Boston College

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

for 2024-2025

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Boston College

essays?

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How do you apply to

Boston College

?

You apply to
Boston College
through their application portal through the Common App
or Apply Texas
or the UC App
or Questbridge
.
Apply Texas
Apply Texas
Apply Texas B
Apply Texas C
Common App
Common App
UC App
UC App
Questbridge
Questbridge

When are

Boston College

applications due?

Early Action:
Early Action II:
Early Decision:
November 1, 2024
Early Decision II:
January 2, 2025
Restrictive Early Action:
Regular Decision:
January 2, 2025

How many essays are required to apply to

Boston College

?

There's also
0
optional essay(s).
There are no optional essays.

Want to talk about your

Boston College

essays?

Talk to a Prompt program specialist about what you’re thinking about writing.

Talk with us

Boston College

Supplemental Essay Prompts

Choose 1 of 5 OR HCE

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?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.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?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?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?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.

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400 words
or less.
Requirement:
required

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Tips for Writing Supplemental Essays

How to write the best supplemental essays.

Tip #1

Develop Your Personal Brand

Brainstorm all your experiences in high school that you believe will show that you will be successful in college and beyond. The strongest ones will be the foundation of your personal brand.

Tip #2

Highlight Your Strengths

Your essays should highlight one of the 5 traits: drive, intellectual curiosity, initiative, contribution, diversity of experiences

Tip #3

Add to Your Personal Score

Every essay counts to build the overall narrative. Increasing your personal score increases your chances by 10x.

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