Torn between two answers to the challenge/obstacle essay

[DuckDoc98]

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Hi,
I have come across two types of challenge essay prompts. The first type of prompts like the one from Hofstra and Stony Brook sound very serious but there are other ones that sound less serious. Sometime I can tell they are less serious because they ask for a personal or professional challenge.
The serious example from Hofstra: "Please use this space to describe any challenge or obstacle you have faced prior to your application to medical school and how you addressed that challenge."

I have two stories I can tell so I wanna see which one do you thing is appropriate for which kind of prompt?
#1: I used to be a low-income immigrant (I say used to because my situation is a lot better now). During the time, my biggest challenge was finance and also maintaining my legal status in the U.S. (Although I got my permanent residency last year). Some of these challenges was working during the summer which made me miss out on certain experiences. I couldn't work during the semester because I was on a full scholarship that required me to maintain a high gpa. On top of my studies I also had to help my mom with her classes because through the classes my parents were able to maintain legal residency. However, I am not sure if these can really count as challenges that I faced alone since my family did play a part in. I also don't know if any of these challenges are significant.

#2: I can also talk about some of the challenges I faced as a leader for my club when we had to do a big project with limited budget. But I think this is more of a professional challenge.

Any advice for the challenge essay is appreciated.

 

[M&L]

Hi,
I have come across two types of challenge essay prompts. The first type of prompts like the one from Hofstra and Stony Brook sound very serious but there are other ones that sound less serious. Sometime I can tell they are less serious because they ask for a personal or professional challenge.
The serious example from Hofstra: "Please use this space to describe any challenge or obstacle you have faced prior to your application to medical school and how you addressed that challenge."

I have two stories I can tell so I wanna see which one do you thing is appropriate for which kind of prompt?
#1: I used to be a low-income immigrant (I say used to because my situation is a lot better now). During the time, my biggest challenge was finance and also maintaining my legal status in the U.S. (Although I got my permanent residency last year). Some of these challenges was working during the summer which made me miss out on certain experiences. I couldn't work during the semester because I was on a full scholarship that required me to maintain a high gpa. On top of my studies I also had to help my mom with her classes because through the classes my parents were able to maintain legal residency. However, I am not sure if these can really count as challenges that I faced alone since my family did play a part in. I also don't know if any of these challenges are significant.

#2: I can also talk about some of the challenges I faced as a leader for my club when we had to do a big project with limited budget. But I think this is more of a professional challenge.

Any advice for the challenge essay is appreciated.

i personally would go for 1. I think it tells a lot more of who you are and where you are coming from.

 

[deleted804295]

Hi,
I have come across two types of challenge essay prompts. The first type of prompts like the one from Hofstra and Stony Brook sound very serious but there are other ones that sound less serious. Sometime I can tell they are less serious because they ask for a personal or professional challenge.
The serious example from Hofstra: "Please use this space to describe any challenge or obstacle you have faced prior to your application to medical school and how you addressed that challenge."

I have two stories I can tell so I wanna see which one do you thing is appropriate for which kind of prompt?
#1: I used to be a low-income immigrant (I say used to because my situation is a lot better now). During the time, my biggest challenge was finance and also maintaining my legal status in the U.S. (Although I got my permanent residency last year). Some of these challenges was working during the summer which made me miss out on certain experiences. I couldn't work during the semester because I was on a full scholarship that required me to maintain a high gpa. On top of my studies I also had to help my mom with her classes because through the classes my parents were able to maintain legal residency. However, I am not sure if these can really count as challenges that I faced alone since my family did play a part in. I also don't know if any of these challenges are significant.

#2: I can also talk about some of the challenges I faced as a leader for my club when we had to do a big project with limited budget. But I think this is more of a professional challenge.

Any advice for the challenge essay is appreciated.

Number 1 is more compelling. For my challenge essays I wrote about something similar- helping with family finances and assisting my family in a low income household and it was brought up regularly during interviews.

Use that one unless they ask for a specific type of challenge that doesn't relate to it.

 

[Goro]

i personally would go for 1. I think it tells a lot more of who you are and where you are coming from.

I agree

 

[DuckDoc98]

Number 1 is more compelling. For my challenge essays I wrote about something similar- helping with family finances and assisting my family in a low income household and it was brought up regularly during interviews.

Use that one unless they ask for a specific type of challenge that doesn't relate to it.

For example Rutgers has this prompt: " Discuss a personal or professional challenge you’ve experienced and how you resolved it. Please include insight on what you learned about yourself as a result"
Would you say that in this case it is more appropriate to use #2?

Also thank you for your feedback 🙂) I'll definitely use the first one for serious challenge essays or maybe even the optional adversity essays. I was wondering if you related this somehow also to the diversity essay?

 

[deleted804295]

For example Rutgers has this prompt: " Discuss a personal or professional challenge you’ve experienced and how you resolved it. Please include insight on what you learned about yourself as a result"
Would you say that in this case it is more appropriate to use #2?

Also thank you for your feedback 🙂) I'll definitely use the first one for serious challenge essays or maybe even the optional adversity essays. I was wondering if you related this somehow also to the diversity essay?

No. It wasn't related to my diversity essay at all.