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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. Since its establishment in the 1800s, this school has become a leader in the liberal arts, scientific inquiry, and student formation.
To go further than simply being a place of education, Boston College encourages its students to adopt a global viewpoint during their studies. They urge students to ask and answer the questions: “how will my knowledge serve the world?” and “what difference will I make?”
This college aims to develop students’ minds and talents to the fullest If this sounds like the ideal environment for you to pursue higher education, this guide will go into further depth about how to get into Boston College, its acceptance rate, admission requirements, tuition, and more!
The Boston College acceptance rate is 16.7%. As you consider if this college is the right fit for you, it’s essential to gain a realistic idea of your chances of admission.
With an acceptance rate of less than 20%, BC is moderately competitive to get into. While it’s less selective than high-ranking schools such as Harvard, which has an acceptance rate of around 3%, you’ll still need to wow the admissions committee with your application.
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:
The majority of students that are accepted into BC have GPAs in the range of 3.9-4.0
Students should aim for an SAT score in the range of 1420-1530 to be considered competitive applicants, and an ACT score in the range of 33-34.
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.
As this will be the first year that BC offers a test-optional application, they will assess the academic performance of their test-optional students to inform future policy decisions.
While your GPA and standardized test scores provide the committee with the best prediction of your academic performance, they are not the only factors that play a role in the selection process.
Here is a complete list of the application requirements to apply to BC:
There aren’t mandatory prerequisites for students to attend this college, but BC strives to admit students that 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 confirm you’re in good academic standing, BC also requires your school official or counselor to send a school report to the admissions committee. Typically, these forms also include a letter of recommendation from your college counselor.
To further confirm your academic potential, BC requires you to submit two letters of evaluation from your teachers. These letters will be best received if they’re written by teachers from the core courses mentioned above.
Your letters of evaluation should share different traits about you, so the committee can gain a comprehensive understanding of your academic performance.
Students that are 100% set on attending BC and are willing to forfeit any other offers can submit a binding early application. However, these applications will be due during the middle of your senior year, so you won’t be able to submit your complete high school transcripts for evaluation.
Instead, you’ll have to submit your mid-year grade reports. If your grades and application impress the committee, you will be granted conditional acceptance to your desired program. You’ll have to maintain a certain GPA during the remainder of your senior year in order to keep your acceptance.
If you intend on majoring in the arts, you can submit artistic samples with your application, or highlight any artistic involvement in the Activities or Additional Information parts of your application.
Even if you do not intend to pursue an artistic major at BC, you should still include information about your artistic experiences on your application, if you feel it will strengthen your candidacy. Doing so can exhibit your ability to master several disciplines and demonstrate your creativity!
Students must also showcase their writing skills by submitting a 400-word response to one of the BC essay prompts. Strong writing skills are essential to succeed in any college! We will go into further detail about the types of prompts you can expect to answer later in this guide.
Students must use the Common Application to apply to BC. This college has four major divisions:
The majority of students do not have to declare a major when applying to BC, but every student must declare the division they intend on enrolling in.
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 a binding early application. For students’ convenience, there are two early application deadlines.
In the 2021-2022 admission cycle, Boston College received almost 4,500 early applicants, of which 28% were accepted! This 28% made up around 51% of the 2026 Class. In case you’re having a hard time keeping up with these stats, this means early applicants have a much higher acceptance rate than regular applicants!
As previously mentioned, 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 not just as a student 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:
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?
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.
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?
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.
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:
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?
Choose the essay prompt you feel most connected to and excited to write about! 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 understanding the admissions process is essential to get a better idea of how to get into Boston College, knowing how expensive education at this school will be is another important factor to consider.
Tuition and fees cost $64,176 per year. With such high costs, it might be reassuring to know that all candidates are automatically considered for one of 18, full-tuition, merit-based scholarships that are part of the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program.
Aside from this scholarship, students are also given other needs-based grants and can apply for additional financial assistance, if needed.
Now that you know the basic requirements to get into Boston College, here are some tips to take your application beyond the basics:
Early applicants have a much higher chance of acceptance as they’re competing with a smaller pool of applicants. If you’re sure BC is the perfect school for you, submit an early application to maximize your chances of acceptance.
Considering Boston College is a Jesuit school, it’s important you 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.
Ensure you mention how you plan on incorporating these ideals into your future at BC and beyond.
Edit your essay several times before submitting it. As powerful as your words and thoughts are, they will hold little impact if they’re accompanied by spelling, punctuation, or structural errors.
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?”
For any unanswered questions about how to get into Boston College, read on to find your answers.
Yes, a 3.7 GPA puts you within the competitive range of previous applicants.
Students should aim to maintain a GPA of 3.9-4.0 to get into Boston College.
As a Jesuit school, Boston College aims to admit students with Catholic ideals. Specifically, it strives to accept students that are concerned with the greater good and are interested in learning, searching for the truth, and servicing others.
Additionally, Boston College values academic merit and accepts students with the highest academic potential!
Boston College has a 16.7% 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 36th in the nation. However, overall, it’s considered prestigious because it was the first college to be founded in Boston and is an internationally respected school and center for academic excellence.
It is moderately difficult to get into Boston College. Although it has a more promising acceptance rate than Ivy League schools, it is still highly selective.
It’s important that you choose an undergraduate institution that reflects your values and goals. If you believe in the guiding Jesuit principles that Boston College represents, then this might be the perfect school for you!
Ensure you complete your application according to the requirements and tips shared in this guide to give yourself the best chance of getting into BC!
