Three Ways Writing About Obstacles Strengthens Your Application Essays
When crafting application essays – whether for graduate school, business school, or any other competitive program – candidates often focus on highlighting their accomplishments. And it’s easy to understand why. Most applicants want to showcase their significant achievements, such as leading a groundbreaking project, making a meaningful impact through research, or spearheading a successful community initiative.
While communicating one’s accomplishments to the adcom is important, many application essays lack a critical component: obstacles. In this post, we’ll explore why addressing obstacles head on in your essays can significantly strengthen your application and provide the adcoms with valuable insights into who you are as a candidate.
Here are three reasons discussing obstacles in your essays can elevate your application.
1. Showing that you have overcome challenges demonstrates your problem-solving abilities.
We all encounter obstacles: traffic detours, project approvals that turn into rejections, interpersonal disagreements, unexpected setbacks at work. What separates successful people from the rest is how they respond to challenges. Individuals who thrive understand that difficulties and hurdles are inevitable and have learned to navigate them with patience, creativity, and a problem-solving mindset.
However, when applicants are asked to describe their achievements, they often forget the challenges they overcame along the way. Triumphing over setbacks is frequently as difficult as executing the planned tasks – and sharing this element of your experiences can make your resulting accomplishments even more impressive to the adcom.
2. Discussing obstacles adds depth to your story and highlights your character.
Consider these two different presentations of a similar accomplishment. First, we have the “stop-putting-me-to-sleep” example:
As the leader of my product research group, I developed a plan for a new widget that would save us 10% in costs. After I communicated my vision to the team, we produced a prototype in just four weeks, delighting management. Today, my widget is still the company standard, saving the firm over $300K annually.
The writer describes a solid achievement, but not a particularly memorable one. How did the candidate communicate their vision? What challenges did the team face? We don’t know.
Now let’s look at a “dazzle-is-in-the-details” example:
As the leader of my product research group, I developed a plan for a new widget to save 10% in costs. When I presented the idea, two senior engineers immediately identified flaws in the design. After revising my plan, we spent two weeks on a prototype, only to discover that material costs had increased by more than 30%. I worked late nights researching alternatives and ensured that we met the four-week deadline. When the VP of Manufacturing questioned the feasibility, I led a team proposal proving that we could produce the widget with existing equipment. Today, the widget remains our standard, saving the firm over $300K annually.
The difference is clear. By including information about the obstacles the candidate encountered and overcame, this second version highlights their creativity, leadership, perseverance, and communication skills. The narrative is vivid, engaging, and memorable, giving the adcom a concrete sense of the applicant’s character and approach.
3. Sharing how things did not go to plan makes you more relatable and better shows your potential.
Including obstacles demonstrates that you can handle the unexpected and excel under pressure, which assures the adcoms that you can manage the complexities of their program. Discussing such experiences shows that you are resilient, adaptable, and capable of growth, and these are qualities that matter just as much as the accomplishments themselves.
Obstacles are an inevitable part of life and an essential part of your story. Writing about how you’ve overcome challenges enriches your application, showcases your problem-solving skills, and gives the adcoms a clearer understanding of your potential. This doesn’t just strengthen your essays but also signals that you’re equipped to thrive in any rigorous graduate or professional program.
Related Resources
