Can I talk about an adversity when discussing a challenging problem?

[fd25]

One of my secondary prompts is "Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it."

The thing that stands out to me when I read a question like this is that I grew up with two (functional) alcoholic parents. It had a big impact on me, and obviously while I could not solve this problem in the sense of making them stop drinking, I learned a lot about myself as well as the way I cope. It also led to me developing one of my biggest hobbies (orchestra), and I was eventually able to perform at Carnegie. Can I talk about this in response to this question, or does it more so seem like they are looking for "I was working on this project in the lab, but X issue arose or I made Y mistake and I needed to be creative in order to solve the problem."

Any feedback is appreciated!

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[Mr.Smile12]

One of my secondary prompts is "Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it."

The thing that stands out to me when I read a question like this is that I grew up with two (functional) alcoholic parents. It had a big impact on me, and obviously while I could not solve this problem in the sense of making them stop drinking, I learned a lot about myself as well as the way I cope. It also led to me developing one of my biggest hobbies (orchestra), and I was eventually able to perform at Carnegie. Can I talk about this in response to this question, or does it more so seem like they are looking for "I was working on this project in the lab, but X issue arose or I made Y mistake and I needed to be creative in order to solve the problem."

Any feedback is appreciated!

From your response, your answer regarding your parents would be more on adversity since you don't define a specific problem where you "solved" your parents' addiction (i.e., it was always a factor to consider with your own way of coping or handling situations). Your lab example is more straightforward and addresses the competency in the prompt.

 

[fd25]

From your response, your answer regarding your parents would be more on adversity since you don't define a specific problem where you "solved" your parents' addiction (i.e., it was always a factor to consider with your own way of coping or handling situations). Your lab example is more straightforward and addresses the competency in the prompt.

Thank you for your feedback! Do you think it's okay to address sort of a self-inflicted problem? ie I made a mistake, which in turn caused a problem...here's how I solved it?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for your feedback! Do you think it's okay to address sort of a self-inflicted problem? ie I made a mistake, which in turn caused a problem...here's how I solved it?

Hopefully it is not related to your academics or your application. What did you have in mind?

 

[LizzyM]

How do you face challenging problems and resolve them? Give an example.

Adcoms suspect that your past problem resolving skills will be useful when you face problems later in life. They'd like to know about your skills in this regard.

An adversity growing up would not be what they are looking for.

It doesn't have to be medically or academically related.

Having two important events on the same day in different places would be a problem. It could be a problem of your own making (you didn't "save the date" for your granny's birthday party and now you have scheduled an important interview for the same day) or it could be something out of your control (your cousin is getting married the same day as your college roommate).

Book a vacation with 10 of your closest friends and/or relatives. You'll sure to face a few challenges that will need resolving.