For Common App, I’m writing about my competitive spirit whether it’s sports or academics, but the problem is I don’t really have anything to back up my essay. I played sports, but I’ve only won stuff in regional competitions and local high school track meets. My test scores and GPA are good, but nothing amazing. No math competition awards or anything like that. Since I’m trying to write about how I have an above average competitiveness and how it drives me, wouldn’t it be weird that I haven’t actually accomplished anything major?
What’s most important in this case, I think, is that you show how you overcome obstacles. I would pick one specific time you had a problem and then the specific things you did to overcome that. Highlight your philosophy about the situation and by extension life, showing how your attitude changed because of this incident. Like, a story. You are the main character (MC). Set it up the same way: setting (time and place), MC starting state, experience and struggle, MC ending state / learned philosophy because of experience and struggle. Write in pictures, images instead of telling as much as possible. Think like a movie director and put the camera on your shoulder as you tell the story. The camera picks up images. Also try to remember smells, which cameras can’t pick up but your writing can.
So if you’re in a competition in your story, you might set the scene: Rows of desks with booklets overturned. Pencils sharpened and ready. The buzz among the competitors mixes in the air smelling of doritoes and pizzas.
You are a character in the story. Treat yourself like a character, and allow the audience to fall in love with you first, establish your goal, then throw barriers and struggle at the MC. At the end show your change.
If you haven’t won a competition and yet you still compete, that tells me something about you and your attitude/ philosophy. Maybe think about what this means to you and express that in the essay.
You don’t have to overcome leukemia and lose a leg to write a college essay. You don’t have to win an international science fair to get into an Ivy (although it may help.) What is most important is how you portray yourself as a person. Everyone has a 2250 SAT / 34 ACT at the very selective schools. Stand out by writing about what means the most to you. You could write about your daily bus ride and how it affects you as a person. You could write about your multicultural background. You could write about your life as a track athlete and how each drop of sweat represents your desire to try harder. Of course, these are just few examples.