I’m a huge fan of Flight of the Conchords – both the show and the comedy duo themselves. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement sing a hilarious tune called “The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room” whose lyrics include

…Looking ’round the room
I can tell that you
Are the most beautiful girl in the… room
In the whole wide room (ooh)
And when you’re on the street
Depending on the street
I bet you are definitely in the top three
Good lookin’ girls on the street, yeah
Depending on the street, ooh…

The lyrics proceed from there, consistently qualifying Jemaine’s crush’s beauty:

…You’re so beautiful
Mm, you could be a part-time model
But you’d probably still have to keep your normal job

I thought of this song recently when a wonderful client asked if he should let a residency program know it was one of his top two choices. While very well-meaning, that type of endorsement can fall flat. I would also avoid phrases like “one of my top” picks.

Instead, you can say (or write) something like “I would be thrilled to be at your institution,” or ” I’m confident I can make a positive contribution.” In other words, you can stay honest while not shooting yourself in the foot.

Here’s the “Most Beautiful Girl” video. It’s hilarious.