<p>I’m going to disagree slightly from the other posters. I don’t think not having faced tremendous adversity is a reason to not apply to a school that you would really like to go to. Pick something to write about, and talk about it form a mature and thoughtful perspective. If you’ve never faced any real adversity, that’s okay. Be grateful and mature about it, and explain yourself thoughtfully. Don’t try to create a sob story; just be honest.</p>
<p>When I was applying for graduate school (in counseling), some of the schools I applied to required personal history or diversity essays, where they asked for unique or challenging factors in my background, how they affected me, and how they would contribute to the diversity of the incoming class. There’s nothing particularly special about me. I was middle class, was always able to focus on school, and never really had to struggle for anything. So–and from the responses so far, I have a feeling many will disagree–I wrote about that. I talked about how I was lucky to have a family that valued education, and I talked about the sacrifices that my parents made to put education first in my family–the magnitude of which I didn’t realize until I was older. I talked about how the my parents protected my siblings and I from stressful times–when my dad lost his job, when we had to move, when family members were sick. I was well-adjusted, from a happy home, and I owned up to it.</p>
<p>When I interviewed at the programs, some of my interviewers commented about how they liked my essays–one in particular mentioned how he appreciated what I said about how appreciative I was to have parents who always put education first. This may not exactly answer your particular prompt, since mine was more open-ended, but it is possible to be successful without having faced really compelling adversity (given, of course, that the rest of your application is strong). I interviewed at most of the places that I applied and was accepted to all except one (where I was waitlisted), and my field is very small (the incoming class at my program was six students) so the application process was very competitive.</p>
<p>Also, in one of my interviews, they asked this exact adversity question to one of the other interviewees (we had group interviews), and I thought she gave a very articulate and honest answer about how she was fortunate not to have faced very difficult circumstances and gave an example of a set-back (and not a particularly heart-breaking one) she had faced, how she overcame it, and what she learned from it. I don’t know how it turned out for her, but she was a great applicant so I’m confident she got in somewhere.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that that’s the right choice for you, but that’s just an example of someone who didn’t face adversity and isn’t diverse approached writing an essay about it (and was successful!). Be honest, mature, and thoughtful. Don’t be overly dramatic about whatever story you’re telling, but I’m sure you have something in your life that can demonstrate your determination, your drive, and your maturity. Have multiple other people read it so that you can make sure you’re not coming off in a way you didn’t intend to.</p>
<p>If this is a school that you would really like to go to, don’t let this one essay stop you. It is possible to be well-adjusted and from a happy home, and get into schools like these. It’s only one piece of your entire application package.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>