Essay guide · 2026–27 cycle
The challenge essay
Readers do not grade the size of the problem. They read how you behaved when something went wrong, in what order you did things, and what you now do differently. Drafts that spend four paragraphs on the problem and two sentences on the response have it upside down.
No card. Paste a draft and Admitify reads it line by line against the question it has to answer. It never writes for you.
What the question is really asking
How you behave when something goes wrong. The challenge itself matters less than the steps you took and what you now do differently.
Spending most of the words on the problem and two sentences on the response. Picking a tragedy for weight when a smaller, more honest problem would show more of you. Tidy endings where everything was fixed.
State the problem in two or three sentences. Then the specific actions, in order, including the one that didn't work. End with what changed in how you operate, with one example of it since.
How to write it, in order
Describe the problem in two or three sentences. That is enough. The reader needs to understand it, not feel it.
List the things you did, in order, including the one that did not work. The failed attempt is often the most convincing part.
Say what you learned in operational terms. Not “I learned resilience” but “I now write the plan down before I start, because last time I did not.”
Give one example of that change in action since.
Resist the tidy ending. A problem that is partly solved and still being worked on is more believable than one that vanished.
Before you submit
- The problem takes up less than a third of the essay.
- At least one action you took is described as not working.
- The lesson is a specific behaviour, not an abstract noun.
- There is an example of the new behaviour from after the challenge.
- The ending is not “and that is how I became who I am today.”
Every school that asks it
21 schools, 29 prompts. Click a school for all of its supplements, word counts and a prompt-by-prompt guide. Schools marked with a cycle year show last year's wording; the 2026–27 version was not yet published when verified.
- Columbia Universityup to 150 words
“In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not anticipate. Please describe a situation in which you have navigated through adversity and discuss how you changed as a result.”
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology100-200 words
“How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn't expect? What did you learn from it?”
- Stanford University3-50 words
“What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?”
- University of Pennsylvaniaup to 400 words
“The Vagelos Life Sciences & Management (LSM) program brings together two powerful modes of understanding—scientific inquiry and strategic thinking—to prepare students to engage thoughtfully and creatively with some of the most complex challenges of our time. What questions, problems, or opportunities would you hope to explore through LSM, and how might the integration of life sciences and management shape your approach to them? Focus on the ideas, values, or questions that draw you to this intersection, rather than how LSM might advance your career, and make sure this essay is distinct from your single-degree application.”
- University of California, Los Angelesup to 350 words
“Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.”
- University of California, Los Angelesup to 350 words
“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?”
- University of California, Berkeleyup to 350 words
“Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.”
- University of California, Berkeleyup to 350 words
“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?”
- Harvey Mudd Collegeup to 250 words
“Describe a time when asking for help made a difference in your work or wellbeing. What led you to reach out, and what did you take away from the experience?”
- University of California, Irvineup to 350 words
“Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.”
- University of California, Irvineup to 350 words
“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?”
- University of California, San Diegoup to 350 words
“Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.”
- University of California, San Diegoup to 350 words
“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?”
- University of California, Santa Barbaraup to 350 words
“Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.”
- University of California, Santa Barbaraup to 350 words
“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?”
- University of California, Davisup to 350 words
“Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.”
- University of California, Davisup to 350 words
“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?”
- University of Washingtonup to 250 words
“Challenges and Circumstances”
- University of California, Santa Cruzup to 350 words
“Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.”
- University of California, Santa Cruzup to 350 words
“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?”
- University of San Diegoup to 350 words
“As a proud Changemaker Campus, USD challenges students to utilize their learning to actively pursue a more just, sustainable and equitable world. What is a challenge facing humanity today and why does it matter to you?”
- Fordham Universityup to 300 words
“Our motto is 'New York is my campus, Fordham is my school.' New York City is a diverse and global city that provides Fordham students with a special kind of educational experience, full of both challenge and opportunity. What has prepared you to embrace the unique opportunity of living and learning in New York City?”
- Texas A&M Universityup to 750 words
“Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?”
- University of California, Riversideup to 350 words
“Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.”
- University of California, Riversideup to 350 words
“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?”
- Sarah Lawrence College250-500 words · 2025-26
“Liberal arts and sciences colleges have a long and robust history of providing the educational foundation for the careers of influential politicians, financiers, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, CEOs, and more. Many of them cite their liberal arts degree as foundational and transformative for how they took on challenges in the world and for shaping their lives after college. How do you see your upcoming college studies leading to your future career (or careers)?”
- Morehouse Collegeup to 250 words · 2025-26
“Who in your life is depending on you? What are they depending on you for?”
- Texas Tech Universityup to 800 words · 2025-26
“Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?”
- George Mason University100-500 words · 2025-26
“Tell us about one question, challenge, or problem that you'd like to work to better understand or address during your time at Mason. Introduce this issue, and then explain why it matters to you and why it might matter to others.”
Common questions
- Does the challenge have to be serious?
- No. A small, honest problem handled well shows more of you than a tragedy described from the outside. Choose the one where you can describe your actions in the most detail.
- Should I write about mental health?
- Only if you can write about the steps you took with the same specificity as any other problem, and only if you are comfortable with an admissions office reading it. The essay is about response, not disclosure.
- What if the challenge is not resolved?
- Say so. Ongoing problems with a clear method for handling them read as mature. Pretending it is finished reads as a template.
Prompts verified September 2026 against each school's published application. Browse all schools A–Z. Spotted a change? Tell us.