Question about 2ndary prompts on "greatest challenge prior to applying"

[LimeLaCroix]

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Some schools like Northstate and Hofstra have prompts that specifically ask about the greatest challenge/obstacle prior to applying or in pursuing medicine. Should these prompts be answered like the typical adversity prompts or should it address an obstacle specifically related to being premed or applying to med school?
I personally had difficulty overcoming my freshman year grades and was going to use that, but was hesitant as to if I should just go with my general adversity essay.

 

[akg0119]

I don't think it has to be specifically about pre-med/applying to medical school. I think the question allows for that (if there was some massive challenge you overcame in the process of school/being pre-med), but it also invites an answer about other challenges that someone might have faced.

FWIW, I'm also applying to Hofstra and my answer to that q has nothing to do with being a pre-med, but the challenge was influential in inspiring me to pursue a certain field of medicine. So kind of a merge I guess.

 

[LimeLaCroix]

I don't think it has to be specifically about pre-med/applying to medical school. I think the question allows for that (if there was some massive challenge you overcame in the process of school/being pre-med), but it also invites an answer about other challenges that someone might have faced.

FWIW, I'm also applying to Hofstra and my answer to that q has nothing to do with being a pre-med, but the challenge was influential in inspiring me to pursue a certain field of medicine. So kind of a merge I guess.

I see. Thanks for the reply. I also see that you're a man/woman of refined taste in seltzer

 

[akg0119]

Indeed, I enjoy a good LaCroix from time to time. Sparkling sugar-free naturally flavored nectar of the gods

 

[LimeLaCroix]

Indeed, I enjoy a good LaCroix from time to time. Sparkling sugar-free naturally flavored nectar of the gods

Yeah but Lime is superior jus sayin'.

 

[Justapremedguy]

it should be
1) whatever obstacle or challenge in any way that you want to define it, however broadly or narrowly
2) what you learned from it, how it impacted you
3) what traits, personal characteristics, or attributes it demonstrates about you
4) Be sincere and do not try to force something related to school or medicine simply because you think you should.

How’s an essay about how I grew up in a very small community/school and never had to branch out, was super shy and scared starting college, struggled to meet people, got over that mental hurdle, became very social which led me to being offered a job as an RA and actually got to help new students who were shy and struggling like I originally was myself
Not unique or significant enough?

 

[Justapremedguy]

These are the times that I want to use the patented @Goro reach thru the internet and slap the electrons out of students.
1) Unique is WHOLLY irrelevant. Significant matters only to how you define it, not the committee
2) It is fine to write about
3) When applicants asked what they use, I always tell the same thing: use your judgment!

Thank you. This makes sense. I deserve that slap so send it my way

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

it should be
1) whatever obstacle or challenge in any way that you want to define it, however broadly or narrowly
2) what you learned from it, how it impacted you
3) what traits, personal characteristics, or attributes it demonstrates about you
4) Be sincere and do not try to force something related to school or medicine simply because you think you should.

What if there are no major obstacles? My kid doesn't think he had any.

 

[KnightDoc]

What if there are no major obstacles? My kid doesn't think he had any.

Why are you asking? Didn't he already submit??? 🙂

For the record, everyone has obstacles, and kidding himself to think otherwise betrays an arrogance that probably won't be well received by whoever thought the question was important enough to ask. JMHO, as a know-nothing premed. 🙂

The question is designed to test introspection, and your son's response reveals something that isn't really flattering, notwithstanding the fact that was certainly not what he meant to convey.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Why are you asking? Didn't he already submit??? 🙂

For the record, everyone has obstacles, and kidding himself to think otherwise betrays an arrogance that probably won't be well received by whoever thought the question was important enough to ask. JMHO, as a know-nothing premed. 🙂

The question is designed to test introspection, and your son's response reveals something that isn't really flattering, notwithstanding the fact that was certainly not what he meant to convey.

He didn't submit all yet 🙂 He did answer some of the challenge prompts, so he knows how to introspect my friend. However he is not sure about the following prompt.

The admissions committee is interested in gaining more insight into you as a person. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Examples may include a moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity, or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome.

 

[KnightDoc]

Why are you asking? Didn't he already submit??? 🙂

He didn't submit all yet 🙂 He did answer some of the challenge prompts, so he knows how to introspect my friend. However he is not sure about the following prompt.

The admissions committee is interested in gaining more insight into you as a person. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Examples may include a moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity, or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome.

So, are you really asking if he should answer "not applicable" in order to give the admissions committee more insight into him as a person? Honestly, what do you think???? If he knows how to introspect, and you know that he knows how to introspect, you wouldn't have posted "What if there are no major obstacles? My kid doesn't think he had any."

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

So, are you really asking if he should answer "not applicable" in order to give the admissions committee more insight into him as a person? Honestly, what do you think????

Honestly, I think these type of questions are not good, but I am all about satisfying the requirements aka play the game 🙂 So any ideas or you just want to debate with me LOL.

 

[KnightDoc]

Honestly, I think these type of questions are not good, but I am all about satisfying the requirements aka play the game 🙂 So any ideas or you just want to debate with me LOL.

...and, believe it or not, I 100% agree with you. The question turns excellence into a sin, but the reality is that they are looking for the humility that comes from setbacks in contrast to the arrogance that comes from effortlessly sailing through life without being challenged.

So, assuming you are not trolling (I know you don't do that intentionally) and that your kid really doesn't know better (of that I am not convinced, since from what I know about him through you, plus the fact that he was smart enough to only appear here once, briefly, so far 🙂), the advice is that he is going to have to think long and hard, dig deep, and come up with something. It's as simple as that.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

...and, believe it or not, I 100% agree with you. The question turns excellence into a sin, but the reality is that they are looking for the humility that comes from setbacks in contrast from the arrogance that comes from effortlessly sailing through life without being challenged.

So, assuming you are not trolling (I know you don't do that intentionally) and that your kid really doesn't know better (of that I am not convinced, since from what I know about him through you, plus the fact that he was smart enough to only appear here once, briefly, so far 🙂), the advice is that he is going to have to think long and hard, dig deep, and come up with something. It's as simple as that.

I don't troll. He is digging deep but so far no yield 🙂 May be move onto other secondaries and come back to this one.

 

[KnightDoc]

I don't troll. He is digging deep but so far no yield 🙂 May be move onto other secondaries and come back to this one.

Yeah, honestly, he is just going to have to come up with something, even if it doesn't seem tragic to him. Whatever he does, please don't let him answer "N/A."

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Yeah, honestly, he is just going to have to come up with something, even if it doesn't seem tragic to him. Whatever he does, please don't let him answer "N/A."

N/A is N/A(cceptable) 🙂

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Yeah, honestly, he is just going to have to come up with something, even if it doesn't seem tragic to him. Whatever he does, please don't let him answer "N/A."

FYI - Essay done and submitted.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Honestly, I think these type of questions are not good, but I am all about satisfying the requirements aka play the game 🙂 So any ideas or you just want to debate with me LOL.

These questions are good because they check your ability to have insight. If you can’t come up with a single difficult situation you’ve been in, then you don’t have introspection. Your kid has had something happen in his life that was a challenge. Even someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth who has not had to want for anything should be able to come up with something here.

It is not a test to see who has the most tragic or dramatic life. The example that applicants use don’t have to be the stuff of Oscar winning films. It just has to be something you can talk about.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

These questions are good because they check your ability to have insight. If you can’t come up with a single difficult situation you’ve been in, then you don’t have introspection. Your kid has had something happen in his life that was a challenge. Even someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth who has not had to want for anything should be able to come up with something here.

It is not a test to see who has the most tragic or dramatic life. The example that applicants use don’t have to be the stuff of Oscar winning films. It just has to be something you can talk about.

I agree that you need to have introspection and insight. Everyone (including those born with silver or gold spoon) will have some challenges but I am questioning " significant personal challenge" . It is tough for most 20 years old middle or upper middle classes suburban kids who went to gifted schools to answer that without being creative.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I agree that you need to have introspection and insight. Everyone (including those born with silver or gold spoon) will have some challenges but I am questioning " significant personal challenge" . It is tough for most 20 years old middle or upper middle classes suburban kids who went to gifted schools to answer that without being creative.

It’s a significant personal challenge. Something that was personally challenging to the writer. Again, everyone has something they can use.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

It’s a significant personal challenge. Something that was personally challenging to the writer. Again, everyone has something they can use.

He wrote a decent one (no embellishment) and submitted but I still don't classify it as a significant personal challenge. To me it has deeper meaning.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Your kid never had any emotional, confidence, or other challenges. Perhaps an overbearing and helicopter parent would be a good topic

Please read all my comments. I am talking about major obstacles and even mentioned the prompt. I understand your difficulties dealing with parents.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

And what I am saying is "major obstacles" is the impact upon the individual and not the actual situation. It is how you dealt with it, what characteristics it shows, and how those attributes can apply for consideration as a prospective physician. Everybody has face personal moments of doubt, lack of confidence, etc, that have had a great impact upon themselves even though the situation may seem commonplace. I have had people write all the way from going thru a divorce and home foreclosure to the death of a pet cat at age 7 to a first date as an adolescent. It is the introspection, analysis, lessons, and how those lessons may have been used elsewhere in your life. This introspection is even more important for those students who have no apparent major hurdles

Appreciate your detailed response. I post questions to get answers like this which helps not only me but also others.

 

[Goro]

What if there are no major obstacles? My kid doesn't think he had any.

Then he's incapable of introspection. Not good.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Then he's incapable of introspection. Not good.

You are late to the party 🙂 Please read the follow-up posts.