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8 Overcoming Challenges College Essay Examples

The purpose of the Overcoming Challenges essay is for schools to see how you might handle the difficulties of college. They want to know how you grow, evolve, and learn when you face adversity. For this topic, there are many clichés , such as getting a bad grade or losing a sports game, so be sure to steer clear of those and focus on a topic that’s unique to you. (See our full guide on the Overcoming Challenges Essay for more tips).

These overcoming challenges essay examples were all written by real students. Read through them to get a sense of what makes a strong essay. At the end, we’ll present the revision process for the first essay and share some resources for improving your essay.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Essay 1: Becoming a Coach

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one.

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we competed with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

This essay begins with an in-the-moment narrative that really illustrates the chaos of looking for a coach last-minute. We feel the writer’s emotions, particularly their dejectedness, at not being able to compete.

Through this essay, we can see how gutsy and determined the student is in deciding to become a coach themselves. The writer shows us these characteristics through their actions, rather than explicitly telling us: To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side.

One area of improvement of this essay would be the “attack” wording. The author likely uses this word as a metaphor for martial arts, but it feels too strong to describe the adults’ doubt of the student’s abilities as a coach, and can even be confusing at first.

Still, we see the student’s resilience as they are able to move past the disbelieving looks to help their team. The essay is kept real and vulnerable, however, as the writer admits having doubts: Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

The essay comes full circle as the author recalls the frantic situations in seeking out a coach, but this is no longer a concern for them and their team. Overall, this essay is extremely effective in painting this student as mature, bold, and compassionate.

Essay 2: Starting a Fire

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire.

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family.

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt.

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him.

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses.

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This essay is an excellent example because the writer turns an everyday challenge—starting a fire—into an exploration of her identity. The writer was once “a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes,” but has since traded her love of the outdoors for a love of music, writing, and reading.

The story begins in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. One of the essay’s biggest strengths is its use of imagery. We can easily visualize the writer’s childhood and the present day. For instance, she states that she “rubbed and rubbed [the twigs] until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers.”

The writing has an extremely literary quality, particularly with its wordplay. The writer reappropriates words and meanings, and even appeals to the senses: “My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.” She later uses a parallelism to cleverly juxtapose her changed interests: “instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano.”

One of the essay’s main areas of improvement is its overemphasis on the “story” and lack of emphasis on the reflection. The second to last paragraph about changing perspective is crucial to the essay, as it ties the anecdote to larger lessons in the writer’s life. She states that she hasn’t changed, but has only shifted perspective. Yet, we don’t get a good sense of where this realization comes from and how it impacts her life going forward.

The end of the essay offers a satisfying return to the fire imagery, and highlights the writer’s passion—the one thing that has remained constant in her life.

Essay 3: Last-Minute Switch

The morning of the Model United Nation conference, I walked into Committee feeling confident about my research. We were simulating the Nuremberg Trials – a series of post-World War II proceedings for war crimes – and my portfolio was of the Soviet Judge Major General Iona Nikitchenko. Until that day, the infamous Nazi regime had only been a chapter in my history textbook; however, the conference’s unveiling of each defendant’s crimes brought those horrors to life. The previous night, I had organized my research, proofread my position paper and gone over Judge Nikitchenko’s pertinent statements. I aimed to find the perfect balance between his stance and my own.

As I walked into committee anticipating a battle of wits, my director abruptly called out to me. “I’m afraid we’ve received a late confirmation from another delegate who will be representing Judge Nikitchenko. You, on the other hand, are now the defense attorney, Otto Stahmer.” Everyone around me buzzed around the room in excitement, coordinating with their allies and developing strategies against their enemies, oblivious to the bomb that had just dropped on me. I felt frozen in my tracks, and it seemed that only rage against the careless delegate who had confirmed her presence so late could pull me out of my trance. After having spent a month painstakingly crafting my verdicts and gathering evidence against the Nazis, I now needed to reverse my stance only three hours before the first session.

Gradually, anger gave way to utter panic. My research was fundamental to my performance, and without it, I knew I could add little to the Trials. But confident in my ability, my director optimistically recommended constructing an impromptu defense. Nervously, I began my research anew. Despite feeling hopeless, as I read through the prosecution’s arguments, I uncovered substantial loopholes. I noticed a lack of conclusive evidence against the defendants and certain inconsistencies in testimonies. My discovery energized me, inspiring me to revisit the historical overview in my conference “Background Guide” and to search the web for other relevant articles. Some Nazi prisoners had been treated as “guilty” before their court dates. While I had brushed this information under the carpet while developing my position as a judge, i t now became the focus of my defense. I began scratching out a new argument, centered on the premise that the allied countries had violated the fundamental rule that, a defendant was “not guilty” until proven otherwise.

At the end of the three hours, I felt better prepared. The first session began, and with bravado, I raised my placard to speak. Microphone in hand, I turned to face my audience. “Greetings delegates. I, Otto Stahmer would like to…….” I suddenly blanked. Utter dread permeated my body as I tried to recall my thoughts in vain. “Defence Attorney, Stahmer we’ll come back to you,” my Committee Director broke the silence as I tottered back to my seat, flushed with embarrassment. Despite my shame, I was undeterred. I needed to vindicate my director’s faith in me. I pulled out my notes, refocused, and began outlining my arguments in a more clear and direct manner. Thereafter, I spoke articulately, confidently putting forth my points. I was overjoyed when Secretariat members congratulated me on my fine performance.

Going into the conference, I believed that preparation was the key to success. I wouldn’t say I disagree with that statement now, but I believe adaptability is equally important. My ability to problem-solve in the face of an unforeseen challenge proved advantageous in the art of diplomacy. Not only did this experience transform me into a confident and eloquent delegate at that conference, but it also helped me become a more flexible and creative thinker in a variety of other capacities. Now that I know I can adapt under pressure, I look forward to engaging in activities that will push me to be even quicker on my feet.

This essay is an excellent example because it focuses on a unique challenge and is highly engaging. The writer details their experience reversing their stance in a Model UN trial with only a few hours notice, after having researched and prepared to argue the opposite perspective for a month.

Their essay is written in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. The student openly shares their internal thoughts with us — we feel their anger and panic upon the reversal of roles. We empathize with their emotions of “utter dread” and embarrassment when they’re unable to speak.

From the essay, we learn that the student believes in thorough preparation, but can also adapt to unforeseen obstacles. They’re able to rise to the challenge and put together an impromptu argument, think critically under pressure, and recover after their initial inability to speak.

Essay 4: Music as a Coping Mechanism

CW: This essay mentions self-harm.

Sobbing uncontrollably, I parked around the corner from my best friend’s house. As I sat in the driver’s seat, I whispered the most earnest prayer I had ever offered.

Minutes before, I had driven to Colin’s house to pick up a prop for our upcoming spring musical. When I got there, his older brother, Tom, came to the door and informed me that no one else was home. “No,” I corrected, “Colin is here. He’s got a migraine.” Tom shook his head and gently told me where Colin actually was: the psychiatric unit of the local hospital. I felt a weight on my chest as I connected the dots; the terrifying picture rocked my safe little world. Tom’s words blurred as he explained Colin’s self-harm, but all I could think of was whether I could have stopped him. Those cuts on his arms had never been accidents. Colin had lied, very convincingly, many times. How could I have ignored the signs in front of me? Somehow, I managed to ask Tom whether I could see him, but he told me that visiting hours for non-family members were over for the day. I would have to move on with my afternoon.

Once my tears had subsided a little, I drove to the theater, trying to pull myself together and warm up to sing. How would I rehearse? I couldn’t sing three notes without bursting into tears. “I can’t do this,” I thought. But then I realized that the question wasn’t whether I could do it. I knew Colin would want me to push through, and something deep inside told me that music was the best way for me to process my grief. I needed to sing.

I practiced the lyrics throughout my whole drive. The first few times, I broke down in sobs. By the time I reached the theater, however, the music had calmed me. While Colin would never be far from my mind, I had to focus on the task ahead: recording vocals and then producing the video trailer that would be shown to my high school classmates. I fought to channel my worry into my recording. If my voice shook during the particularly heartfelt moments, it only added emotion and depth to my performance. I felt Colin’s absence next to me, but even before I listened to that first take, I knew it was a keeper.

With one of my hurdles behind me, I steeled myself again and prepared for the musical’s trailer. In a floor-length black cape and purple dress, I swept regally down the steps to my director, who waited outside. Under a gloomy sky that threatened to turn stormy, I boldly strode across the street, tossed a dainty yellow bouquet, and flashed confident grins at all those staring. My grief lurched inside, but I felt powerful. Despite my sadness, I could still make art.

To my own surprise, I successfully took back the day. I had felt pain, but I had not let it drown me – making music was a productive way to express my feelings than worrying. Since then, I have been learning to take better care of myself in difficult situations. That day before rehearsal, I found myself in the most troubling circumstances of my life thus far, but they did not sink me because I refused to sink. When my aunt developed cancer several months later, I knew that resolution would not come quickly, but that I could rely on music to cope with the agony, even when it would be easier to fall apart. Thankfully, Colin recovered from his injuries and was home within days. The next week, we stood together on stage at our show’s opening night. As our eyes met and our voices joined in song, I knew that music would always be our greatest mechanism for transforming pain into strength.

This essay is well-written, as we can feel the writer’s emotions through the thoughts they share, and visualize the night of the performance through their rich descriptions. Their varied sentence length also makes the essay more engaging.

That said, this essay is not a great example because of the framing of the topic. The writer can come off as insensitive since they make their friend’s struggle about themself and their emotions (and this is only worsened by the mention of their aunt’s cancer and how it was tough on them ). The essay would’ve been stronger if it focused on their guilt of not recognizing their friend’s struggles and spanned a longer period of time to demonstrate gradual relationship building and reflection. Still, this would’ve been difficult to do well.

In general, you should try to choose a challenge that is undeniably your own, and you should get at least one or two people to read your essay to give you candid feedback.

Essay 5: Dedicating a Track

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite.

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin.

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

While the writer didn’t succeed in getting the track dedicated to Coach Stark, their essay is certainly successful in showing their willingness to push themselves and take initiative.

The essay opens with a quote from Coach Stark that later comes full circle at the end of the essay. We learn about Stark’s impact and the motivation for trying to get the track dedicated to him.

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The essay goes on to explain how the writer overcame their apprehension of public speaking, and likens the process of submitting an appeal to the school board to running a race. This metaphor makes the writing more engaging and allows us to feel the student’s emotions.

While the student didn’t ultimately succeed in getting the track dedicated, we learn about their resilience and initiative: I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Overall, this essay is well-done. It demonstrates growth despite failing to meet a goal, which is a unique essay structure. The running metaphor and full-circle intro/ending also elevate the writing in this essay.

Essay 6: Body Image

CW: This essay mentions eating disorders.

I press the “discover” button on my Instagram app, hoping to find enticing pictures to satisfy my boredom. Scrolling through, I see funny videos and mouth-watering pictures of food. However, one image stops me immediately. A fit teenage girl with a “perfect body” relaxes in a bikini on a beach. Beneath it, I see a slew of flattering comments. I shake with disapproval over the image’s unrealistic quality. However, part of me still wants to have a body like hers so that others will make similar comments to me.

I would like to resolve a silent issue that harms many teenagers and adults: negative self image and low self-esteem in a world where social media shapes how people view each other. When people see the façades others wear to create an “ideal” image, they can develop poor thought patterns rooted in negative self-talk. The constant comparisons to “perfect” others make people feel small. In this new digital age, it is hard to distinguish authentic from artificial representations.

When I was 11, I developed anorexia nervosa. Though I was already thin, I wanted to be skinny like the models that I saw on the magazine covers on the grocery store stands. Little did I know that those models probably also suffered from disorders, and that photoshop erased their flaws. I preferred being underweight to being healthy. No matter how little I ate or how thin I was, I always thought that I was too fat. I became obsessed with the number on the scale and would try to eat the least that I could without my parents urging me to take more. Fortunately, I stopped engaging in anorexic behaviors before middle school. However, my underlying mental habits did not change. The images that had provoked my disorder in the first place were still a constant presence in my life.

By age 15, I was in recovery from anorexia, but suffered from depression. While I used to only compare myself to models, the growth of social media meant I also compared myself to my friends and acquaintances. I felt left out when I saw my friends’ excitement about lake trips they had taken without me. As I scrolled past endless photos of my flawless, thin classmates with hundreds of likes and affirming comments, I felt my jealousy spiral. I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.” When that didn’t work, I started to feel too anxious to post anything at all.

Body image insecurities and social media comparisons affect thousands of people – men, women, children, and adults – every day. I am lucky – after a few months of my destructive social media habits, I came across a video that pointed out the illusory nature of social media; many Instagram posts only show off good things while people hide their flaws. I began going to therapy, and recovered from my depression. To address the problem of self-image and social media, we can all focus on what matters on the inside and not what is on the surface. As an effort to become healthy internally, I started a club at my school to promote clean eating and radiating beauty from within. It has helped me grow in my confidence, and today I’m not afraid to show others my struggles by sharing my experience with eating disorders. Someday, I hope to make this club a national organization to help teenagers and adults across the country. I support the idea of body positivity and embracing difference, not “perfection.” After all, how can we be ourselves if we all look the same?

This essay covers the difficult topics of eating disorders and mental health. If you’re thinking about covering similar topics in your essay, we recommend reading our post Should You Talk About Mental Health in College Essays?

The short answer is that, yes, you can talk about mental health, but it can be risky. If you do go that route, it’s important to focus on what you learned from the experience.

We can see that the writer of this essay has been through a lot, and a strength of their essay is their vulnerability, in excerpts such as this: I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.”

The student goes on to share how they recovered from their depression through an eye-opening video and therapy sessions, and they’re now helping others find their self-worth as well. It’s great that this essay looks towards the future and shares the writer’s goals of making their club a national organization; we can see their ambition and compassion.

The main weakness of this essay is that it doesn’t focus enough on their recovery process, which is arguably the most important part. They could’ve told us more about the video they watched or the process of starting their club and the interactions they’ve had with other members.

Still, this essay shows us that this student is honest, self-aware, and caring, which are all qualities admissions officer are looking for.

Essay 7: Health Crisis

Tears streamed down my face and my mind was paralyzed with fear. Sirens blared, but the silent panic in my own head was deafening. I was muted by shock. A few hours earlier, I had anticipated a vacation in Washington, D.C., but unexpectedly, I was rushing to the hospital behind an ambulance carrying my mother. As a fourteen-year-old from a single mother household, without a driver’s license, and seven hours from home, I was distraught over the prospect of losing the only parent I had. My fear turned into action as I made some of the bravest decisions of my life.

Three blood transfusions later, my mother’s condition was stable, but we were still states away from home, so I coordinated with my mother’s doctors in North Carolina to schedule the emergency operation that would save her life. Throughout her surgery, I anxiously awaited any word from her surgeon, but each time I asked, I was told that there had been another complication or delay. Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities.

My mother had been a source of strength for me, and now I would be strong for her through her long recovery ahead. As I started high school, everyone thought the crisis was over, but it had really just started to impact my life. My mother was often fatigued, so I assumed more responsibility, juggling family duties, school, athletics, and work. I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover. I didn’t know I was capable of such maturity and resourcefulness until it was called upon. Each day was a stage in my gradual transformation from dependence to relative independence.

Throughout my mother’s health crisis, I matured by learning to put others’ needs before my own. As I worried about my mother’s health, I took nothing for granted, cherished what I had, and used my daily activities as motivation to move forward. I now take ownership over small decisions such as scheduling daily appointments and managing my time but also over major decisions involving my future, including the college admissions process. Although I have become more independent, my mother and I are inseparably close, and the realization that I almost lost her affects me daily. Each morning, I wake up ten minutes early simply to eat breakfast with my mother and spend time with her before our busy days begin. I am aware of how quickly life can change. My mother remains a guiding force in my life, but the feeling of empowerment I discovered within myself is the ultimate form of my independence. Though I thought the summer before my freshman year would be a transition from middle school to high school, it was a transformation from childhood to adulthood.

This essay feels real and tells readers a lot about the writer. To start at the beginning, the intro is 10/10. It has drama, it has emotions, and it has the reader wanting more.

And, when you keep going, you get to learn a lot about a very resilient and mature student. Through sentences like “I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover” and “Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities,” the reader shows us that they are aware of their resilience and maturity, but are not arrogant about it. It is simply a fact that they have proven through their actions!

This essay makes us want to cheer for the writer, and they certainly seem like someone who would thrive in a more independent college environment.

Essay 8: Turned Tables

“You ruined my life!” After months of quiet anger, my brother finally confronted me. To my shame, I had been appallingly ignorant of his pain.

Despite being twins, Max and I are profoundly different. Having intellectual interests from a young age that, well, interested very few of my peers, I often felt out of step in comparison with my highly-social brother. Everything appeared to come effortlessly for Max and, while we share an extremely tight bond, his frequent time away with friends left me feeling more and more alone as we grew older.

When my parents learned about The Green Academy, we hoped it would be an opportunity for me to find not only an academically challenging environment, but also – perhaps more importantly – a community. This meant transferring the family from Drumfield to Kingston. And while there was concern about Max, we all believed that given his sociable nature, moving would be far less impactful on him than staying put might be on me.

As it turned out, Green Academy was everything I’d hoped for. I was ecstatic to discover a group of students with whom I shared interests and could truly engage. Preoccupied with new friends and a rigorous course load, I failed to notice that the tables had turned. Max, lost in the fray and grappling with how to make connections in his enormous new high school, had become withdrawn and lonely. It took me until Christmas time – and a massive argument – to recognize how difficult the transition had been for my brother, let alone that he blamed me for it.

Through my own journey of searching for academic peers, in addition to coming out as gay when I was 12, I had developed deep empathy for those who had trouble fitting in. It was a pain I knew well and could easily relate to. Yet after Max’s outburst, my first response was to protest that our parents – not I – had chosen to move us here. In my heart, though, I knew that regardless of who had made the decision, we ended up in Kingston for my benefit. I was ashamed that, while I saw myself as genuinely compassionate, I had been oblivious to the heartache of the person closest to me. I could no longer ignore it – and I didn’t want to.

We stayed up half the night talking, and the conversation took an unexpected turn. Max opened up and shared that it wasn’t just about the move. He told me how challenging school had always been for him, due to his dyslexia, and that the ever-present comparison to me had only deepened his pain.

We had been in parallel battles the whole time and, yet, I only saw that Max was in distress once he experienced problems with which I directly identified. I’d long thought Max had it so easy – all because he had friends. The truth was, he didn’t need to experience my personal brand of sorrow in order for me to relate – he had felt plenty of his own.

My failure to recognize Max’s suffering brought home for me the profound universality and diversity of personal struggle; everyone has insecurities, everyone has woes, and everyone – most certainly – has pain. I am acutely grateful for the conversations he and I shared around all of this, because I believe our relationship has been fundamentally strengthened by a deeper understanding of one another. Further, this experience has reinforced the value of constantly striving for deeper sensitivity to the hidden struggles of those around me. I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story.

Here you can find a prime example that you don’t have to have fabulous imagery or flowery prose to write a successful essay. You just have to be clear and say something that matters. This essay is simple and beautiful. It almost feels like having a conversation with a friend and learning that they are an even better person than you already thought they were.

Through this narrative, readers learn a lot about the writer—where they’re from, what their family life is like, what their challenges were as a kid, and even their sexuality. We also learn a lot about their values—notably, the value they place on awareness, improvement, and consideration of others. Though they never explicitly state it (which is great because it is still crystal clear!), this student’s ending of “I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story” shows that they are constantly striving for improvement and finding lessons anywhere they can get them in life.

Where to Get Your Overcoming Challenges Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Overcoming Challenges essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Overcoming Adversity: A Challenge That Makes You Grow as a Person

How does adversity build character?

Bonanno, G. A. (2004). Loss, trauma, and human resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events? American Psychologist, 59(1), 20-28. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.59.1.20
Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Beacon Press.
Masten, A. S. (2011). Resilience in children threatened by extreme adversity: Frameworks for research, practice, and translational synergy. Development and Psychopathology, 23(2), 493-506. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579411000198
Masten, A. S., & Barnes, A. J. (2018). Resilience in children: Developmental perspectives. Children, 5(7), 98. https://doi.org/10.3390/children5070098
Park, C. L., & Fenster, J. R. (2014). Stress, coping, and health: The significance of spirituality. In The Oxford handbook of stress, health, and coping (pp. 245-261). Oxford University Press.

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One Expert's Advice to Help You Write a Strong Overcoming Adversity Essay

Leslie Tucker PhD, Jun 07, 2021

Learn how to pick the right adversity story and write an impressive overcoming adversity essay

Whether you’re working on college or scholarship applications, you’re bound to come across the overcoming adversity essay sooner or later. While every type of college application essay is unique, the overcoming adversity essay presents particular challenges for students.

What’s the best way to talk about the adversity in your life? What if you come off as too whiny? What if you don’t have any significant obstacles to write about? Will you be at a disadvantage?

Every year, my students ask me how to tackle this tricky part of their college applications. Luckily for you, I’ve developed a fool-proof approach for writing the overcoming adversity essay , and I’m eager to share it.

Keep reading to learn why the adversity essay is important, how to choose the best topic, and how to write an impactful overcoming adversity essay.

Why the overcoming adversity essay is important

When colleges ask you to write a personal hardship essay, what are they trying to learn? Many students think they’re trying to find and admit the applicants who have faced the most adversity. Not true! Trust me, the adversity essay is NOT a competition to see who has it worse.

The purpose of the overcoming adversity essay is to reveal how you respond to difficult situations. Think about it. College is hard—not everyone has what it takes to succeed. Colleges want to accept students who have the skills and resilience to persevere through the adversity they’re bound to face.

So when an admissions officer reads your adversity essay, they’re trying to answer these questions:

● How do you manage stress?

● How do you attempt to resolve adversity?

● How do you reflect on the challenges you face?

● How do you apply lessons to your life?

If you can successfully answer these questions, you’ll write a stand-out overcoming adversity essay.

Not sure how to recognize an overcoming adversity essay prompt? Here are a few examples.

The Common App

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

The University of Miami

Considering your ability to control your own motivation and behavior, how have past experiences helped build your courage and resilience to persist in the face of academic and life challenges so that, once these storms pass, you can emerge in continued pursuit of your goals?

The University of California

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

How to select the best story for your overcoming adversity essay

Choosing what to write your overcoming adversity essay about can be a challenge. The hardest things you’ve faced in life might not actually be the best topics. So I always encourage students to brainstorm lots of ideas before committing to one.

Here’s what I suggest. Sit down with a family member or close friend. Write a list of all the adversity you’ve faced—big and small. From challenging school projects to your parents divorce to the death of a family member, add everything you can think of to your list.

Next, you’ll want to remember and record how you reacted to each of the obstacles on your list. What were you thinking? What actions did you take?

To choose your adversity essay story, you’ll actually focus on your reactions list. Search for the instances when you showed impressive grit, strength, resilience, and problem-solving skills. These are the best stories to use for your overcoming adversity essay.

Weak topics for your adversity essay

As you’re selecting which topic to write about, beware of choosing a story that falls into one of these categories.

● Adversity you faced due to COVID or virtual learning—everyone dealt with these circumstances, so it’s not a unique topic and won’t help you stand out.

● Obstacles you dealt with in elementary or middle school—it’s a bit too outdated. Find a more recent instance of your grit and resilience.

● Interpersonal struggles you had with a teacher or coach—these essays can come off like you don’t get along well with adults, which isn’t the impression you want to give.

Strong topics for your adversity essay

Any story that shows your maturity and problem-solving skills is a good choice for your overcoming adversity essay. Even so, there are few topics that might be better options for you than others, depending on your circumstances.

● Ongoing obstacles you’re still facing but you’re handling well—important if this obstacle will carry on into college.

● Adversity that interfered with your academic achievement—important if you had a GPA dip you’d like to explain.

● Something that will resonate with the school you’re applying to or the career you’re pursuing—important if adversity drove you to choose a specific type of school or major.

Persevered Through Adversity: Overcoming Greatest Obstacles

Persevering through adversity means overcoming challenges and difficulties with courage and resilience. It involves facing obstacles and hardships with a positive attitude and a growth mindset. People who persevere through adversity often develop valuable skills and qualities, such as grit, determination, optimism, and gratitude. It can also lead to personal growth, increased self-confidence, and a sense of purpose.

Sanju Pradeepa

You have faced many obstacles in your life—adversity that has tested your will and determination. But you have persevered. Each challenge you have overcome has made you stronger and wiser, building inner resilience and grit. You stand here today not despite your struggles but because of them.

The path was not easy. There were days you wanted to give up, unsure if you had the strength or courage to continue. But something deep within called you forward—a whisper of hope that there were brighter days ahead if you just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

So you dug deep and found the determination and perseverance to navigate each trial, learning and growing with every step. You realized obstacles were not barriers but opportunities to become your best self. You persevered through adversity and came out the other side transformed, understanding for the first time your unlimited power and potential.

Defining adversity: what does it mean to face hardship.

Adversity means facing difficulties, hardships, and struggles in life that test your courage and strength. It refers to challenging circumstances that are out of your control but still have a huge impact on your life. Adversity comes in many forms: health issues, loss of loved ones, financial troubles, failures, and setbacks.

Dealing with adversity is one of the hardest things we have to do. It can make you feel powerless and hopeless, like life just isn’t fair. But adversity also allows you to find out who you are. It is a chance to dig deep within yourself to discover depths of courage, faith, and perseverance you never knew you had.

Adversity Builds Character. Going through hard times shapes you into a stronger, wiser person. Each struggle you face and overcome makes you more resilient for the next one. Adversity teaches you life’s most valuable lessons and gives you a deeper appreciation for the good times.
Adversity Makes You More Compassionate. When you have suffered yourself, you become more empathetic towards the suffering of others. You gain a deeper understanding of what others in similar situations are going through. This makes you kinder, gentler, and more supportive.
Adversity Leads to New Beginnings. Hard times often force you out of your comfort zone and push you in a new direction. They prompt you to reevaluate your life and make important changes. Endings lead to beginnings, and adversity paves the way for new opportunities and fresh starts.

The challenges of life are unavoidable, but your response to them is within your control. View adversity as a chance to prove your strength and learn from your struggles. Have faith that you have the power to overcome anything life throws your way. With determination and perseverance, you can turn your difficulties into triumphs.

The Importance of Perseverance in Facing Adversity

Perseverance is what separates the dreamers from the doers. When obstacles arise, it’s perseverance that pushes you through. It is the ability to persist through challenges and setbacks in pursuit of a goal. It is a crucial trait for achieving success in various aspects of life, including personal growth, career, and relationships. Research suggests that perseverance is essential to achieving long-term goals and mastery in specific areas.

Individuals who persevere are more likely to succeed in all aspects of life, particularly in their professional lives. Also, perseverance is associated with improved mental health outcomes, reduced stress, and better overall well-being. It builds resilience, character, and self-confidence by enabling individuals to learn from their mistakes and push through difficulties. Perseverance is an essential ingredient in achieving success in life.

What Does It Mean to Persevered Through Adversity?

“Persevered through adversity” means that an individual or a group of people displayed perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges, setbacks, or difficult circumstances. It suggests that despite encountering obstacles, they remained determined, persisted, and did not give up on their goals or values. This phrase implies that they could overcome adversity, find solutions, and continue working towards their objectives despite the difficulties they encountered. It emphasizes the strength, resilience, and determination of those who could persevere through challenging times.

The Power of Determination

You will face challenges in life that test your will and determination. Doubts will creep in, setbacks will threaten to derail you, and there will be days you just want to give up. But you must persevere.

Dig deep and find the strength within to push on. Remind yourself why you started this journey. Connect with your purpose and passion . Let that fuel your motivation and renew your determination.

When self-doubt strikes, speak encouraging words to yourself. You have come this far, so you are capable. Believe in yourself and your abilities. Focus on progress, not perfection. Celebrate small wins to stay motivated for the long haul.

Learn from your mistakes and failures instead of being defeated by them. Look for the lesson and growth opportunity in every challenge. With each obstacle you overcome, your perseverance muscle grows stronger.

Surround yourself with a strong support system of people who believe in you. Let others encourage you when your determination wavers. Their support can help lift you and spur you on.

Through perseverance, you can achieve remarkable things. Stay focused on your goals, believe in yourself , learn from setbacks, and never give up. Your determination and inner strength will see you through. Success is on the other side of perseverance. You’ve got this!

The Challenges of Overcoming Adversity

When facing adversity, there are numerous challenges that we encounter on our journey to overcome them. These challenges can test our resilience, strength, and determination. They push us to our limits and require us to dig deep within ourselves to find the courage and resources necessary to persevere. Let’s explore some of the common challenges we may encounter when overcoming adversity.

1. Fear and Doubt

Fear and doubt often creep into our minds when facing adversity. We question our abilities and whether we are capable of overcoming the obstacles in front of us. These negative emotions can paralyze us and hinder our progress. It takes courage to confront these fears head-on and push through the self-doubt. By acknowledging our fears and finding the strength to move forward, we can gradually overcome these challenges.

2. Uncertainty and Unpredictability

Adversity often comes with uncertainty and unpredictability. We may not know what lies ahead or how long our struggle will last. This lack of clarity can be disheartening and make it difficult to stay motivated. It is essential to embrace the unknown and focus on the present moment. By taking small steps and adapting our plans as necessary, we can navigate through the uncertainty and gradually find our way forward.

3. Physical and Emotional Exhaustion

Overcoming adversity can be physically and emotionally exhausting. The constant effort required to face challenges and push through them can drain our energy and leave us feeling overwhelmed. It is crucial to prioritize self-care and find ways to replenish our physical and emotional well-being . Taking breaks, seeking support from loved ones, and practicing mindfulness can help us recharge and stay resilient in the face of adversity.

4. Lack of Resources and Support

Sometimes, the challenges we encounter during adversity may require resources or support that we don’t readily have access to. It can be frustrating and demoralizing when we feel ill-equipped to tackle the obstacles in front of us. In such situations, it is important to reach out for help and explore alternative solutions. Connecting with support networks, seeking advice from mentors or professionals, and researching available resources can provide us with the tools and assistance needed to overcome these challenges.

5. Maintaining Persistence and Perseverance

One of the greatest challenges we face when overcoming adversity is maintaining persistence and perseverance. The journey is rarely smooth, and setbacks are inevitable. It is easy to become discouraged and tempted to give up. However, overcoming adversity is one of the greatest challenges we face in life. When times get tough, it can feel impossible to move forward. But deep within you lies an internal strength that can persevere. By tapping into this inner resolve, you have the power to overcome any obstacle in your path.

Persistence vs Perseverance: Harness the Powers of Success

With each small success, your strength and resilience will grow. Stay focused on your motivation, start small, connect with others, and adapt along the way. You have the power within you, so face each challenge head-on and show adversity who’s boss! Persevere, and you will overcome.

Turning Tragedy Into Triumph: Finding Meaning in Hardship

Turning adversity into purpose is one of the most powerful things we can do as humans. When faced with hardship, loss, or suffering, it may seem impossible to find meaning or reason. Yet, reflecting on your struggles and finding the strength within to overcome them can transform tragedy into triumph.

1. Look for the Lessons

Every challenge we endure teaches us something, whether we realize it or not. Try to determine what lessons your difficulties have offered. A health crisis has taught you gratitude for each day. The loss of a loved one may have shown you the importance of living fully while we can. Examine your struggles and find the wisdom they impart. Those lessons become your tools for navigating future hardships with courage and grace.

2. Help Others Along the Way

One of the most meaningful ways to find purpose in suffering is by using your experiences to help others facing similar trials. Share your story, offer a listening ear, provide comfort—do whatever you can to ease another’s burden. As you help others persevere, you strengthen your own ability to overcome. Each person you help is a reminder of how far you’ve come. Their triumphs, however small, fuel your own.

3. Choose to Be Strong

Ultimately, finding meaning amidst hardship comes down to choice. You can choose to be defeated or to be strong. You can choose to remain stuck in sorrow or choose to build a better future. The path is not easy, but with each step forward, you gain momentum. Though the road is long, stay focused on progress, not perfection. Persevere, have courage , and never stop moving. Your triumph is in each step you take.

Finding light in the darkest of places is one of the most profound ways we give purpose to our pain. The obstacles that once threatened to destroy us have become the building blocks of strength, wisdom, and endurance. We emerge on the other side forever changed, but never broken. Our tragedies transform into triumphs, and meaning takes shape at last.

Strategies for Persevering Through Adversity

Ultimately, perseverance requires determination, resilience, and a belief in your ability to overcome adversity. By implementing these strategies, you can build your capacity to persevere and achieve success in the face of challenges.

Here are some strategies to help you persevere through adversity:

1. Find Your Motivation

To overcome adversity, you first need to find your motivation and reconnect with your purpose. Why do you want to push through this challenge? What will you gain by persevering? Identify your goals and the rewards of achieving them. This could be improving your life, helping others, or gaining valuable experience. Focus on the light at the end of the tunnel to stay determined.

Willpower vs Motivation: 2 Powers, Which One Do You Need?

2. develop a growth mindset.

How you think about adversity is everything. Develop a growth mindset by viewing challenges as opportunities to learn and improve, not as permanent roadblocks. Tell yourself you have the power to influence your situation through hard work and persistence. Have an optimistic outlook and believe in your ability to adapt and grow. With practice, this resilient way of thinking can become second nature.

Don’t feel overwhelmed by the scale of your challenges. Break big goals into small, manageable steps. Start by tackling one task at a time, then build up your progress. Act every day, even if it’s in a small way. Do something to move yourself closer to your goals and maintain momentum. Don’t sit back and wait for motivation or inspiration to strike. Take control of your journey through deliberate action and forward progress.

4. Learn From Your Struggles

Each difficulty you face provides an opportunity to learn. Look for lessons in your struggles and setbacks. What went wrong, and how can you improve next time? What are your weaknesses, and how can you strengthen them? Extracting meaning from adversity will make the experience worthwhile and help you grow as a person. You will build mental toughness and wisdom that will serve you well for future challenges.

5. Find Your Reason to Fight

What motivates you? What are you passionate about? Find your reason, latch onto it, and don’t let go. When challenges arise, remind yourself why you’re pushing through. Your motivation is the fuel that will keep you going.

What Motivates You to Succeed in Life: Find What Drives You

6. start small and build momentum.

Don’t feel overwhelmed by the adversity ahead of you. Take things step by step, task by task, day by day. Start with small actions that build your confidence and momentum. Success breeds success. As you achieve small wins, your motivation and progress will snowball.

7. Connect With Your Support Network

Surround yourself with people who love and support you. Talk to others who have endured similar hardships. Let them be your shoulders to lean on. Ask them how they found the strength and courage to prevail. Their experiences can help guide you through your own.

8. Learn and Adapt

Every challenge you face provides an opportunity to learn. Be flexible and willing to adapt to changing circumstances. What’s working? What’s not? Make adjustments to your approach and strategy. The more you learn and adapt, the better equipped you’ll be to overcome current and future adversity.

With determination and perseverance , you can accomplish amazing things. Stay focused on your purpose, maintain an optimistic mindset , act daily, and learn from your struggles. Don’t give up in the face of challenges and obstacles. Have courage and press on, one step at a time. You will come out the other side stronger, wiser, and closer to your goals.

9. Find Support Systems: The Importance of Community

Having a strong support system in place can help you overcome even the greatest of life’s challenges. When times get tough, the people around you can lift you up and help you push through.

1. Reach Out to Others

Don’t isolate yourself. Reach out to close friends and family members and let them know you’re struggling. Even if they can’t directly solve the problem, their emotional support can help lighten the burden. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; your true friends and family will be there for you.

2. Join a Community

Look for local community groups, whether online or in person, focused on the issues you’re facing. Connecting with others going through similar struggles can help combat feelings of loneliness and give you advice and tips for coping. You may even form new friendships that turn into a lasting source of support.

3. Talk to a Professional

Speaking with a counselor or therapist can provide guidance and help build your resilience during difficult times. They can offer an outside perspective and help you work through complicated emotions. Don’t think of seeking professional help as a sign of weakness; it takes courage to ask for and accept support.

4. Practice Self-Care

Make sure to engage in regular self-care, especially during stressful life events. Exercise, eat healthy, get enough sleep, and take time for hobbies or activities that you find personally fulfilling. Taking good care of yourself will boost your confidence and inner strength , making challenges feel more surmountable.

Having a strong support system and community, reaching out for professional help when needed, and maintaining self-care are all essential for overcoming adversity. No one can do it alone. With the support and guidance of others, you can find the resolve and determination within yourself to persevere through even the darkest of times.

10. Developing Resilience and Mental Toughness

To develop resilience and mental toughness in the face of adversity, cultivate these key traits:

1. Determination

Refuse to give up in the face of failure or defeat. When challenges arise, stay focused on your goals and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Success is rarely achieved overnight. Break down big goals into small , concrete steps, and celebrate achieving each milestone along the way.

2. Adaptability

Life is ever-changing, so the ability to adapt to new circumstances is crucial. Learn from your mistakes and failures, and be willing to pivot in response to obstacles or setbacks. Consider multiple options or alternative paths forward. An open and flexible mindset will serve you well.

3. Optimism

Maintaining a positive and hopeful outlook increases your ability to overcome difficulties. While still facing problems head-on, look for the silver lining and maintain confidence in your ability to solve them. An optimistic mindset leads to greater persistence and resilience .

4. Support network

Surround yourself with people who share your determination and belief in your ability to succeed. Let others support and encourage you. Talk to those who have overcome similar struggles. Their experience and guidance can help keep you motivated. Ask others for input and help when you need it. Together, you can achieve more than you can alone.

Developing and strengthening these traits and skills through regular practice will build your resilience and mental toughness over time. When life’s hardest moments come, you will have the strength and ability to persevere. Success is rarely about talent or luck, but rather the refusal to give up in the face of failure or defeat. With determination and an unyielding spirit, you have the power to overcome any obstacle in your path.

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Types of Resilience: Building Strength for Life’s Challenges

Stay focused on your goals, adapt to challenges, maintain optimism, and apply your support network. You’ve got this! Now get out there and show the world what you’re made of.

11. Practicing Self-Care and Self-Compassion

To persevere through life’s adversities, practicing self-care and self-compassion is essential. When times get tough, it’s easy to beat yourself up or neglect your own needs. But that will only make the situation worse and sap your motivation and resilience.

Instead, speak to yourself with kindness and empathy. Treat yourself the way you would treat a close friend facing the same challenges. Offer comfort and encouragement rather than harsh self-judgment . Say things like, “You’re doing the best you can,” “This too shall pass,” and “You have overcome difficulties before and you will again.”

What Does it Mean to Have Self-Compassion: 5 Ways to Develop

12. make time for the things that nourish you.

Despite the obstacles you face, carve out time each day to engage in acts of self-care. Do some light exercise, like walking or yoga. Read an inspiring book or listen to uplifting music. Connecting with others who love and support you can help lift your spirits, so call a friend or family member.

Find small ways to nurture yourself each day.

When times seem the darkest, it’s easy to lose hope. But remember that this adversity, like all things, is temporary. Stay focused on the light ahead rather than the darkness around you. Picture how you will feel once you emerge on the other side, stronger and wiser. Let that vision motivate you to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

You have an indomitable spirit and the strength within to rise above whatever obstacles life puts in your path. Believe in yourself and continue moving forward, one day and one act of self-compassion at a time. The dawn will come again, and you will be ready to greet it.

13. Learning From Failure: Failing Forward

Failure is often seen as a negative experience, but it can be an opportunity to grow if you have the right mindset. When faced with failure, persevering and learning from your mistakes will help you develop resilience and the ability to overcome life’s challenges.

1. See Failure as Temporary

Failure is not a permanent state; it’s a temporary stumbling block on the road to success. Don’t let one failure define you or determine your self-worth . You are so much more than any single failure. Remind yourself that this too shall pass. With hard work and determination , you can rise above failure.

2. Learn from Your Mistakes

Failure is life’s greatest teacher if you’re willing to learn from it. Analyze what went wrong and look for the lessons hidden in failure. Were there warning signs you missed or skills you needed to improve? What can you do differently next time? Extracting these insights will make you wiser and better equipped to succeed in the future.

3. Develop Grit

Bouncing back from failure requires grit, resilience, and a growth mindset. View failure as an opportunity to improve rather than a reflection of your abilities. With each failure you overcome, your ability to persevere in the face of adversity grows stronger. Success is rarely achieved overnight; it takes grit and determination to overcome obstacles and push through failure. Developing these qualities will serve you well on your journey to success.

Developing Resilience and Grit to Overcome Life’s Challenges

Failure is never easy, but maintaining a learning mindset can help turn failure into progress. Let your failures inspire you to grow stronger and wiser. With hard-earned wisdom and resilience, you will have the power to overcome life’s greatest challenges and turn failure into success. Stay determined and never give up; your breakthrough is waiting on the other side of failure. You’ve got this! Now get back out there and try again.

Famous Figures Who Persevered Through Adversity

Perseverance in the face of adversity is what defines true character. Throughout history, many famous figures have overcome immense hardships and persevered against all odds. Their stories serve as inspiration and a reminder of the enduring power of the human spirit.

One such figure is Helen Keller, the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Left blind and deaf after an illness at 19 months old, Helen was trapped in a world of isolation and darkness. Yet through the dedication of her teacher, Annie Sullivan, Helen learned to communicate and went on to become an author, political activist, and renowned speaker. Her perseverance and determination in the face of overwhelming adversity continue to inspire generations.

Another example is the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking . At the age of 21, Stephen was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease and given two years to live. But Stephen persevered, going on to become a groundbreaking theoretical physicist, a bestselling author, and regarded as one of the most brilliant minds of our time. Though using a wheelchair for mobility and almost completely paralyzed, Stephen’s perseverance and passion for understanding the universe propelled him to push the boundaries of human achievement.

The stories of Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, and others like them stand as a testament to the power of perseverance. When faced with life’s greatest hardships, they summoned strength and resolve to overcome immense adversity through sheer will and determination. Their lives remind us that perseverance can triumph over even the darkest of days. With courage and conviction, you too can persevere through life’s greatest obstacles.

Looking Ahead With Hope: Envisioning a Brighter Future

The road ahead may seem long, but stay focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. Though times are tough now, this too shall pass. Envision the future you want and take steps each day to make progress, however small, toward that vision.

What motivates you to push on through hard times? Think of your hopes, dreams, and loved ones—whatever gives you strength and purpose. Hold onto that motivation and let it guide you forward.

Don’t feel overwhelmed by how far you have to go. Set small, achievable goals and start working toward them. Celebrate each accomplishment, no matter how small. Momentum builds with each step we take. Make progress, not perfection, your goal.

Take good care of yourself—body, mind, and soul. Staying in good shape will give you energy and stamina for the road ahead. Feed your mind with positive books, articles, and stories of others who overcame adversity. Nurture your soul through meditation, prayer, or quiet reflection. Be gentle with yourself. You’ve endured a lot, and you deserve compassion.

It’s easy to feel hopeless when times are difficult, but that will only make your situation feel more dire. Practice optimism and maintain a positive perspective. This will help reduce stress and enable you to see solutions where once you saw only obstacles. You have the power to determine your outlook. Choose to be hopeful.

The future is unwritten. You have the opportunity now to shape your destiny and create the life you want. Stay focused on your vision, take things day by day, and never stop believing in yourself and your ability to build a better tomorrow. The light will come again—just keep moving toward it. You’ve got this!

You have within you an indomitable spirit, one that has propelled you through challenges that would break most people. You have persevered through adversity and overcome life’s greatest obstacles through sheer determination and strength of will. The hard times have tested you, but they have not defeated you. You have emerged battered yet wiser, humbled yet empowered.

The scars you bear are badges of courage and living proof of your resilience. You have walked through the fire and survived. Now you know in your bones that you can survive anything, as long as you never give up on yourself. Your story is one of inspiration, a reminder of the power of human perseverance against all odds. You stand as a shining light, a symbol of hope for all those still struggling. You overcame. You endured. You never gave up. And that is why you will always prevail.

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Perseverance In the Face of Adversity Is the Sign Of True Success . According to Dr. Catherine Chang and Dr. Katie To, how we deal with failure defines us more than the failure itself BY JOHN STANLY
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One Expert’s Advice to Help You Write a Strong Overcoming Adversity Essay

Learn how to pick the right adversity story and write an impressive overcoming adversity essay

What’s the best way to talk about the adversity in your life? What if you come off as too whiny? What if you don’t have any significant obstacles to write about? Will you be at a disadvantage?

Keep reading to learn why the adversity essay is important, how to choose the best topic, and how to write an impactful overcoming adversity essay.

Why the overcoming adversity essay is important

So when an admissions officer reads your adversity essay, they’re trying to answer these questions:

How do you manage stress?
How do you attempt to resolve adversity?
How do you reflect on the challenges you face?
How do you apply lessons to your life?

If you can successfully answer these questions, you’ll write a stand-out overcoming adversity essay.

Not sure how to recognize an overcoming adversity essay prompt? Here are a few examples.

The Common App

The University of Miami

The University of California

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

How to select the best story for your overcoming adversity essay

Next, you’ll want to remember and record how you reacted to each of the obstacles on your list. What were you thinking? What actions did you take?

Weak topics for your adversity essay

As you’re selecting which topic to write about, beware of choosing a story that falls into one of these categories.

Adversity you faced due to COVID or virtual learning—everyone dealt with these circumstances, so it’s not a unique topic and won’t help you stand out.
Obstacles you dealt with in elementary or middle school—it’s a bit too outdated. Find a more recent instance of your grit and resilience.
Interpersonal struggles you had with a teacher or coach—these essays can come off like you don’t get along well with adults, which isn’t the impression you want to give.

Strong topics for your adversity essay

Ongoing obstacles you’re still facing but you’re handling well—important if this obstacle will carry on into college.
Adversity that interfered with your academic achievement—important if you had a GPA dip you’d like to explain.
Something that will resonate with the school you’re applying to or the career you’re pursuing—important if adversity drove you to choose a specific type of school or major.

How to write an impressive overcoming adversity essay

Now we’ve arrived at my fool-proof overcoming adversity essay formula. Once you’ve chosen the right story that demonstrates your resilience, just apply this formula to create a memorable adversity essay.

This formula is simple. It’s all about crafting a narrative. Remember, you’re telling the story of when you faced an obstacle. So you want it to sound like a real story, not a school report.

Here is the five-step formula to writing the perfect overcoming adversity essay.

Introduce the obstacle or adversity
Describe your emotional response
Discuss the actions you took to face the problem
Share the outcome of the situation
Reveal what you learned from the experience

See? It’s a piece of cake. Now let’s see how it looks applied to an adversity story.

The adversity: My family moved across the country between my sophomore and junior year.
Emotional response: I was devastated to lose my friends and scared to start over in a new place.
Actions taken: I scheduled regular talks and virtual hang outs with my old friends to ensure we’d stay in touch. Then I pushed myself to join two clubs at the beginning of the school year.
Outcome: I stayed connected with friends from home. And even though it was intimidating to make new friends, putting myself out there helped me quickly meet people who shared my interests. I felt less alone and adjusted to my new environment sooner than I expected.
Lessons learned: I am stronger and more adaptable than I thought I was. I am capable of thriving in new places and creating a new community for myself wherever I go.

With extremely little effort, I made a strong outline for an adversity essay using this formula. You can do the same!

Dos and don’ts for your overcoming adversity essay

The formula will take you a long way in structuring your adversity essay, but here are a few additional tips and tricks to make sure your writing is outstanding.

Don’t try to garner sympathy or pity —be honest about what happened, but remember your purpose isn’t to make the reader feel bad for you.
Do maintain a positive and upbeat tone throughout your adversity essay.
Don’t spend too much time describing the problem —keep it brief and to the point.
Do focus the majority of the essay on how you responded to and resolved the obstacle.
Don’t forget to include the outcome and the lessons you learned —self reflection is impressive to application readers.
Do connect what you learned with your future in college or in your chosen career.

Remember, one of the great things about the overcoming adversity essay is that you’re telling a story. You’re not making an argument or delivering an informational report. Once you have your story and the structure in place, have fun with the rest!

Final thoughts about the overcoming adversity essay

I’ll never say writing a college application essay is easy. But hopefully I’ve convinced you that the overcoming adversity essay isn’t as intimidating as it seems. In fact, I hope you have an enjoyable time writing your adversity essay and celebrating your resilience. Be proud of yourself. You are amazing!

I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts and concerns about the overcoming adversity essay? Drop a comment below, and I’ll be happy to address them.

Dr. Leslie Tucker College Consultant

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, overcoming adversity college essay examples: need inspiration.

Hey guys, I'm currently working on my college essays and one of the prompts is about overcoming adversity. I'm having some trouble finding inspiration and figuring out how to best convey my experience. Has anyone written an essay on a similar topic that really resonated with them, and if so, would you mind sharing a general summary or some key points I could consider? Thanks in advance!

Hey there! I totally understand how difficult it can be to craft an essay about overcoming adversity, but I'm sure you'll be able to create an impactful essay once you find the right story. Here are a few general examples to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Health challenges: If you faced any significant health issues, such as a chronic illness or major surgery, you can discuss how you overcame these challenges and what you learned from the experience. For example, you could detail how you became more aware of the need to take advantage of every moment, because tomorrow is ever guaranteed.

2. Family circumstances: If you faced any significant family challenges, such as a parent losing a job, divorce, or perhaps needing to become a caregiver for a sick family member, you can discuss how these experiences impacted you and taught you valuable life lessons. You can also emphasize the growth you experienced as a result, whether it's learning to be resourceful, empathetic, or developing strong problem-solving skills.

3. Personal obstacles: If you've struggled with internal challenges, like having a learning disability, anxiety, or self-esteem issues, you can focus on how you confronted these issues, sought help, and ultimately grew stronger as a result. For example, if you have dyslexia, you can discuss the strategies you developed for overcoming difficulties in reading and writing while pursuing your academic goals, and how this process has made you more adaptable and tenacious.

4. Social or community difficulties: If you faced discrimination, bullying, or cultural barriers, you can discuss how you navigated these challenges to create positive change or find your voice. You could share a specific instance where you stood up for yourself or others, joined or created a support group, or participated in a project that aimed at reducing the issue.

Overall, whichever story you choose should allow you to focus on your personal growth, resilience, and how you've transformed as a person as a result of overcoming adversity. The main aim is to show the admissions officers how these experiences have shaped you into a more mature, self-aware, and compassionate individual.

Finally, consider checking out CollegeVine's blog post on this kind of essay for more detailed guidance: https://blog.collegevine.com/overcoming-challenges-essay. You can also utilize CollegeVine's peer essay review service, or submit your essay for a paid review by an expert college admissions advisor through CollegeVine's marketplace, if you're wondering how well your particular story is showcasing your strengths.

Best of luck with your essay writing, and I hope this guidance helps get you started on the right track!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Home / Essay Samples / Life / Adversity / Overcoming Adversity: A Journey of Resilience and Triumph

Overcoming Adversity: A Journey of Resilience and Triumph

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Topic: Adversity

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Confronting personal challenges, overcoming societal barriers, embracing the power of resilience.

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What are your chances of acceptance?

Your chancing factors

8 Overcoming Challenges College Essay Examples

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Essay 3: Last-Minute Switch

Essay 4: Music as a Coping Mechanism

Essay 5: Dedicating a Track

Essay 6: Body Image

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Essay 8: Turned Tables

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One Expert's Advice to Help You Write a Strong Overcoming Adversity Essay

Leslie Tucker PhD, Jun 07, 2021

Why the overcoming adversity essay is important

How to select the best story for your overcoming adversity essay

Weak topics for your adversity essay

Strong topics for your adversity essay

Persevered Through Adversity: Overcoming Greatest Obstacles

Table of Contents

The Importance of Perseverance in Facing Adversity

What Does It Mean to Persevered Through Adversity?

The Power of Determination

The Challenges of Overcoming Adversity

1. Fear and Doubt

2. Uncertainty and Unpredictability

3. Physical and Emotional Exhaustion

4. Lack of Resources and Support

5. Maintaining Persistence and Perseverance

Persistence vs Perseverance: Harness the Powers of Success

Turning Tragedy Into Triumph: Finding Meaning in Hardship

1. Look for the Lessons

2. Help Others Along the Way

3. Choose to Be Strong

Strategies for Persevering Through Adversity

1. Find Your Motivation

Willpower vs Motivation: 2 Powers, Which One Do You Need?

4. Learn From Your Struggles

5. Find Your Reason to Fight

What Motivates You to Succeed in Life: Find What Drives You

7. Connect With Your Support Network

8. Learn and Adapt

9. Find Support Systems: The Importance of Community

1. Reach Out to Others

2. Join a Community

3. Talk to a Professional

4. Practice Self-Care

10. Developing Resilience and Mental Toughness

1. Determination

2. Adaptability

3. Optimism

4. Support network

Types of Resilience: Building Strength for Life’s Challenges

11. Practicing Self-Care and Self-Compassion

What Does it Mean to Have Self-Compassion: 5 Ways to Develop

13. Learning From Failure: Failing Forward

1. See Failure as Temporary

2. Learn from Your Mistakes

3. Develop Grit

Developing Resilience and Grit to Overcome Life’s Challenges

Famous Figures Who Persevered Through Adversity

Looking Ahead With Hope: Envisioning a Brighter Future

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One Expert’s Advice to Help You Write a Strong Overcoming Adversity Essay

Why the overcoming adversity essay is important

How to select the best story for your overcoming adversity essay

Weak topics for your adversity essay

Strong topics for your adversity essay

How to write an impressive overcoming adversity essay

Dos and don’ts for your overcoming adversity essay

Final thoughts about the overcoming adversity essay

Dr. Leslie Tucker College Consultant

Calculate for all schools

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

Overcoming Adversity: A Journey of Resilience and Triumph