IUC Application Essay
Prompt: Describe the Greatest Challenges you faced and how you overcame the challenge
I developed a challenging post-traumatic stress disorder after being assaulted in junior
year. I was later diagnosed with severe anxiety after I lost a childhood friend. The condition
severely affected my ability to concentrate in class, affected how I related with others and almost
made me fail Pre-Calculus in the first semester. However, I had set sight on being accepted into a
prestigious university, and I couldn’t let my anxiety destroy me. I felt pathetic allowing
something that wasn’t my fault affect my future. To offset my junior year setbacks, I knew I
needed to be resolute and had to push myself to work harder than my peers in order to
accomplish my goal.
In an effort to overcome the setbacks, I set the goal of being accepted into IUC. I
endeavored to learn from and with the best colleagues in school because I knew studying with
them would help me develop my academic abilities. I devoted myself to stay after school almost
every day to improve my grades in Pre-Calculus. Although some days felt horrific, the
anxiousness diminished with each step I came closer to achieving my goal. In a way, my goal
became parallel to my battle with anxiety and I was thrilled when I was able to gradually
improve my grades. I was proud of overcoming a struggle which required a lot of willpower and
perseverance.
Passing Pre-Calculus became a stepping stone in conquering anxiety. I rarely feel anxious
now and my grades have improved tremendously in my senior year. Specifically, I improved my
GPA from 3.8 to 4.3. Understanding myself and learning how to cope with my problems
contributed a lot to my personal growth. I believe I came out stronger, and am certain that I can
