For the columbia specific questions, like the one that asks to describe an activity that I am most proud of, should I just give a straight forward answer? Like “I am most proud of…” or will a generic response like that hurt me?
as opposed to what? The question is posed so you can inform them. Inform them clearly and convincingly. There’s no set format to achieve that. I think your content is more important than your form. Good luck.
Nothing wrong with 'I am most proud of xxx because…" or “xxx is my biggest achievement because…”
That makes sense. Thanks!