Hey all, I'm in the midst of college application season and there's this prompt that's been bugging me. It's about discussing our 'most significant challenge'. To be frank, I've been lucky enough to have a pretty smooth sail so far in life. Any advice on how I can approach this? Should I magnify a relatively small hardship or try to discuss a challenge that's more abstract, like struggling with time management?
As someone who assists students with college applications, it's not uncommon for students to feel relatively unchallenged in the traditional sense. I suggest you think broadly. Challenges don't necessarily have to be large, life-altering events. They could be moments where you faced any form of difficulty or conflict and learned something from that experience.
For example, it could be a moment where you had to balance conflicting responsibilities. You mentioned struggling with time management, this could be a great avenue to explore. Discussing how you've grown in that area—from possibly overloading yourself with tasks, learning to prioritize, allocate time effectively, and finding ways to balance schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and personal interests—can show resilience and adaptability.
Remember, it's not the magnitude of the challenge that matters most here, but your reflection on it, the steps you took to overcome it, and what you learned from the experience, that sets apart a great essay.
For more in-depth details on writing the "Overcoming Challenges" essay, check out this CollegeVine article on the topic: https://blog.collegevine.com/overcoming-challenges-essay
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