<p>It's routine now that colleges ask applicants to divulge information on difficulties that they have overcome. It's the 'hook' that gets an applicant noticed. Some difficulties and life experiences are rather open, i.e. the girl who lived in a homeless shelter or living in a poor, rural area. But there are many that are very difficult, and may have created all sorts of obstacles for the high school student applying to college that the applicant is just not comfortable disclosing to strangers. </p>
<p>An applicant may have overcome a disease that they'd just as soon keep private. Or there may have been family problems like addiction or abuse. </p>
<p>If I were applying to college today, I'm not sure I'd want to spill anything of this sort. Not everyone wants to go on Oprah and talk. And many high school kids wouldn't want any number of college admissions people to be reading private facts. </p>
<p>The whole thing makes me uncomfortable. It penalizes those who like their privacy.</p>
<p>Typically that is only ONE of the essay prompts. They don’t have to divulge anything and even if they did, it doesn’t have to be about an illness, etc. It could be about dealing with a difficult classmate, etc.</p>
<p>Also, this isn’t new. There was a similar prompt on one of my apps almost 40 years ago. And difficulties can be all kinds of things. No one is forcing anyone to write anything.</p>
<p>When you apply for FA you must disclose all of your financial information, it is the price one must pay to get FA. I personally would rather disclose nothing, my privacy is priceless.</p>
<p>True, but if you disclosed the situation, it could give you the needed hook. The system benefits those who do not care if their personal travails become reading material for college admins.</p>
<p>And who says the situation divulged is the hook? I highly doubt very many students get into colleges because of a “difficulty” hook. I think that’s one of those things people tell themselves that happens in an effort to make college admissions seem game-able.</p>
<p>I would say, use the prompt that speaks to you, write as well as you can, show them something about yourself. it surely doesn’t have to be a bit of private divulgence. That’s totally a choice.</p>
<p>The kid does not have to write about “the greatest difficulty that s/he overcame” just about “a difficulty.” There is no hook for “the greatest difficulty” award.</p>
<p>But people who had terrible difficulties may think they are simply unspeakable. A girl who was a rape victim, for example. Or someone who had an abusive parent. The student who has been able to persevere after something like that shows the sort of grit colleges seem to value. However, culture or personality may make disclosing this too painful to do.</p>
<p>Why? You seem to think getting into a college should be an award for someone’s hardship. It should be if it is the best fit for a student to get the best education.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine that surviving a rape and then writing about it gives you a hook in admissions and would hope that a student does not feel that it would be necessary to disclose in order to get accepted. Do you really think that the adcoms say “we really need to build diversity in this new frosh class by accepting more rape victims?” The essay is not meant to be a cathartic psychology session. Do you think that disclosing a rape would help someone get a job in, say, accounting? Seriously, the college app essay is about showing one’s own voice and a kid can do that without disclosing their rape.</p>
<p>I am not convinced that a student can divulge really, really painful information and still remain the strong, positive voice that many colleges look for. I would advise to skip that prompt.</p>
<p>Ahem…difficulties don’t have to be confidential and personal hardships. They can be things the kid really wanted to do…and learned to do. One of my kids wrote about his first solo recital competition audition at age 12 or 13 and how the process helped him gain confidence as a musician. It was NOT a comfidential personal issue, but it did show how HE overcame a fear of the unknown. And really, it was NOT a hook…not in the least.</p>
<p>If the student really has overcome adversity, this would better be stated in the counselors statement, not by the student.</p>