Should I Answer the Common App’s Challenges and Circumstances Question?

In 2020, the Common App added a new optional prompt to the Additional Information section that gave students extra space to detail the impact of COVID-19 on their lives. Then, as the pandemic waned and the world returned to normal, the Common App changed the prompt to be a bit more general, re-labeling it and encouraging students to write about any type of “community disruption”—such as COVID-19, natural disasters, etc—that affected their health, safety, family circumstances, or education. Last cycle, this section received another makeover from the Common App, and is now known as the “Challenges and Circumstances” prompt. Not sure what this essay is for, and whether you should write it? Keep scrolling for guidance.

What is the “Challenges and Circumstances” prompt on the Common App?

The  optional”Challenges and Circumstances” prompt, which will appear in the “Writing” section of the Common App, reads as follows:

Sometimes a student’s application and achievements may be impacted by challenges or other circumstances. This could involve:

• Access to a safe and quiet study space
• Access to reliable technology and internet
• Community disruption (violence, protests, teacher strikes, etc.)
• Discrimination
• Family disruptions (divorce, incarceration, job loss, health, loss of a family member, addiction, etc.)
• Family or other obligations (care-taking, financial support, etc.)
• Housing instability, displacement, or homelessness
• Military deployment or activation
• Natural disasters
• Physical health and mental well-being
• War, conflict, or other hardships

If you’re comfortable sharing, this information can help colleges better understand the context of your application. Colleges may use this information to provide you and your fellow students with support and resources.

Would you like to share any details about challenges or other circumstances you’ve experienced?

(   ) Yes

(   ) No

Please describe the challenges or circumstances and how they have impacted you.

The response length will be limited to 250 words. It does not eat into the 300 words allotted for any other entry to the Additional Information section.

Now that you understand the scope of the question, let’s tackle the first big decision point…

Should I answer the “Challenges and Circumstances” question on the Common App?

Similar to past iterations of this question, it’s important to use this space wisely.  A good litmus test: when you read through the challenges listed above, do you immediately identify with at least one of them?

If so…

Let’s go one step further. See if you can easily respond to the following brainstorming questions:

• Which challenge(s) have significantly disrupted your life?
• In what ways have you been affected? For example, have you:
  • Experienced a drop in grades or struggled academically, either short or long-term?
  • Been unable to participate in certain extracurricular activities, internships, special programs, etc.?
  • Experienced physical, mental, or emotional distress?
• Do you feel that this challenge/circumstance will add important context to your application? In other words, this is an opportunity to shape your application’s narrative—if admissions officers don’t know about your circumstances, could they potentially arrive at untrue and/or negative conclusions about your academics or extracurricular involvement?

We think it’s also important to recognize that some students undergo significant challenges that do not visibly impact their application. This does not make their challenges any less worthy of discussion in this space. For example, we’ve worked with students dealing with serious issues behind the scenes, from the death of a parent to housing loss, but on paper, they are highly involved and accomplished with excellent GPAs. If this sounds like you, please know that it is absolutely appropriate and encouraged to acknowledge how much you have overcome to get to where you are (if you’re not already writing about that in your personal statement, of course!).

If not…

So you’ve read through the list above, and nothing comes to mind. That’s okay! You shouldn’t have to try too hard or reach too deep to come up with material for this essay. Remember, this essay prompt is completely optional, so if you’re unsure whether your situation/challenge would qualify, talk to an experienced counselor who will give you honest insight.

How Should I Write the “Challenges and Circumstances” Essay?

If you emerged from reading the previous section certain that it is in your best interest to answer the question, the next issue is figuring out how to do so in an effective manner. Unlike your Common App essay, the 250 words available for the “Challenges and Circumstances” prompt does not give you the space with which to tell a complex and personal story in full technicolor. As such, we recommend following these three simple rules:

1) Lead off with the facts.

Get right to the meat of the story in the first sentence or two—no need to start with a flowery or literary opening. Was your family’s home destroyed in a hurricane or fire? Has your father been battling addiction? Due to your parent’s divorce, did you become responsible for caring for younger siblings after school, which meant that you were forced to quit several activities? Were you diagnosed with a chronic or long-term illness?

Employ this fact-forward, no-frills approach throughout your essay.

2) Describe the specific impact(s) of the challenge/circumstance.

It’s very important to provide specific details about causation when applicable. Rather than saying that caring for a younger sibling was “hard” or “distracting,” be explicit about how that newfound responsibility prevented you from being able to study sufficiently, impacted the number of shifts you could take at work, forced you to turn down a leadership role at school, etc.

Remember, this response is about you! Above all, explain how the challenge or circumstance made you feel and how it altered your life.

3) Describe any concrete steps you’ve taken to overcome or navigate your challenge/circumstance.

If appropriate, share how you’ve handled your challenge/circumstance. This can be a great opportunity to showcase your drive, grit, and/or perseverance by highlighting any actions you’ve taken along the way. For example, perhaps you’ve joined a local support group for teens whose parents are struggling with addiction. Or, if the death of your mom made it difficult for you to focus on school for a while, perhaps you sought out a trusted teacher to tutor you after school.

That said, the nature and/or recency of your challenge or circumstance may mean that you can’t—or haven’t—taken any concrete steps. You can always share any positive coping skills that you’ve developed or are currently practicing, any steps that you plan to take, or a simple acknowledgment that you’re in the process of moving forward.

Is the “Challenges and Circumstances” prompt different than the “Additional Information” prompt?

Both spaces exist for the same purpose: to give students an additional opportunity to share essential context that they have not been able to discuss elsewhere. So, does it matter which one you use?

Not really. That said, here’s our advice. If you have a clear challenge/circumstance to write about, use the “Challenges and Circumstances” space for your essay rather than the additional information section.

If you’re writing about multiple challenges and/or circumstances, you may need more than 250 words. In that case, it’s acceptable to utilize both spaces.

College Transitions’ Final Thoughts

Your college applications should help admissions officers understand your background, experiences, and ability to succeed on a college campus. If your life has been significantly impacted by a particular challenge or circumstance, it’s important to provide that context.

Looking for additional college application prep resources? Check out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts 2025-26
• How to Complete the Common App Activities Section
• How to Complete the Common App Honors Section