Hey everyone, the Common App includes a prompt about a significant challenge one has faced, and I'm not sure how to approach this in a meaningful and honest way without sounding like I'm complaining. Any advice on how to tackle this topic?
Hello! It's great that you're already thinking about how to craft a meaningful response to the significant challenge prompt. The key is to focus on growth and resilience, rather than dwelling on the difficulties you faced. Here's a basic structure that can help you effectively address this type of prompt:
1. Briefly describe the challenge you faced (avoid going into exhaustive detail). This sets the stage and helps readers understand the context and seriousness of the situation.
2. Discuss the steps you took to address the challenge and overcome it. This showcases your resourcefulness and determination.
3. Detail how the experience resulted in personal growth or learning, including any lessons you learned, skills you gained, or perspectives you developed. This demonstrates how you turned adversity into something useful and how it contributed to your development.
Remember to maintain a positive tone throughout your response and focus on the silver lining. For additional guidance, check out 'Writing the Common Application Essay: Prompt #2 on Learning from a Challenge, Setback, or Failure' from CollegeVine's blog: https://www.collegevine.com/blog/common-application-2019-2020-prompts-writing-guide-prompt-2/.
Good luck!
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