meter is a solid indicator for some of the candidates I’ve been most impressed by.

So, what’s the lesson here. Surprise us! Catch us off guard! Write that essay about what you like on your hot dog even if it isn’t ketchup (especially if it isn’t ketchup). Send us your optional submission CD singing your “Ode to W&M” even if your singing voice is only meant to be heard in the shower. We’re pretty open minded folks and we love authenticity. Be yourself, and remember- we need ten parts “laughter” in order to make it through the final few yards of our race- smiling.

– Jennifer Scott