Deep Dive: Tell Me About a Failure You Have Overcome

Since many students have found our Ultimate Guide to College Interviews helpful, we’re diving deeper with a series on the most common interview questions. If you’re looking for general tips, feel free to check out our guide—but if you want to tackle specific questions, you’re in the right place.

Let’s talk about failure—everyone experiences it, but what really matters is how you bounce back. The question "Tell me about a failure you have overcome" gives you a chance to demonstrate your resilience, perseverance, and ability to grow from failure. A well-crafted answer can reveal a lot about your character and your readiness to tackle future challenges.

1. Frame the failure.

Be honest about what happened, but avoid dwelling on the negative. Describe the situation clearly, explaining what you were trying to achieve, what went wrong, and why it was a failure. Don’t shy away from showing vulnerability—acknowledging mistakes can make your story more relatable.

Example:

During my sophomore year, I decided to run for student body president because I wanted to bring new initiatives to the school. I was really confident in my platform and put a lot of effort into my campaign—but when the results came in, I lost by a huge margin. It was definitely a tough blow, especially after working so hard for it.

2. Explain your response.

After you describe the failure, shift focus to your reaction. This is where you can demonstrate growth. What steps did you take to learn from the experience? Did you seek feedback? Did you reflect on what went wrong? This shows your ability to use failure as an opportunity for growth.

Example:

After the election, I took a step back to figure out why my campaign didn’t connect with my classmates. I asked friends for feedback and realized I had focused more on my own ideas than on what students actually wanted. I also saw that my public speaking and presentation skills could use some work, so I signed up for a speech class to get better in those areas.

3. Showcase your growth.

The next step is demonstrating how you turned failure into a learning experience. This is where you show that you didn’t let failure define you—you grew from it. Did you try again? Did the lessons learned shape your future efforts? Your response should highlight your ability to bounce back stronger.

Example:

A year later, I decided to run for class president again, but this time, I did things differently. I really focused on listening to my classmates, making sure my platform reflected what they actually cared about. Plus, after working on my public speaking, I felt way more confident during the debates. In the end, I won the election, and the whole journey—from failure to finally succeeding—felt incredibly rewarding.

4. Highlight the lessons learned.

End with the lessons you gained from the experience. What did you learn about yourself, others, or your approach to challenges? This is your opportunity to demonstrate how failure is a stepping stone to success.

Example:

The biggest lesson I learned was that failure isn’t the end of the road—it’s an opportunity to reevaluate, learn, and improve. I now embrace failure as a crucial part of the process.

Final Thoughts:

The "failure" question is not just about what went wrong, but about how you faced it and grew from it. It’s a chance to show that you are resilient, reflective, and ready to tackle new challenges with a positive mindset.