Adversity / Challenge Essay Topic Idea

[happyyellowturtle]

I am extremely busy. I am a double major, work as a nursing assistant, TA, tutor, volunteer a lot, do research, lead several clubs, involved in campus ministry, multi-season NCAA athlete, etc. Throughout my sophomore, junior, and senior year (this year) I have had to work really hard to stay organized and on top of everything. I have had to learn how to make every minute count so that I could also keep my near-perfect GPA and study for the MCAT. It has been the most challenging thing that I have ever had to do. I love everything that I do, but it is not easy to be busy 16+ hours a day. It has been challenging but rewarding in many ways (good time management, making every moment count, focusing on the now and not later, appreciating every moment, efficient and productive, etc.)

I am thinking about using this for my "adversity/challenges" essay topic....
I would start with a narrative of an example of one of my weekdays and how crazy busy they are. Then I would go into why this was challenging / the challenges that it posed to me physically, mentally, spiritually, socially, etc. Then I would end with the good that has come from it and how I have grown and become a better me!

thoughts?

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[LindaAccepted]

All these activities are in your application. You're not really telling them anything they don't know. They know that you -- like many, many premeds -- are extremely busy.

I'd rather you tell them something they don't know. Perhaps a leadership challenge you had to deal with as a club leader, or a challenge you faced in your campus ministry, or a team challenge as an athlete. or a personal challenge not mentioned in your post that you have overcome.

Look deeper.

 

[LunaOri]

This isn’t adversity—it’s all your own choice. The essay should be about something difficult that is beyond your control, and how you dealt with it.

 

[BeMoConsulting]

Hi there! Some students struggle with the "overcoming challenges" prompt, so you are not alone! The idea here is to focus on one experience that has proven to be challenging for you. In general, when answering these prompt types, you want to begin by reflecting on your past experiences, which you likely already did when you wrote your medical school personal statement, and think about a time when you faced a difficult situation. What happened? What were the steps you took to overcome the challenge? What did you learn from the experience? Often, you won't have a lot of available words or characters to answer the question, so you need to make sure your answer is direct and to the point. Here are some questions that can help you brainstorm ideas and select an appropriate experience to talk about:

Did you ever have to move because of issues at school? Have you been bullied before? Have you had a hard time making friends? Did you face an obstacle while gaining shadowing or clinical experience? Have you been the new person at school? Have you lost a loved one? Have you or a loved one faced injury or illness? Has a loved one struggled with addiction? Did your parents get divorced? Do you or a loved one struggle with a physical, physiological, or developmental condition or disability? Can you think of a time when something didn't go the way you had hoped? For example, maybe you could have played professional basketball, but an injury forced you to change plans. Have you faced discrimination or prejudice of some kind? Have you had to learn a new language? Have you had to manage a financial hardship? Have you made a mistake that had unfortunate consequences?

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you.