Columbia University's wording, checked October 26, 2026“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.”
How to approach it
- 1Keep the adversity short and the navigation long.
- 2Show the change through behavior now, not a claim.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1The situation, in two sentences.
- 2What you did, step by step.
- 3How you are different now, shown through an example.
Where the 150 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The situation | about 40 |
| What you did | about 70 |
| What changed | about 50 |
Mistakes to avoid
- Hardship told with no agency.
- A forced happy ending.
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Columbia answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 150 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| The situation, briefly | The challenge is clear and specific in well under a third of the answer. |
| What you did | The steps the applicant took are concrete and in their control, not only what happened to them. |
| What changed | It says where the applicant stands now and what the experience changed in them, without a forced happy ending. |
| Columbia's ask | Shows how the applicant navigated the adversity and how they changed as a result. |
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