If you’d like to join one of the nation’s foremost universities, read on to learn more about how to get into Boston College.
Boston College (BC) is a Jesuit school that was the first college to operate in Boston, Massachusettes. Since its establishment in 1863, this school has become a leader in the liberal arts, scientific inquiry, and student formation.
This college develops students’ minds and talents to the fullest. If this sounds like the ideal environment for you to pursue higher education, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know about how to get into Boston College.
The acceptance rate for Boston College is 14.7%. That means for every 100 students that apply to Boston College, about 15 of them are admitted.
Here’s a look into how the acceptance rate has changed over the years:
As you can tell from the data, Boston College is getting increasingly difficult to enter, so you must impress them during the application process.
While the overall acceptance rate is challenging, early decision applicants have an elevated acceptance rate of 30%. Therefore, if Boston College is your top choice, applying under early decision could significantly improve your chances of acceptance.
With an acceptance rate of 14.7%, getting into Boston College is highly competitive. From high academic credentials to impressive extracurricular activities, every aspect of the application warrants careful attention.
Take our interactive quiz below to find out how likely you are to get into Boston College.
So, how do you impress the admissions committee? One way to impress them is by proving your academic merit through your GPA and SAT/ACT scores. Here are the exact numbers to aim for when thinking about how to get into Boston College:
The average GPA at Boston College is 3.99. This is a clear message to all ambitious respondents - aim for near perfection with your GPA to align with this requirement.
Students should aim for an SAT score of 1435 to be considered competitive applicants. Boston College is after the most exceptional students.
The average ACT score at Boston College is also high - standing at 34. Remember, showcasing a high ACT score conveys your academic strength and further boosts your college application.
Now let's view these statistics side by side.
Boston College is looking for a diverse set of students who embody both the pursuit of academic excellence and a commitment to the Jesuit ideal of service to others. At its heart, the school is progressively driven by Jesuit values and looks for candidates who echo these principles with a deep-rooted intellectual curiosity and an understanding of global perspectives.
"In making admission decisions, we consider grades, what you do outside of school, teachers’ and others’ appraisals, and how you express yourself through writing." -Boston College Admissions Office
The college provides a platform for its students to incorporate a global perspective in their education. As a result, students are encouraged to understand, respect, and engage with diverse cultures and ideologies.
How Boston College evaluates applications is based on commitment, academics, and who you are, beyond your textbooks.
During the most recent admissions cycle, Boston College will maintain a test-optional admission policy. Students will not be required to write a standardized test to be considered for admission. All applications will be viewed equally with or without these scores.
For new students, applicants must submit:
Once you have checked all of these off your list, you’re ready to apply!
There aren’t mandatory prerequisites for students to attend this college, but BC strives to admit students who pursued the most challenging courses at their high school. As such, their most competitive applicants will have significant course experience in these subjects:
Ensure you maintain high grades in these courses in particular to impress the admissions committee!
To ensure your application is submitted and reviewed on time, here are the deadlines you should keep in mind:
Source: Boston College
Students that are certain Boston College is their top choice are highly encouraged to submit an early application to secure their chances of admission.
The deadline for regular decision is January 2. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by April 1.
There are two opportunities for early decision at Boston College. The first deadline is November 1. The second deadline is January 2. This doubles your chances of securing a seat considering the 30% early decision admission rate.
Getting into Boston College might be very hard, but securing admission ultimately comes down to being true to who you are. Here are X tips we’ve gathered to secure your admission.
You might have heard the term holistic nutrition, but how does apply to a college application? Holistic is another word for natural, so in your application, act natural. Allow the entire process to flow together smoothly in one application.
“When you sit down to craft your admissions application, think about it like we do, holistically. You want to make sure that each element of your application flows and represents you.” -Boston College Admissions Facility
As an MBA application, you’re probably thinking about what you want your future career to look like - share that! Boston College is looking for specific goals from you as you develop your career. Be open and honest.
Avoid droning on about a topic just to hit the desired word count. Words are only symbols on a page until they tell a story. Captivate your audience by not only answering what’s being asked but doing so in as few words as possible while staying true to yourself.
In your letter of recommendation, it’s best to choose someone who’s worked with you closely and can describe your day-to-day responsibilities. Instead of getting a letter written by the CEO who you’ve only rarely seen, get someone to write a letter that can demonstrate why you’d make a great industry leader.
Use the GMAT test as a prelude to your MBA courses. Your role in any MBA school proves to be quite a difficult journey, so be proactive and create an effective study plan.
If your GPA is less than average (3.99 to be exact), use the essay as a way to communicate why you want to become a Boston College alumni. Even if your academic excellence isn’t evident on paper, the essay gives you another chance to prove why you’re the best fit.
Considering Boston College is a Jesuit school, you must prove your values align with its faith-based principles. For instance, service, selflessness, and a commitment to others are all guiding standards at Boston College.
Students are required to submit a writing sample as part of the application process. This writing sample’s purpose is twofold: to provide the committee with more insight into who you are as a person and to help them assess your writing skills.
Fortunately, you will only have to write one essay to get into Boston College. You will be given the following five essay prompts to choose from:
Prompt 1: Students at Boston College are encouraged to consider critical questions as they pursue lives of meaning and purpose. What is a question that matters to you and how do you hope Boston College will help you answer it?
Prompt 2: In 2020, we faced a national reckoning on racial injustice in America - a reckoning that continues today. Discuss how this has affected you, what you have learned, or how you have been inspired to be a change agent around this important issue.
Prompt 3: At Boston College, we hope to draw on the Jesuit tradition of finding conversation partners to discuss issues and problems facing society. Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
Prompt 4: Socrates stated that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Discuss a time when reflection, prayer, or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
Prompt 5: Each year at University Convocation, the incoming class engages in reflective dialogue around a common text. What book would you recommend for your class to read and explore together – and why?
Students enrolling in the Human-Centred Engineering program must also answer the following prompt:
Prompt 6: One goal of a Jesuit education is to prepare students to serve the Common Good. Human-Centered Engineering at Boston College integrates technical knowledge, creativity, and a humanistic perspective to address societal challenges and opportunities. What societal problems are important to you and how will you use your HCE education to solve them?
When choosing your essay, focus on the prompt that you feel the most connected to - remember, authenticity is key! Ensure you keep your answer concise and focus on only answering the prompt at hand. You will only have up to 400 words to answer these rather philosophical questions, so make each word count!
While Boston College doesn’t have an interview portion, that means you must excel in every other step of the application.
In this guide, we’ve answered questions such as: “How hard is it to get into Boston College?”, “What are the admission requirements?”, and “How can I stand out as an applicant?”
If you still have any unanswered questions, we aim to address them in the section below.
Yes, a 3.7 GPA puts you within the competitive range of previous applicants.
Students should aim to maintain a GPA of 3.99 to get into Boston College.
As a Jesuit school, Boston College aims to admit students with Catholic ideals. Specifically, it strives to accept students who are concerned with the greater good and are interested in learning, searching for the truth, and servicing others.
Boston College has a 15% acceptance rate, meaning you’ll need to submit a stellar application to have a chance of getting into this school!
When you consider ranking alone, Boston College is only moderately prestigious, as it ranks 39th in the nation. Its prestige lies in its reputation as the first founded college in Boston and has retained its academic excellence ever since.
Getting into Boston College proves to be quite difficult. Although it has a more promising acceptance rate than Ivy League schools, it is still highly selective.
Now that you know how to get into Boston College, you must take every step of the application process seriously. If you believe in the guiding Jesuit principles that Boston College represents, then this might be the perfect school for you!
