Obstacle/Challenge advice

[rawrrrz]

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Hi! So, I'm struggling to come up with an obstacle/challenge that's worth of secondary essays. I know I'm not alone here so I would love some advice. I have been very lucky to have a life with no significant hardships, which I am obviously thankful for...but it does make it difficult to write these essays!

I've had a few ideas but none of them I am particularly excited about...

First, I'm a re-applicant, so a big obstacle to my goals was not getting in the first time. My problems with this are that I still haven't gotten in, so it's not something that has a resolution, plus it might make it seem like I have no life if that is something I consider a large obstacle.

Second, I could write a fairly good essay about a sports obstacle - it was a pretty significant event for me, and I learned a lot about myself and can write about some good life lessons I learned that have stuck with me ever since. The problem is that this occurred in high school and I worry that is far too long ago to be significant.

I know most ADCOMS aren't looking for the most difficult obstacle, they are looking for how you overcame it, but still...I need an obstacle! Any thoughts? How are other people approaching this question?

Thanks!

 

[oopsaloo]

This is certainly not my area of expertise, but are you reapplying to any of the same schools you applied to last cycle? If so, then maybe you could go with the first option for only those schools and talk about what you've done to improve your application since then (a partial resolution?). Especially if they dont have a space to address that elsewhere in your application, or maybe if you wish you have more space to talk about it.

For the other schools where you're a first-time applicant, maybe go with the sports experience?

Regardless, as long as it comes off as sincere, I'm sure they arent going to be like "so and so's obstacle was worse so we should admit them instead".