Spotlight on Boston College

About Boston College

Location: Chestnut Hill, MA

Undergraduate Population: 9,532

Demographics:

White 58.4%
Latinx 11.2%
Asian/ Asian American 11%
Black/African American 4.3%
Multiracial 4.2%
Native American less than 1%

Most Popular Majors: Communication, Economics, Finance, Biology, Political Science

Motto: ‘αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν’ (“aièn aristeúein”)–“Ever to Excel”

History:

Boston College is a school that wears several hats: private Jesuit college, R1 research university, proponent of liberal arts curriculum and community service. The school was first envisioned in 1825 by Benedict Joseph Fenwick, then the second Catholic bishop of Boston, who taught classes to local youth in the basement of his church’s cathedral. Another Jesuit brother, John McElroy, continued Fenwick’s vision, purchasing land and two buildings in Boston’s South End and opening The Boston College in 1859. However, the outbreak of the Civil War–as well as the anti-Catholic Massachusetts legislature–caused the college to close down just two years later.

The school’s charter was approved by the state legislature in 1863, and Boston College welcomed its first class of 22 students in 1864. In 1907, BC president Thomas I. Gasson purchased a farm in Chestnut Hill, six miles west of downtown Boston, and began the construction of Boston College’s current campus. In the 1920s, Boston College expanded to include a number of colleges, including the Boston College Law School, the Woods College of Advancing Studies, the Carroll School of Management, and the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. The celebration for Boston College’s centennial in 1963 featured an address by President John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president of the US–who’d also received an honorary degree from BC in 1956. Today, Boston College boasts eight colleges and schools, and its athletic teams–the Eagles–compete in the NCAA Division I league.

Notable Boston College alumni include actress and comedian Amy Poehler, White House cabinet secretary Evan Ryan, nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz, Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon, and US Ambassador to China R. Nicholas Burns. 

Traditions:

• Boston College Athletics “Superfans” wear gold t-shirts and cheer loudly at both home and away games, creating a sea of jubilant gold at each athletic event.
• Ice hockey is big at Boston College, and it’s perhaps never bigger than in the first two weeks of February, when the Beanpot Hockey Tournament takes place. A tradition going back to 1952, the tournament pits rival Boston area colleges Northeastern, Boston University, Harvard and BC against each other in a two-game series at Boston’s TD Garden.
• On the first Friday of the academic year, representatives from over 200 organizations and clubs gather on the lawn in front of Carney Hall and Stokes Hall for the Student Involvement Fair. There, incoming students have the opportunity to find out how and where to get involved on campus.

Noteworthy Features:

• Boston College’s PULSE program allows students to fulfill the college’s philosophy and theology course requirements through engagement with community service fieldwork at over 35 Boston-based organizations.
• Study abroad opportunities abound at BC: the school offers 60 academic programs in 30 countries, and about 44% of BC students study abroad during their college journey.
• The Robsham Theater Arts Center at Boston College produces eight student-directed productions each year, giving performing arts students a chance to practice their craft in a world-class facility.

Admissions Profile

Average GPA: Not reported

Test Scores (mid-50% range): 1430-1510 SAT/ 33-34 ACT

Admit Rate: 16.6%

Test-optional? Yes

Offers Early Admissions? Yes–Early Decision I and Early Decision II

Supplemental Essay

Boston College’s Required Essay Prompts: We would like to get a better sense of you. Please respond to one of the following prompts (400 word limit). Applicants to the Human-Centered Engineering major will select the 5th prompt.

1. 1. Each year at University Convocation, our incoming class engages in reflective dialogue with the author of a common text. What book by a living author would you recommend for your incoming class to read, and why would this be an important shared text?
   2. At Boston College, we draw upon the Jesuit tradition of finding worthwhile conversation partners. Some support our viewpoints while others challenge them. Who fulfills this role in your life? Please cite a specific conversation you had where this conversation partner challenged your perspective or you challenged theirs. 
   3. In her November 2019 Ted Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi warned viewers against assigning people a “single story” through assumptions about their nationality, appearance, or background. Discuss a time when someone defined you by a single story. What challenges did this present and how did you overcome them?
   4. Boston College’s founding in 1863 was in response to society’s call. That call came from an immigrant community in Boston seeking a Jesuit education to foster social mobility. Still today, the University empowers its students to use their education to address society’s greatest needs. Which of today’s local or global issues is of particular concern to you and how might you use your Boston College education to address it?
   5. Human-Centered Engineering (HCE) Applicants only: 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?

While these questions are all different from one another, they do share some common themes: service, community involvement, introspection, and willingness to take risks in the name of what’s right. At 400 words, they’re slightly longer than average supplemental essays, so you have some room to tell your story. When choosing which prompt to respond to, consider which prompt best resonates with your individual experience. What do you value? How do you see yourself doing the most good in the world? You should consider how the academics and campus community at Boston College will support you in furthering these values, and articulate that connection in your response. The first prompt is similar to the “why this college” essay question–for advice on how to respond to this prompt and other common essay questions, see our blog post here.