I've ALWAYS hated this question. What if I haven't had it as hard as some people? What if I wasn't born in some third-world nation? What if I haven't had to worry about money like other people? Is my motives for becoming a dentist any less valid? Do you need this "experience" to help you become a quality dentist?
It's certainly not going to be counted against you if you have no significant hardship put on your app. I think it's just a way for adcom to assess the performance of certain applicants who may or may not have lower stats in light of the hardships they've experienced. Like a dip in gpa in a semester because a family member died, etc. You should not feel obligated to write something just to fill up space if the question does not apply to you.
It's certainly not going to be counted against you if you have no significant hardship put on your app. I think it's just a way for adcom to assess the performance of certain applicants who may or may not have lower stats in light of the hardships they've experienced. Like a dip in gpa in a semester because a family member died, etc. You should not feel obligated to write something just to fill up space if the question does not apply to you.
yeah i agree. if you had a hardship, then you can talk about it, but in most cases, many students don't have hardships. if you've had one, it will help explain why your grades dropped a bit.
I've ALWAYS hated this question. What if I haven't had it as hard as some people? What if I wasn't born in some third-world nation? What if I haven't had to worry about money like other people? Is my motives for becoming a dentist any less valid? Do you need this "experience" to help you become a quality dentist?