Graduate admissions

Is there anything more embarrassing for all concerned than the personal statements that students write, and faculty read, as part of graduate admissions?

I have often thought that a most entertaining addition to skit night would consist of reading selected excerpts from the personal statements of our graduate students currently on the job market.  [I suspect that this violates some sort of federal law and/or university regulation - oh well.]

On the other hand, the over-selling in personal statements is probably good practice for writing grant proposals.

Oh, and enough with the behavioral economics already.