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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!

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Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship

O'Connor Family Law is a divorce and family law firm based in Westborough, Massachusetts with a South Shore office as well. As a family law attorney and divorcee, Heather O'Connor understands the challenges that one faces after a serious life-changing event, like divorce, and is committed to helping her clients feel supported both legally and emotionally through such a trying time. Following this mission, the team at O'Connor Family Law are pleased to announce the Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship. We understand that obstacles can often get in the way of pursuing one's dreams, which is why we would like to give back to an individual who has been able to overcome a serious obstacle in his or her life and used it as an opportunity to learn and grow. This can be any obstacle that greatly impacted your life. For example, going through a messy divorce or witnessing one as a child, struggling financially, or being in a serious accident, etc. Whatever the obstacle may have been, we are proud of you for overcoming such a challenge. We would like to recognize an individual for their strength and perseverance with a $1,000.00 scholarship to put towards pursuing their educational goals. The scholarship will award $1,000.00 to a student who best describes a significant event or challenge they have faced, explains how they overcame that challenge, the impact it had on them, and how they have or will use what they learned throughout the process to help others. Eligibility The Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship is open to any current high school senior, college student or graduate student enrolled in an accredited community college, undergraduate, or graduate program within the United States. Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing. Application Requirements A) The candidate must submit a 1,000 -2,000-word essay response to the prompt: Describe a major challenge you faced and what you did to overcome it. Explain the impact that this had on you and how it shaped who you are today and how you will use this experience to help others. B) The candidate must submit a professional resumé that lists their professional and academic experience and updated contact information. C) The candidate must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college students, graduate students, or individuals who have recently transferred schools may submit an unofficial transcript from their current school, as well as the most recent official transcript from their prior school. High school students must also submit proof of acceptance to their college or university. The recipient of the Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline.

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Scholarships for Overcoming Adversity

For many high school and college students, what happens in the classroom is the least stressful thing in their lives. The challenges that so many face outside of the classroom, be it personal tragedy, family issues or other unfortunate circumstances.

Many organizations have recognized that academics can often take a backseat to dealing with personal challenges. They have created a number of scholarship programs for students who have overcome adversity and plan to attend college and pursue a degree.

Some scholarship programs deal with specific issues.

The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund was created to help children of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks pay for college.

Other organizations ask students to describe what their lives have been like, and how events and obstacles have shaped the people they are, and how they have affected their chosen course of study. One such organization, The Horatio Alger Association , has granted more than $125 million in need-based scholarships since 1984. Students are encouraged to pursue degrees that will help them serve others in the community.

Horatio Alger is one of the largest college scholarship programs in the country, but small community and state organizations also offer college aid to students who have overcome obstacles. These organizations generally look to local high schools and colleges to nominate deserving students for scholarships and awards.

Please use the links to find out more about scholarships for students who have overcoming adversity.

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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.

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.

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Accepting the Challenge of Excellence Scholarship

About the scholarship.

Accepting the Challenge of Excellence Scholarship recognizes and rewards, with college scholarships, outstanding high school seniors who have overcome obstacles.

• Essay Required : Yes
• Need-Based : No
• Merit-Based : No
• This program is open to high school students who have made a dramatic change in their attitude and performance sometime during their high school years and are now eligible for high school graduation.
• Candidates should have overcome great physical, emotional, or social obstacles, including physical difficulties, language difficulties, child abuse, delinquency, or substance abuse.
• They must first be selected by their local Exchange Club, and the club's award chair must submit a 500word description of the candidate's problem and how it was overcome.
• The students must also submit 2 essays of 250 words each: 1) the event or events in their life that they are most proud of; and 2) their plans for the future to make their community and the world a better place to live.
• Other selection criteria include community service activities and volunteer service hours.
• District winners are selected from among the local club nominees, and the national winner is chosen from among the district winners.
• Country : US

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Congratulations to our 2023 Overcoming Adversity scholarship recipient. Find out more about our previous winners here !

Kopfler & Hermann , a personal injury law firm based in Houma, Louisiana, is excited to bring back to announce our annual scholarship for 2024. This $ 1,000 award will be given to a student who has overcome adversity and emerged stronger. With over 40 years of legal experience, Kopfler & Hermann law firm has served the Gulf Coast since 1992. As personal injury attorneys, we are committed to serving justice and ensuring injured workers and accident victims receive full compensation for their injuries and damages. Following this mission, attorneys Kopfler & Hermann established the Overcoming Adversity Scholarship and offered it for the sixth year!

Eligibility

• Applicants must be enrolled in college or graduate school or be GED holders about to attend college in the United States.
• Applicants must show good academic standing by holding a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 
• The recipient of this scholarship will have demonstrated that although they have encountered hardship, they have persevered and committed themselves to becoming successful in all of their endeavors.

Application Requirements

To apply for this scholarship, please submit:

• An updated resume
• An unofficial transcript
• Please note that all essays will be checked for AI writing. If AI writing is deemed present in the essay, the application will be denied.

The 2024 Overcoming Adversity Scholarship recipient will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline.

Application Deadline and Instructions:

The deadline to apply for this scholarship is November 30th, 2024. To qualify for this scholarship, candidates must complete the form below with all necessary information (including a resume, transcript, and essay) by the deadline to be considered. 

Please send any scholarship questions to [email protected] with the subject line “[ 2024 Overcoming Adversity Scholarship] ” Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Overcoming Adversity Scholarship.

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Overcoming Obstacles: How to Convey Resilience in Your Scholarship Essay

Introduction:

Scholarship essays offer students a unique opportunity to showcase their abilities, experiences, and aspirations in a concise and compelling manner. However, one aspect that sets apart exceptional scholarship essays from the rest is the ability to convey resilience effectively. Scholarship providers are often looking for applicants who have demonstrated the ability to overcome challenges and persevere in the face of adversity. In this article, we will explore some valuable tips and strategies on how to convey resilience in your scholarship essay, thereby increasing your chances of securing financial assistance for your academic pursuits.

Understanding the Scholarship Provider:

Before delving into the specifics of conveying resilience in your essay, it is crucial to understand the perspective of the scholarship provider. Scholarship providers can vary widely, ranging from government agencies and non-profit organizations to universities and private individuals. Each provider has its own unique mission and values that guide their selection process.

For instance, a scholarship funded by a private donor may focus on supporting students who have undergone significant personal hardships to achieve their educational goals. On the other hand, a government-funded scholarship might prioritize candidates who aspire to make a positive impact on society through their chosen field of study.

By researching and understanding the background and objectives of the scholarship provider, you can tailor your essay accordingly and demonstrate alignment with their values – including resilience as a key characteristic they seek in applicants.

Eligible Applicants, Host Country, Scholarship Worth: When applying for scholarships, it is important to check if you are eligible. Some scholarships are only available for certain nationalities or students studying specific disciplines. Additionally, consider whether you meet any academic or financial requirements specified by the scholarship provider.

Moreover, take into account the host country where you will pursue your studies if awarded the scholarship. Different countries offer various opportunities for academic growth and cultural experiences that can enhance your future prospects.

The monetary worth of scholarships can also differ significantly. Some scholarships may provide full tuition coverage, while others offer partial funding. Understanding the scholarship worth will help you assess if it aligns with your financial needs and expectations.

Level and Field of Study: Scholarships are typically available for students at different academic levels, including undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate studies. It is essential to identify the level of study for which the scholarship is intended and ensure that it matches your educational goals.

Furthermore, many scholarships are specific to certain fields of study. For example, there may be scholarships dedicated to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), arts, humanities, or social sciences. By choosing a scholarship that aligns with your desired field of study, you increase your chances of success.

How to Apply for the Scholarship:

Once you have identified a suitable scholarship opportunity that fits your aspirations and requirements, the next step is to familiarize yourself with the application process. Pay careful attention to any deadlines mentioned by the scholarship provider as missing these can lead to disqualification.

To apply for most scholarships, you will typically be required to submit an essay detailing your qualifications, achievements, goals, and how you have demonstrated resilience in overcoming obstacles. This essay serves as an excellent platform to showcase your unique story and convince the scholarship provider that you deserve their support.

Countries That Can Apply:

The eligibility criteria for scholarships can vary greatly depending on factors such as citizenship, residency status, or home country. Some scholarships may be open only to domestic students or citizens of specific countries. Others might be available internationally or specifically targeted towards students from developing nations.

Therefore, it is crucial to carefully review the eligibility criteria outlined by each scholarship provider before investing time in preparing an application. By doing so, you can ensure that you meet all necessary requirements and avoid wasting effort on applications where you are ineligible.

Eligibility Criteria for “Overcoming Obstacles: How to Convey Resilience in Your Scholarship Essay”:

The “Overcoming Obstacles: How to Convey Resilience in Your Scholarship Essay” scholarship is open to all current high school seniors and college students pursuing any field of study. The scholarship aims to recognize individuals who have triumphed over significant challenges and can effectively communicate their resilience through a well-crafted essay.

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited college or university. They must also have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

The Actual Scholarship Deadline:

The deadline for submission of the scholarship application, including the essay, is June 30th, 2022. It is crucial to adhere to this deadline and submit your materials well in advance to ensure they are received on time.

Q: Can I mention multiple obstacles I have overcome in my scholarship essay? A: Yes, highlighting multiple obstacles can demonstrate your resilience from different perspectives. However, make sure you provide sufficient details and focus on the most impactful obstacles.

Q: Should I use specific examples or keep my essay more general? A: Using specific examples is highly recommended as it adds credibility and allows readers to understand the depth of your experiences more effectively. However, ensure that you strike a balance between providing specific examples and maintaining a broader narrative.

Q: What tone should I adopt in my scholarship essay? A: The tone of your essay should be authentic and reflective of your personal voice. While it is essential to convey determination and resilience, avoid sounding overly dramatic or sensationalized.

Q: How can I structure my scholarship essay effectively? A: Start with a captivating introduction that hooks the reader’s attention. Then, organize your essay into paragraphs that discuss specific obstacles faced, the actions taken to overcome them, and the lessons learned from these challenges. Finally, conclude with a strong closing paragraph that summarizes your key points and emphasizes the impact these experiences have had on your personal growth.

Q: Is it necessary to include supporting documents with my scholarship essay? A: Some scholarships may require additional documents such as transcripts, recommendation letters, or financial statements. Always review the scholarship guidelines and follow the instructions provided by the scholarship provider.

In conclusion, conveying resilience in your scholarship essay is crucial to impressing the scholarship provider and increasing your chances of securing financial assistance. By understanding the perspective of the provider, following the application guidelines, and sharing specific examples of overcoming obstacles in a well-structured essay, you can effectively convey your strength and determination. Remember to showcase your authenticity and align your narrative with the values of the scholarship provider. With these strategies in mind, you can create a compelling scholarship essay that showcases your ability to overcome adversity and pursue your educational dreams.

We also recommend reading the following:

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2021 Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship

• Deadline: 07/15/2024
• Renewable: Unknown
• Number of Awards: 1
• Award Amount: $1,000
• Website: https://cassiancarterlaw.com/
• Phone: 815-714-8228
• Fax: Not Available
• Email: [email protected] 
• Address: 3077 W. Jefferson Street, Suite 207

Cassian and Carter LLC is a Joliet, Illinois law firm specializing in Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice.

Full Description

As an injury attorney and someone who lost his father at 13 due to negligence, William Cassian understands the challenges a person faces after a life-altering event.

He has made it his life’s mission to support his clients legally and emotionally while going through a difficult time.

Following this mission, Cassian and Carter LLC is pleased to announce the Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship.

We understand how obstacles can get in the way of someone pursuing their dreams; this is why we want to give back to the local community and support someone who had to overcome an obstacle in their life and use it to learn and grow.

The scholarship will award $1000 to a student that best describes a significant event or challenge they faced, explains how they overcame that challenge, the impact on their lives, and how they have, or will use what they have learned to impact others’ lives.

Who's eligible?

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must be enrolled in college, graduate school, or be a GED holder who is about to attend college; they also must show good academic standing by holding a 3.0 or higher GPA.

The recipient of this scholarship will have demonstrated that although they have encountered hardship, they have persevered and committed to becoming successful in all of their individual endeavors.

How to Apply

To apply for this scholarship, please submit your application via email and include:

• a current resume,
• an unofficial transcript,
• a 500-1,000 word essay that describes how you overcame adversity, outlining a specific roadblock through which you fought and emerged victoriously.

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Scholarships for Overcoming Hardship

• competition 4.0
• effort level 1.0

• Character Trait: Show |Overcome Hardship| Show |Overcome Hardship|
• School (K-12): |Portage Central High School, Portage, MI| |Portage Central High School, Portage, MI|
• Age / Grade Level: |High school senior| |High school senior|

• School (K-12): |Vicksburg High School, Vicksburg, MI,| |Vicksburg High School, Vicksburg, MI,|
• Career: |Skilled Trades (Industry)| |Skilled Trades (Industry)|

• Character Trait: Show |Overcome Hardship|Potential to Succeed|Management Skills| Show |Overcome Hardship|Potential to Succeed|Management Skills|
• Employer: |Asian-Owned Restaurant Employee|Asian Cuisine Restarant Employee| |Asian-Owned Restaurant Employee|Asian Cuisine Restarant Employee|
• School (College): Attend a |Four-year| Attend a |Four-year|
• competition 1.5
• effort level 5.0

• School (K-12): Attend a school in |Charlotte, FL|Collier, FL|Glades, FL|Hendry, FL| Attend a school in |Charlotte, FL|Collier, FL|Glades, FL|Hendry, FL|
• Residence: Live in |Lee, FL| Live in |Lee, FL|
• competition 1.0
• effort level 4.5
• Residence: Live in |Hawaii| Live in |Hawaii|
• School (College): |US Accredited Institution|Two-year|Four-year|Not-for-profit| |US Accredited Institution|Two-year|Four-year|Not-for-profit|
• competition 3.0
• effort level 4.0

• Residence: Live in |New York| Live in |New York|
• School (College): |Accredited College| |Accredited College|
• competition 2.5
• Character Trait: Show |Leadership|Overcome Hardship|Intelligence| Show |Leadership|Overcome Hardship|Intelligence|
• School (K-12): |Bay City Central High School, Bay City, MI|John Glenn High School, Bay City, MI| |Bay City Central High School, Bay City, MI|John Glenn High School, Bay City, MI|
• Residence: Live in |Bay, MI| Live in |Bay, MI|
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Alex Austin's Overcoming Adversity Scholarship

Scholarship details

Alex Austin, Long Beach native, ex-defensive back for the Oregon State University Beavers, and current cornerback for the Houston Texans is no stranger to overcoming adversity.

"This scholarship is important to me because I know that everyone battles with adversity at some point in their life. I myself had to overcome adversity to get me to where I am today. This is why I want to give back to students who have shown resilience in overcoming their own challenges."

Once again, Alex is partnering with Access Scholarships to do exactly that! 5 scholarships (each worth $1,000) will be awarded to students who have overcome hardship throughout their lives.

High school and undergraduate students of all years are encouraged to apply. Special consideration will be given to minority students, as well as students who are or will be the first in their family to attend college. 

Scholarship overview

Total amount:  $5,000

Number of awards:  5

Breakdown of awards : (5) $1,000

Deadline:  April 15, 2024 

Winners announced:  by May 31, 2024

Open to:  High school & undergraduate students

This scholarship is no longer accepting applications. Head to our scholarship search to check out other opportunities to apply for!

Essay question, please read and respond to the following prompt:.

Overcoming adversity and hardships of all shapes and sizes are often what help us to build resiliency. In 500 words or less , tell us about a time that you encountered an obstacle or challenge. How did you navigate this situation, and what lessons did you learn from it? 

Frequently asked questions AND important notes about this scholarship

The Overcoming Adversity Scholarship is open to high school and undergraduate students of all years  who are 13 years of age and older who have at least a 2.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). 

Students of all majors/areas of study are welcome to apply. 

The deadline to apply is April 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST. Applications that are not submitted by this date will not be considered .

To apply, you must upload:

• A written submission (as a PDF file)

Note : If you are selected as a finalist for the scholarship, you will be required to send in a copy of your transcript to verify that you meet the 2.5 minimum GPA requirement.

This scholarship is open to US citizens/permanent residents, as well as DACA recipients and international students currently studying in the US. International students outside of the US are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Five awards in the amount of $1,000 each

Winners will be chosen primarily based on the written submission. 

If you are selected as a winner, you will be contacted by Access Scholarships via email to coordinate mailing the scholarship check  directly to you.

First, please make sure you have read this scholarship page in its entirety! If you have read everything through and still have questions, please reach out to [email protected] .

2022 Scholarship Winners

$500 Winner

High School Senior from Illinois

"It is an honor to receive this scholarship. As college is becoming increasingly expensive, many students, including myself, have to rely on scholarships to afford it, so I am extremely grateful to Access Scholarships, Alex Austin, and Hirect for this opportunity. I will put it towards a degree in computer science, which I will use to help others while working for the government or a nonprofit."

$1,000 Winner

College Senior from California

"I am thrilled to be awarded Alex Austin’s Overcoming Adversity Scholarship! This award is a wonderful way for me to celebrate the hurdles I have overcome throughout my college career. Because I am graduating soon, I will be putting this scholarship towards my student loans. I want to thank Alex Austin for creating this opportunity for myself and the other scholarship winners. Students face a wide range of adversities throughout their college years, and I am grateful that this scholarship was inclusive of my individual experiences."

College Sophomore from New Jersey

"As a first-generation student, I have a tendency to place a lot of emphasis on my academics. A scholarship like this helps me realize that life is about more than just studying and getting excellent grades, that I am a person with a narrative, and that my character is constantly evolving. With the help of this scholarship, I intend to launch my own small business. And your scholarship serves to remind me that prosperity has no limits, despite the challenges we encounter in life. Thank you!"

About the sponsors

Access Scholarships

Access Scholarships is a free scholarship search engine and college resource platform for students.

Alex Austin

Alex Austin is an Oregon State alum and current cornerback for the Houston Texans.

Photo credits: Hirect, OSU Athletics, Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

Interested in creating giving back to the community through scholarships?

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Overcoming My Academic Obstacles by Viviana

Vivianaof Van Nuys's entry into Varsity Tutor's June 2016 scholarship contest

Overcoming My Academic Obstacles by Viviana - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

There is always a purpose for the difficulties we come across in our lives. We learn and grow from them. Yes we struggle and sacrifice but it is all worth it. We learn to pick ourselves up from our mistakes and it helps us become wise for when we come across future obstacles. In eleventh grade I took four AP classes, which was a difficult task, but I learned new study skills and work habits and it prepared me for college work. My junior year in high school was definitely the most challenging one of all. I decided to take four AP classes - English Language, US History, Spanish Language and Calculus. I was told that I was taking more AP classes than what I could handle but I didn't let that stop me from doing so. I was a bit scared of getting bad grades in them but I was up for the challenge. I wanted to see how I could handle college work. I wanted to learn what study skills were best for me and how to manage my time wisely and fix my schedule. I did struggle with this academic obstacle. I had to sacrifice social time to stay home to study and do Cornell notes. I lost sleep doing homework and studying. I would use my school breaks to study for tests and quizzes. I learned what methods worked best for me when I had to study. I had to plan my evening when I got home from school to schedule how much time I had to work for each class. I had to give up one Saturday every month to go to UCLA for tutoring sessions for AP Calculus. I discovered YouTube channels that were great in helping me understand difficult topics. All this would pay off, as I would find out later. The feeling of succeeding and overcoming an obstacle is one of the greatest feelings in the world. In July, I got my AP test scores and I saw that I had passed 3 out of 4 AP test. I received a score of four for English and US History and a score of five for Spanish. My hard worked had paid off and I proved to those people that thought I wouldn't be able to handle all the work, wrong. I had also maintained an A in 3 out of 4 AP classes in both semesters. Most importantly, I had overcome this obstacle and learned from it. I learned new study new skills and how to manage and schedule my time. I learned to look for resources to help me when I was stuck in something. I learned that as long as I try my best and give it my all, I can persevere and overcome obstacles along my academic path. The purpose of difficulties is to learn and grow from them. When we are trying to overcome an obstacle, there might be times when we feel like giving up. What's important is to control ourselves and learn how to adapt ourselves to these circumstances. Everything happens for a reason and when we look back we discover how much we've grown and what we've learned that can help us in the future.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, need help with overcoming obstacle essay examples.

Hey there, I'm working on an essay about overcoming obstacles. I'm struggling to come up with solid examples to write about. Can you guys give me some ideas or share your experiences in overcoming obstacles to inspire my writing? Thanks!

Hey! It's great that you're working on an overcoming obstacles essay. These types of essays can really showcase your resilience and ability to grow from challenges. When thinking about obstacles, consider events or circumstances in your life that have impacted you significantly and how you've managed to rise above those circumstances.

For instance, you could write about dealing with a personal illness or the illness of a family member, and how you've adjusted to maintain a balance between your personal life and academic success. Another angle could be an unexpected financial setback and how you managed to overcome it, such as taking on a part-time job, getting involved in fundraising, or applying for scholarships.

You might also consider writing about societal obstacles like bias, prejudice, or discrimination that you've faced. For example, you could discuss how you've worked to educate others and create an inclusive environment in your school or community.

Remember that the most important aspect of this essay is highlighting your personal growth and showcasing your resilience. So, pick an event or challenge where you're able to demonstrate that transformation. Good luck with your essay!

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.

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2024 Against All Odds Scholarship

Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Against All Odds Scholarship. The deadline for this scholarship was January 31, 2024. Any applications sent after the January 31st deadline will not be considered.

Adams & Bischoff , a criminal defense law firm in Charleston, SC, proudly represents people who haven’t been given a fair shake in life. As a result, our attorneys have dedicated their lives to providing their clients with a fair shot in court. Another area that we are passionate about assisting in is higher education. One of the many challenges people in our society face is obtaining access to higher education. With the rise in tuition costs across the country, many students struggle to pay for their education. We want to do our part to change that.

Our goal is to extend a scholarship to a student who also has had to overcome obstacles to be where they are today. Applicants are asked to submit a well-written, 750-word essay on the challenges they have faced, and how they have overcome them. The person with the most thoughtful and well-articulated essay will be awarded $1,000 to help finance their education.

Scholarship Eligibility:

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must be currently enrolled in college, graduate school, or GED holders about to attend a college within the United States. Applicants must show good academic standing by holding a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The recipient of this scholarship will have an eloquently written essay and will meet application requirements.

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Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

December 11, 2023

Three Ways Writing About Obstacles Strengthens Your Application Essays

Applicants love to write about their accomplishments, whether in a personal statement for graduate school or in a b-school essay that asks about one’s greatest achievement, challenge, or the like. And they are not shy about sharing their accomplishments, such as driving innovations that led to revenue boosts for their firm, conducting original and meaningful research in their field of study, or leading a volunteer group on a community service initiative. 

As genuine and significant as these accomplishments are, many initial essay drafts are often missing a key element: obstacles . In this blog post, we explain why you shouldn’t shy away from discussing obstacles in your essays and how doing so intelligently can help your candidacy.

Here are three ways that discussing obstacles enhances your application:

1. Sharing how you overcame an obstacle shows the adcom that you can navigate bumps in the road in a positive, proactive way.

All of us frequently encounter obstacles: the traffic detour, an incompetent customer service representative, a disagreement with your partner, the approval you expected on a project unexpectedly turning into a “No.”  Every single person faces challenges, but people deal with them in wildly varying ways. Those who are more successful in life succeed because they understand that obstacles are to be expected. They learn how to navigate them with patience, creativity, and a problem-solving attitude, and by – to borrow a phrase – “keeping calm and carrying on.” But too often, when asked to discuss their accomplishments, applicants selectively and completely forget the things that got in their way  en route to their achievement. When they experience this kind of amnesia, they are shortchanging themselves. Triumphing over the hurdles they encountered might well have been just as difficult as executing all the anticipated elements of their plans – and therefore worth sharing.

2. Details about how you overcame obstacles create an appealing image of you as a candidate with a can-do personality.

Look at the following examples and see if you don’t agree. First we have the “stop-putting-me-to-sleep” example : As the leader of my product research group, I came up with a plan for a new widget that would save us 10% in costs. After I communicated my vision to the team, we worked hard for four weeks on a prototype, completing it by the deadline, to the delight of management. Today, my widget is still the standard for my company, saving us over $300K annually. Okay, this sounds like a solid accomplishment, but it’s hardly memorable.  How  did the candidate communicate her vision? What specific example does she offer of the hard work that was done over four weeks on the prototype? We have absolutely no idea.  Now let’s look at a “dazzle-is-in-the-details” example : As the leader of my product research group, I came up with a plan for a new widget that would save us 10% in costs. But when I explained my vision to the team, two senior engineers immediately argued against it, saying that there were key flaws in the design. After revisiting my design and realizing that they were correct, I revised my plan and was able to eliminate the flaws. We worked on a prototype for two weeks before discovering that the cost of the material we had planned to use for it had increased by more than 30% in recent months. I worked many late nights that week researching alternative materials, before finding one that was both appropriate and cost-effective. By the skin of our teeth, we met our four-week deadline and presented the prototype to management, but the VP of Manufacturing argued that we would need to purchase major new equipment to produce the widget. I convinced the team to work overtime on a manufacturing proposal that proved we could craft the product with existing equipment. Today, my widget is still the standard for my company, saving us over $300K annually. There’s no contest here, is there? The second example, loaded with specifics about what went wrong and what almost derailed the project, is mighty impressive. The details highlight the applicant’s creativity, thoroughness, tenacity, communication skills, and leadership potential. When spelled out this way, discussing an obstacle can make your essays shine with the drama of the story and can  associate you with lively elements and images . For example, in the second example, it’s easy to visualize the two dissenting engineers, the surprise of discovering the price hike for the materials, and the VP’s frown. In the first, there’s only the haziest impression of an employee smiling about a job well done.

3. Discussing obstacles makes you a more fully developed, more relatable applicant.

Can you see through these examples how including specific, key obstacles in your essays and explaining how you negotiated them  showcases your ability to overcome the unexpected ? This will assure the adcoms that you can capably execute a well-defined plan – even when you face unexpected bumps in the road. Moreover, it shows the school how you spring into action when the chips are down. This adds to a fuller understanding of who you are as an individual – and as an applicant the school would like to have in its next class.

For more details about what the adcom actually wants to know about the challenges you’ve overcome, watch this short video, in which Linda Abraham shares the answer to this often-asked question:

Are you still wondering how to address obstacles you’ve overcome in your application essays? Leave a comment on the video on YouTube, and we’ll gladly offer some tips. 

There’s no substitute for one-on-one guidance when addressing your obstacles and writing essays that make you shine. Working with an experienced admissions consultant, you can apply with the confidence that you have presented yourself at your best and maximized your chances of getting accepted.  Click here to learn more.

For 25 years, Accepted has helped applicants gain acceptance to top undergraduate and graduate programs. Our expert team of admissions consultants features former admissions directors, PhDs, and professional writers who have advised clients to acceptance at top programs worldwide, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Penn, Columbia, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD, MIT, Caltech, UC Berkeley, and Northwestern. Want an admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Application Essays , a free guide
• Four Tips for Highlighting Your Strengths in Your Application Essays
• Resilience: How Flaws and Failures Can Strengthen Your Application

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Scholarship essay overcoming obstacles

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RIT student video game wins big at GameFest 2024

'mushroom kid’s big grass sword' takes players on a sword-swinging journey.

RIT students took home the Grand Prize at GameFest 2024 for developing the game 'Mushroom Kid’s Big Grass Sword'. Some of the creators include, Twig Sheherlis, left, John Haley, and Amanda Rowe.

At RIT, award-winning student games spring up like mushrooms.

A team of students won the Grand Prize at GameFest 2024 for developing Mushroom Kid’s Big Grass Sword . The platformer game follows Mica, a little mushroom on a journey to claim a powerful weapon and rescue its village after the residents are captured by a gigantic bird. A demo of the game is available on Steam , with a more complete game currently in development.

GameFest, held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in April, is an annual showcase of student talent in game development. The competition brings together students from around New York state and the Northeast to exhibit their games. Thirty-eight games were accepted this year.

“Since it’s a more public event and they only allow so many submissions to showcase their games, just getting in is a small success,” said John Haley, a third-year game design and development major who worked on Mushroom Kid’s Big Grass Sword . “Winning the Grand Prize is a dream come true. Having all the work put into the game to make it a professional well rounded experience and being acknowledged for that work done is incredible.”

Ugly the Cat: Missiles and Mayhem was named a finalist at GameFest 2024. The RIT student-created game was made for a production studio course involving the PlayStation 5 dev kit.

Three other RIT student games were named finalists at the 2024 competition, including:

• Ninjas on Trampolines —finalist in the Excellence in Design, Stupid Fun (to Play) category.
• Value —finalist in the Excellence in Design category.
• Ugly the Cat: Missiles and Mayhem —finalist in the Technical Excellence category.

How did Mushroom Kid’s Big Grass Sword grow?

The idea for Mushroom Kid’s Big Grass Sword sprouted in 2022 from the Game Music Jam hosted by Berklee College of Music. For the collaborative jam, game developers were given one week to make a game. Then composers were randomly assigned to each game and given one week to make music for it.

The prototype for the game, called Sword of Morel , won the Game Music Jam. The original game creators included Haley; Twig Sheherlis, a third-year game design and development major; Amanda Rowe, a third-year game design and development major; Liam Armitage, a third-year game design and development major; Dariel Ravelo-Ramos, a third-year game design and development major; Tyler Samay, a third-year game design and development major; and Ethan Lin, a third-year computer engineering major. It also included music composition work from Florida Polytechnic University student Andrew Ptaszek and Berklee College of Music student Quinne Houck.

In the game, players meet Grandmashroom, who leads them to a mysterious temple to claim the Blade of Grass—a powerful weapon with the ability to pull Mica up ledges and over dangerous obstacles. Players take control of the sword that they can move in full 360-degree movement in order to climb up obstacles and ledges found throughout the game.

“It’s similar to games like Getting Over It with Bennet Foddy and Deepest Sword , but less rage inducing and more focused on fun mastery of the mechanic,” said Haley.

In Mushroom Kid’s Big Grass Sword, players must time their jumps and angle the blade to overcome challenges and traverse a mystical world.

In 2023, the game was submitted and accepted into RIT’s MAGIC Maker Program , which provides students with the funding, studio space, and mentoring support to manage their own digital media projects and prepare them for publication and investment-readiness. The team’s goal was to have a demo completed by the end of the program. That demo won the GameFest 2024 Grand Prize.

“ Mushroom Kid’s Big Grass Sword has been an engaging and challenging experience in learning what it takes to attempt to take a game all the way,” said Haley. “Learning the financial, marketing, and publishing side of game development has been an interesting process and I am happy to do it with such fantastic team members.”

The core team of current game creators hope to make the complete game a reality and submit it to more competitions. They launched a Kickstarter to help create a full release of the game. 

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