boston university application essay prompts

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Boston University | BU’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Additional info essay.

Please use this space if you have additional information, materials, or writing samples you would like us to consider.

Select-A-Prompt Short Response

Boston University is dedicated to our founding principles: “that higher education should be accessible to all and that research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice should be conducted in the service of the wider community—local and international. These principles endure in the University’s insistence on the value of diversity in its tradition and standards of excellence and its dynamic engagement with the City of Boston and the world.” With this mission in mind, please respond to one of the following two questions in 300 words or less:

1. Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it?

2. What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community?

The mission of Kilachand Honors College is to offer a challenging liberal arts education grounded in critical and creative thinking, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and the real-world application of knowledge. Please see https://www.bu.edu/khc/about/ for more details about our program, and then respond to one of the following questions in an essay of 600 words or less:

1. What about the Kilachand Honors College resonates with you, and how would Kilachand‘s curriculum fulfill your academic, creative, intellectual, and/or professional goals?

2. If you could create a new Kilachand course, what would it be? How would your imagined course align with the core values of Kilachand?

Please write an essay of 600 words or less in response to one of the following two topics:

1: Nobel laureate and BU professor Elie Wiesel once said: “There is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests." Is there a book, film, podcast or life- experience that has made you feel more connected to your personal history/identity, and what is the most important thing you learned from it?

2: Describe a time when you felt out of your comfort zone or marginalized in a situation. How did you respond to that moment and how has it informed your actions moving forward?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Boston University Supplemental Essay 2023-24 Prompts and Advice

August 14, 2023

With almost 81,000 applications from those wishing to join the Class of 2027, Boston University has entered the realm of the most desirable private universities on the planet. It also continues to climb to new heights in terms of selectivity with just an 11% acceptance rate for entering 2023-24 freshmen. In contrast, just twenty years ago, BU accepted 70% of those who applied. This brings us to the topic of the Boston University supplemental essay.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into BU? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Boston University  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Boston University has become a school where you may need more than just strong grades and test scores to gain acceptance—the average SAT for those submitting applications last cycle was 1441. Through its one required essay prompt, the BU supplemental essay affords applicants an opportunity to showcase what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below are the Boston University supplemental prompt options for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address them:

2023-2024 Boston University Supplemental Essays

Boston University is dedicated to our founding principles: “that higher education should be accessible to all and that research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice should be conducted in the service of the wider community—local and international. These principles endure in the University’s insistence on the value of diversity in its tradition and standards of excellence and its dynamic engagement with the City of Boston and the world.”  With this mission in mind, please respond to one of the following two questions in 300 words or less:

1. Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it?

2. What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community?

Note regarding word count: Although BU asks you to respond in less than 300 words, the Common App provides 350 words of space.

Prompt Option #1

Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it?

To craft a strong response to this prompt, you’ll first need to choose an issue that is important to you on either a global, regional, or community scale. If you pick something general (and popular), like women’s rights or social media, consider choosing a specific angle that relates to you personally. For example, while tackling “social media” in general would be a daunting proposition, discussing a particular platform or the impact of technology on your interpersonal relationships could be far more specific and accessible.

Boston University Supplemental Essays (Continued)

To answer the second part of the prompt, you’ll need to discuss how you’ve engaged with the issue in real life. Have you attended rallies, protests, or fundraisers? Did you create or join an after-school club or volunteer opportunity? Have you shared your perspective at community or school board meetings? On a smaller scale, have you made an effort to converse with peers and/or adults about your chosen issue? If so, what was the outcome?

This prompt is not asking for a hypothetical answer. Therefore, crafting an effective response will necessitate that you have outwardly engaged with your issue of choice on some level . As such, if you have trouble brainstorming an issue that you have addressed or raised awareness about, you’ll likely want to respond to the second prompt option instead.

Prompt Option #2

What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community?

This is your quintessential “Why Us?” essay which comes with the typical pitfalls you’ll want to avoid. We don’t want to label these as “mistakes” (there is nothing inherently wrong with them). They just don’t add any needle-moving value, which is, of course, the only goal here!

Common components of a vanilla “Why BU?” essay

• Generalities about why Boston is an ideal location for your college experience.
• Generalities about why Boston is an exciting/cosmopolitan/diverse/culture-filled city.
• BU’s ranking, prestige, or reputation.
• Too many generic expressions of feeling (e.g., I know with all my being that BU is the school for me… ).
• Recycled statements from your other “Why Us?” essays that come across as stale, impersonal, or worst of all–irrelevant/inaccurate.
• Lastly (and most importantly), mentioning Fenway Park.

How to write a winning “Why BU?” essay

First things first—consider why you’re excited to become a BU student. Is it the  academic programs , professors,  research opportunities ,  internship/externship programs ,  study abroad programs ,  student-run organizations , mission statement , etc.? Try focusing on 2-3 offerings that feel particularly significant rather than attempting to create a laundry list of everything you might possibly take advantage of. In addition, be sure to address how you will take advantage of the resources you decide to write about.

Secondly, you’ll need to discuss your prospective contribution to the BU campus. How will you be an active community member? Will your past/current endeavors carry over onto BU’s campus? How so? Will you bring special talents or passions?

In any “Why Us?” composition, you need to show that you’ve done your homework on a given school. However, you don’t want it to read like a robotic list of items that you Googled five minutes before writing the essay (even if the timing of the Google search is roughly accurate). In addition to the pure research element, a lot of the time and skill required in creating a stellar BU essay will involve connecting your selected opportunities of interest to your distinct values, talents, aims, proficiencies, and future goals.

Should I answer the optional BU question?

Please use this space if you have additional information, materials, or writing samples you would like us to consider.

When considering whether or not to utilize this inviting blank space, consider that the BU admissions office is deluged with applications and will only want to see highly compelling and essential information included in this section. For more on how to decide whether or not to take advantage of any Additional Information section in an application visit our  blog on the subject .

How important is the essay at BU?

The factors that Boston University weighs as being “very important” in evaluating a candidate are the rigor of your secondary school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, and talent/ability. The essay is “important” and sits alongside letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and character/personal qualities.

Boston University Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

In conclusion, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Boston University supplemental essay, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

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Boston University Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the Boston University supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s Boston University Supplemental Essay 2021 Guide will show you exactly how to write engaging Boston University supplemental essays to maximize your chances of admission. If you need help crafting your answers to the Boston University supplemental essays, create your free  account  or  schedule a free advising consultation  by calling  (844) 343-6272.

Boston University  Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• For the class of 2025, the  Boston University acceptance rate was 18.3% , with over half of those admitted through Early Decision.
• We recommend answering the required Why Boston University essay and the optional Boston University essay comprehensively and thoughtfully.

What is Boston University known for?

Boston University is known for its location, wide array of graduate programs, and small student-to-faculty ratio.

Who wouldn’t want to study in Boston? This is a city known colloquially as “America’s college town.” In Boston, you’ll also brush elbows with students from the nearby Boston College and MIT, each located less than ten minutes away. The location is ideal for those who want a fast-paced environment with new faces every day.

In the graduate school department, BU’s  law school  and  medical school  are internationally renowned. If you fall in love as an undergraduate and don’t want to leave, you’ll have plenty of options.

Finally, the  student-to-faculty ratio  at Boston University is 10-1. This means that seminars will be engaging, large lecture courses will be a rarity, and professors will be unusually accessible to the student body. Yet another reason to rave about BU in your Why Boston University essay.

What are three interesting facts about BU?

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was not a doctor until attending  graduate school at BU , where he attained a Ph.D. in systematic theology.
• BU has an  annual lobster night  in the dining halls, fitting for their New England location.
• Boston University has  changed its name four times  throughout its history and was originally located in Vermont rather than Massachusetts.

What is the Boston University acceptance rate?

As mentioned in the quick facts section, the Boston University acceptance rate hovers just below 20%. This makes BU one of the more selective universities. The Early Decision Boston University acceptance rate, by contrast, is typically 40-50% on account of the strength of ED candidates and the influence of demonstrated interest.

To maximize your admissions odds, you’ll need to distinguish yourself from the pack in your Why BU essay and additional Boston University supplemental essay. This is where our guide—or a consultation with our team—can help you.

Does Boston University require supplemental essays?

There is one required Boston University supplemental essay 2021 (in addition to your  Common App Personal Statement ) as well as one optional Boston University essay prompt. Given the relatively low Boston University acceptance rate, we recommend completing both Boston University supplemental essays to maximize your chances of admission.

How many essays do I have to write for Boston University?

You are required to write one Boston University supplemental essay 2021: the Why BU essay. In addition to this required Boston University essay, however, you can choose to complete an optional prompt.

Boston University Supplemental Essay 2021: Prompt 1 (Required)

The first Boston University supplemental essay 2021 prompt is as follows:

“What about being a student at Boston University most excites you?” (250 words maximum.)

This is a Why BU essay similar to the “why school” essays you might have encountered on other applications. Essentially, this Boston University essay asks you to explain why you want to go to Boston University over any other college. What are you passionate about that only BU can offer?

How do I write the Boston University Supplemental Essay?

When approaching this Boston University supplemental essay 2021, remember that you don’t have much space. With a word limit of 250, your Why BU essay should revolve around a singular topic. While the prompt may be broad, it is best just to fully develop one idea in your Boston University essay. After all, the first Boston University supplemental essay prompt specifically asks what “most” excites you. What’s the one thing you’d most look forward to experiencing at BU?

Make a list

To find the perfect topic for your Boston University supplemental essay 2021, construct two lists. The first list should rank aspects of college in general (not BU-specific!) that you’re most excited about, sorted from most excitement to least. Examples of things to list include academics, professional opportunities, traditions, campus life, and social events, among others. The second list should include the specific parts of the college experience that you look forward to at BU. This might include the chance to learn in  small classes , watch BU’s well-known  hockey team  play, or visit the  many museums in Boston . You can, again, sort these items in a descending manner. See this page’s “What is Boston University known for?” section for some inspiration, but do your own research as well.

After this brainstorming session, work your way down both lists. The first item that appears high on both lists should likely be the topic of your Why Boston University essay. For instance, if you listed that you were most excited about academics and also wrote about a particular professor at BU whose work you admire, you’ve got an essay! This strategy will ensure that: one, you’re focusing on an aspect of the college experience that genuinely excites you; and two, that this aspect is something that Boston University offers. This will form the focus of your why Boston University essay.

Develop your topic

Once you’ve chosen a topic for your Why Boston University essay, it’s time to develop it. Visit the BU website and look for anecdotes to include in your Boston University supplemental essay. If you’re excited about BU’s many clubs, then you should read the  student organizations page . If you’re excited about the robust liberal arts education BU offers, then you should research  BU’s College of Arts and Sciences . Your Boston University supplemental essay can go in many directions, but each direction should lead you to a specific detail about the school. The prompt asks for specific information about BU; generalized statements that could apply to any school will not stand out.

The relatively low Boston University acceptance rate means that you should do all you can to make your Why Boston University essay stand out. If your Why Boston University essay seems under-researched or unoriginal, you likely won’t stand out to the admissions team. To this end, your Why BU essay should be as specific as possible within your area of interest. Don’t just talk about clubs in general; mention the  Allegrettos  by name (if you’re musically inclined)! Don’t simply state that you’re excited about the prospects of a study in political science; instead, say you can’t wait to take  Congress and its Critics . The more specific information you can include in your Why BU essay, the better. Your Why Boston University essay should show that you’ve done your research.

To summarize, find aspects of college you look forward to. Cross-reference these with specific opportunities available at Boston University. Once you find the overlap, research BU within your target area. Finally, when crafting your Why BU essay, include as many specific details as possible.

Stay focused

Let’s explore an example about a hypothetical BU applicant. In high school, this student was involved with archery and marching band. They hope to pursue both these activities in college. When researching their Boston University supplemental essay 2021, they notice that BU has a prominent  marching band  that performs at athletic events and that archery is just a relatively small-scale club sport. This student should then focus their essay on their enthusiasm for life at BU as a student and a band member. They would incorporate classes relevant to their prospective major of  applied math  alongside examples of how the BU marching band would fit well with such a challenging area of study because of its  balanced rehearsal and performance schedule . They may include a sentence or so on joining the archery team, but the main focus of their Why BU essay should remain on marching band.

BU Supplemental Essay Draft Key Questions:

• Does your Why BU essay describe one (and only one) thing you’re excited to pursue at BU?
• Do you provide detailed reasons why BU is the right school for you?
• Does your Why BU essay complement the other aspects of your application?

Boston University Supplemental Essay 2021: Prompt 2 (Optional)

The optional Boston University essay prompt reads:

“Additional Information (optional): Please use this space if you have additional information, materials, or writing samples you would like us to consider.” (2000 words maximum.)

Because the Boston University acceptance rate is low, you should complete this second Boston University supplemental essay to help your application stand out.

This will become especially important if you plan to be a part of the more prepared  Early Decision  pool. BU offers two rounds of Early Decision—one in November and one in January. Regardless of which ED cycle you choose, you should complete the optional Boston University essay prompt to maximize your admissions odds.

How do I write the optional Boston University supplemental essay?

The high word limit for this Boston University supplemental essay should be the first clue that this is no ordinary prompt. Instead, this optional essay allows you to show a non-academic side of yourself that the admissions team might otherwise overlook.

You might approach this prompt by attaching any piece of work you’re particularly proud of. Do you have a poem that won a competition? A speech you read to your school that inspired an increase in the vaccination rate? If so, include it. You might also offer the admissions team some context for the particular piece, perhaps as a new page inserted before the actual document. You have 2,000 words to burn, after all. Additionally, note that “materials” in this sense does not exclusively mean written work. The prompt accepts a file upload, meaning that you can also submit images, art, or other projects.

Fill in application gaps

You could also approach this Boston University supplemental essay by thinking about what’s missing from your other application materials. Is there an important aspect of your identity that you haven’t yet been able to highlight in your essays? For instance, maybe you go to the opening of every new gallery in your neighborhood. Or perhaps, you had a formative experience as a child that influenced your current trajectory. You could also be an athlete that wakes up before sunrise every morning to get in those extra hours of training. If you’re passionate about a topic and haven’t discussed it in your other materials (including your Why Boston University essay), this is the moment to let it shine.

Not sure whether any of your activities fit these qualifications? Try this exercise: think of the five activities that most define you. If you haven’t addressed one of these activities on your application, you should describe it here. While this Boston University supplemental essay prompt allows you to structure your response however you see fit, you might find that the prompt lends itself best to a narrative format. If you struggle to find the right way to frame this essay, consider telling a story about yourself.

Explain special circumstances

Finally, you might choose to use this optional Boston University supplemental essay to explain external circumstances that have influenced your application. If any extenuating circumstances have impacted your grades, test scores, or extracurricular involvements, this Boston University essay gives you the chance to address any concerns in your own words. For instance, you may have had a family emergency that caused you to score lower on the SAT than you would have hoped. Or, maybe your senior fall grades dropped because of a bout with COVID that lined up with midterms. Whatever the case may be, you can use this Boston University supplemental essay 2021 to explain any special circumstances around your application. Due to the relatively low Boston University acceptance rate, this context can make a major difference in admissions.

• Does your Boston University essay add important information not available in the rest of your application?
• Do you contextualize any elements of your application that require further explanation?
• Does your essay enrich the other aspects of your application?

Additional tips for the Boston University essay

• Complete your Common Application Personal Statement before drafting your Boston University essay.
• Create a checklist of what the prompt asks for. Then, check off each box as you write the respective section in your Boston University supplemental essay.
• If you were to replace Boston University with another college’s name, would your Why BU essay still make sense? If it does, then you have not included enough details in your Why BU essay.

BU Supplemental Essays: Final Thoughts

Completing each Boston University supplemental essay 2021 can seem daunting, but don’t let them discourage you from applying. Instead, view these Boston University essays as an opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions team. Maybe you’re applying with a lower-than-average SAT score. A well-written set of responses to the Boston University essay prompts can work in your favor.

Use this guide to help you approach each Boston University application essay with a solid strategy and a timeline that gives you a few months to draft and revise each of your answers. Good luck!

This 2021-2022 essay guide on Boston University was written by  Juliana Furigay , Columbia ‘23. If you need help crafting your BU supplemental essays, visit app.collegeadvisor.com to create your free  account  or  schedule a no-cost advising consultation  by calling (844) 719-4984.

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College Essays

If you're applying to Boston University, you'll need to respond to the Why Boston University essay prompt. The Why BU essay is a required element of your application and a great way to show the BU admissions committee why Boston University is the right fit for you, and vice versa.

In this article, we'll break down the Why Boston University essay prompt, give you ideas for what to talk about in your own essay, and offer tips for writing an essay that's sure to wow the admissions committee.

The Why Boston University Essay Prompt

The Why BU essay prompt is short and simple:

In your Why BU essay, you have 250 words to explain to the admissions committee why you love Boston University and why you're a great fit for the school.

While 250 words is enough space to express yourself clearly, you'll want to be concise and clear in your messaging so you can communicate effectively and get a strong reaction from your essay readers.

What Is the Purpose of the Why BU Essay?

Many schools require a "Why this college" essay . Why? Because colleges want to see that you really want to attend their school. Students who love their schools are more likely to be active and happy students—and, later, active and happy alumni. Your essay should show the admissions committee that you really love Boston University, which will make them feel more confident you'll be a great addition to the campus.

If your essay is generic or not specific to Boston University, the admissions committee will worry you're not invested in attending. They might even think you don't care about getting into their university, which could cause them to pass over your application in favor of that of another student who really wants to attend.

Basically, Boston University wants to make sure you know and value what they offer, and they also want to assess how you'll take advantage of the many opportunities on BU's campus to further your academic and professional career.

What Should I Write About in My Why BU Essay?

So what should you write about in your Why BU essay? You'll need to identify concrete reasons why BU is your dream school. Here are three ideas for topics you could use.

#1: A Specific Course or Professor You'd Like to Study With

One of the ways to demonstrate your excitement for attending BU is by highlighting a specific course you'd like to take or professor you'd like to study with . Universities don't share their course schedule or their professors, so the offerings at BU are unique to BU. If you highlight a particular class, this shows why you're interested in taking advantage of BU's academics.

You should have a concrete reason for wanting to take this class or study with this professor. Tie your interest to your long-term professional goals so that the admissions committee sees how attending BU will help you invest in your future.

If you go the professor route, make sure you highlight why this professor is so special to you. Are they a leader in their field? Have they done interesting research lately? Are they known for teaching in a unique way?

Whatever the reason, be sure it's strong —you don't want to feel as if you're inventing something!

#2: An Interaction You Had With a Current or Former Student

Talking about BU with a current or former student stresses your passion for the university and highlights that you've taken the initiative to learn more. Students are able to speak to the vibe on campus as well as why Boston University is a great place to spend four years.

Name-dropping a current or former student will show that you really believe Boston University is the right school for you.

When you're recounting your conversation, remember that your reasons don't have to be particularly highbrow or impressive . You can talk about how you were excited to learn about the intramural kickball teams, for instance. Just pick specific reasons that your conversation resonated with you.

#3: A Program You're Excited About Participating In

Boston University has a number of unique programs, including an Honors College, Film/Television department, and several Engineering programs. If you want to participate in a specific program, you can talk about that in this essay.

Be sure to highlight specific features of the program that are important to you, whether that's getting to do experiential learning in the Honors College or taking part in BU's television channel. Whatever the program, take care to highlight a few specific features and explain why they're important.

3 Tips for Writing an Amazing Why Boston University Essay

You want your Why Boston University essay to be as strong as possible. Here are some tips to make that happen.

#1: Be Authentic

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and present yourself as a fully fleshed-out person.

You should, therefore, make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is your authentic self. Don't try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will ultimately diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you truly are — not who you think BU wants you to be.

#2: Be BU-Specific

Nothing about your Why BU essay should be generic or impersonal. The more specific you can be when answering this prompt, the better.

Don't say Boston University has great academics, caring professors, and an interesting student body. The admissions offers don't need you to tell them that! Similarly, don't talk about why you want to go to school in Boston. There are hundreds of colleges in Boston — you need to highlight why this school in particular is the right one for you.

Everything you write about in your Why Boston University essay should be specific to Boston University, from the names of the professors and the courses to the feeling you had while visiting the campus. The more authentic you are, the more your passion for BU will stand out.

Do your research so you're able to give specifics.

#3: Submit Your Best Work

Your Boston University essay should be edited and proofread, free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essay through a spelling and grammar check before you submit it.

It's a good idea to have someone else read your Why Boston University essay, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend.

Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Also, have them confirm that you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it can possibly be.

Recap: What to Know About the Why Boston University Essay

The Why Boston University essay is your place to demonstrate your passion for BU and why you hope to attend .

You should include the following in your essay:

• Specific examples of why BU is the right school for you
• Authentic statements about your interest in BU

You should not include these things, however:

• Examples that can apply to any university, not just BU
• Anything that indicates you're not that interested in attending BU

Good luck with your Why BU essay!

What's Next?

Need help mastering the other essays for Boston University? We have an article that breaks down all the essays you need to apply to BU .

Haven't started your Common Application yet? No problem! We've got you covered with tips and tricks to make your application stand out from the crowd .

Are you worried about standardized tests and their role in your college application? Read this article to find out when these tests might not matter for you . You should also take a look at this list of colleges that don't require SAT scores .

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now :

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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Prompt's How-to Guide for BU's Supplemental Essays

Boston university's supplemental essay prompts, (including why bu), and how to nail them..

BU’s essay supplements are mercifully reasonable. Still, there’s still a lot hinging on them. So we have an in-depth guide that we wrote for you at Prompt , from our long experience helping applicants succeed.

And if you’re only going to take one piece of advice from us let it be this: get feedback. There are people who love you and know you well. They want to help you succeed. Ask them for feedback now. And if you like the idea of personalized guidance from people who’ve done this thousands of times, get started here .

BU application essay questions 2020-2021

Required: What about being a student at Boston University most excites you? (250 words)

Optional Additional Information: Please use this space if you have additional information, materials, or writing samples you would like us to consider.

• Our tip: Only answer this if you have something compelling to say.

Boston University 2020-21 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Thank your lucky stars you chose to apply to Boston University! This application supplement is a gift: two of the most straightforward prompts you could ask for, and only one of them is required. But beware, a simple supplement is no reason to ignore a school or save it until the last minute. In fact, it means you have no excuse not to nail your essay, so pay attention!

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words; 1 optional essay

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Additional Info

Boston University 2020-21 Application Essay Question Explanations

What about being a student at boston university most excites you (250 words).

You’ve seen it before and you’ll see it again: the classic why essay. The point of this sort of prompt is twofold: to learn what makes you tick and to gauge your commitment to the school. So, the more time you spend researching the school, the better you’ll be able to demonstrate both. This is, essentially, the only question BU is asking you, so you have no excuse not to buckle down and spend some quality time poring over the school website. Take notes on anything and everything that appeals to you across all aspects of student life: classes, professors, labs, clubs, speakers — literally everything! The point is to paint a picture for admissions that clues them into your passions and demonstrates how BU will help you cultivate them. Once you’ve completed your preliminary research, narrow the list to your top five or so items to focus on. Remember, this essay is only supposed to be 250 words.

Additional Information (optional): Please use this space if you have additional information, materials, or writing samples you would like us to consider.

Typically, when a school includes an optional “additional info” essay, admissions is giving applicants a chance to address any red flags in their academic or disciplinary history. It’s your chance to show admissions that a few bad grades or lapses in judgement don’t define you. That being said, Boston University has cast a wider net with its additional info prompt. Still, this essay isn’t for everyone. We recommend this prompt for students who would like to address specific blips in their past or applicants with truly outstanding portfolio pieces. The point is, your response to this prompt shouldn’t be an afterthought; it should shed new light on who you are as a person or student.

Who fits into the first group? Maybe you were coping with an illness that slowed you down during your sophomore year and prevented you from taking a more rigorous course load. Maybe a rough introduction to calculus only motivated you to study harder and overcome your difficulties in future years. Or perhaps you were juggling an array of family responsibilities that distracted you from your school work. Whatever the case may be, yours should be a story of resilience and tenacity. Describe what you learned and how you have grown as a result of these challenging experiences.

What about the second group? Are you an award-winning author or scientist? If you choose to submit additional materials, you should be sending in show-stopping work that proves you are ready to pursue your interests at the college level.

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Mastering the Boston University Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

If Boston University is on your dream school list, you're going to need to impress them with more than just your transcript and test scores. A key component of your application will be your response to BU's supplemental essay prompts. Let's take a deep dive into understanding these prompts and crafting outstanding responses.

Boston University Supplemental Essay Prompts

What about being a student at Boston University most excites you? (250 words)

Optional: Please use this space if you have additional information, materials, or writing samples you would like us to consider. (500 words)

Approach to Each Prompt

Why are you interested in Boston University? This prompt asks you to elucidate your motivations for applying to BU. When crafting your response, remember to highlight how your academic and career goals align with the opportunities available at BU. Mention specific programs, faculty, or resources that interest you, and how you plan to engage with them.

The quest for knowledge knows no bounds, and at Boston University, I see an academic environment that not only encourages this quest but also provides ample opportunities for exploration. One aspect that particularly excites me is the interdisciplinary approach at BU, specifically within the Kilachand Honors College.

As a prospective Computer Science major, I’m drawn to the Kilachand Honors College's emphasis on integrating knowledge across different fields. I firmly believe that the most innovative solutions emerge at the intersection of diverse disciplines. This belief is what leads me to BU. The opportunity to explore the relationship between technology and society, perhaps through a project examining the ethical implications of AI, resonates with my aspirations.

Furthermore, I’m excited about the rich and vibrant community life at BU. From participating in coding competitions with the BU Computer Science Club to cheering on the Terriers at the Agganis Arena, I look forward to fully immersing myself in the BU spirit.

Ultimately, what most excites me about being a student at BU is the promise of growth. With its diverse community, abundant resources, and the freedom to traverse academic boundaries, I believe BU will nurture my intellectual curiosity, hone my technical skills, and shape me into a well-rounded individual prepared to tackle real-world challenges.

Optional: Additional information This is your opportunity to discuss anything significant not mentioned elsewhere in your application. It could be a personal anecdote, a challenge you overcame, or a unique project you've worked on. Whatever you choose, ensure it adds a new dimension to your application and tells the admissions committee something new about you.

In my sophomore year, I embarked on a project that fused my love for computer science and social work - developing a mobile application to help my local community's homeless population connect with available resources.

While volunteering at a local food bank, I realized that many homeless individuals had access to smartphones but were unaware of the myriad resources available to them. Leveraging my programming skills, I conceptualized a user-friendly application that would consolidate information on shelters, free meal locations, health clinics, and job opportunities.

Navigating the challenges of developing this application, from ensuring its user-friendliness for a potentially less tech-savvy audience to keeping the information up-to-date, was an enriching learning experience. But the real reward came when a local non-profit agreed to partner with me to maintain and promote the app.

This project has not only honed my programming skills but also taught me valuable lessons in problem-solving, empathy, and the potential of technology as a tool for social good. If accepted to Boston University, I plan to continue exploring these intersections between technology and social impact, potentially through the Societal Engineer program offered at the College of Engineering. I also hope to bring my app to a larger platform, reaching more individuals and hopefully making a tangible difference in their lives.

Top Tips for Your Essays

Do Your Homework : Thoroughly research about BU. Find unique programs, classes, professors, or traditions that genuinely excite you. This shows the admissions team that you're seriously interested in BU.

Be Specific : Don't just say BU is a great school. Provide specific reasons why BU is a great school for you .

Show Impact : If you're writing the optional essay, be sure to illustrate how the experience you're discussing has shaped you as a person.

With these tips, we hope you feel ready to take on Boston University's supplemental essays. We look forward to seeing you on Commonwealth Avenue!

Related posts

Mastering the Tufts University Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Demystifying Georgetown University's Supplemental 2023-2024 Essays

Mastering Brown University's 2023-2024 Supplemental Essays

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Boston University Supplemental Essay Prompts

For many students, supplemental essays can be one of the most intimidating portions of a college application. But they are not so bad! The Boston University supplemental essays invite you to elaborate on the experiences and perspectives you bring to the table. Plus, they are your chance to show admissions why their school is your ideal place to study. 

Boston University has two supplemental essay prompts to choose from.  If you are applying to multiple schools, these may be shorter questions than you are used to. However, the prompt’s simplicity makes it especially important to come up with a thoughtful, fresh answer. 

We will walk you through both prompts and provide questions to begin asking yourself. These thought starters will help you generate ideas and find the story you’d most like to share. 

Related: Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool

“ Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it? (300 words)”

This prompt is perfectly setting you up to tell a narrative about something you are passionate about! This issue can be as big or as small as you want it to be, what matters most is that you are animated about this topic and have some prior experience and knowledge on this issue. To begin, you should brainstorm a time in your life in which you’ve solved a problem. For example, perhaps you noticed that there were no recycling cans in your high school so you discussed with the student council how to add recycling cans to your school. Another example could be something even smaller such as posting a news article on your social media pages in order to spread awareness about the cause. 

Whatever your story, tell it! Describe it in detail by listing your emotions, actions, and lessons learned from helping raise awareness about an issue you are passionate about! This prompt can be easy to get lost in by writing all about the issue and not enough about you. Remember, you are the one who wants to be accepted to Boston University – not your issue! Additionally, you should finish your response by detailing a lesson you learned or how advocating for an issue made you feel. 

Questions to consider: 

• What issues most matter to you? What gets you fired up? 
• If you could have an unlimited budget to donate to a charity, which one would you select? 
• Have you ever volunteered somewhere you were passionate about? What impact did you have and what did you learn from this experience? 

“What about being a student at Boston University most excites you? (300 words)”

To ace this prompt, you need to do some research. There are tons of exciting aspects about college, from living in a dorm to picking a major to cheering on your school’s athletic teams. But what is it about BU specifically that makes it your dream? Explore BU’s website , look at the course catalog, and check out its social media pages. Take notes on anything about the school that genuinely intrigues you! Another way to approach this essay is to think of what you are currently involved with in high school, or any passions you have. Look into what BU offers that might allow you to channel those interests. How does BU fulfill what you desire out of your college experience more than any other school? When you back up that claim with examples, it signals you have done your homework.

• Do you have any personal connections to Boston University? Such as family members whose pride for their school is something you admire and wish to have yourself? 
• Does BU have any clubs you can see yourself belonging to? Or something that energizes you academically, like a unique study abroad program?  
• When you look at the school’s values, mission statements, etc., how do those matchup with your own character? 

Related: How to write an essay about yourself

Final thoughts

After reading the above tips, you should be well on your way to writing stellar Boston University supplemental essays! Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to write and revise. 300 words is not “a lot” for most students who are applying to a college like Boston University. However, it is all the more challenging (and fun!) to allow “you” to come through with such a limited word limit. Best of luck with your supplemental essays!

Also see: How to choose a college

Additional resources

Make sure to check out our guides on writing both 250 word and 500 word essays . Our guide to responding to the Common App prompts might also come in handy, so take a look. When you are done writing your application essays, make sure to take the time to apply for scholarships.  Our free scholarship search tool is the perfect platform to custom-match you to vetted scholarships. Our easy to navigate platform will keep you on target, as it automatically updates when new opportunities are available (and reminds you about deadlines of all!). Good luck on your academic journey! 

Keep reading…

• How to write a 250 word essay
• College essay primer: Show, don’t tell
• How many schools should I apply to?
• When Should I Apply to College?

Other colleges to consider

• Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA)
• Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)
• New York University (New York, NY)

Frequently asked questions about the Boston University supplemental essay prompts

How long should my boston university supplemental essays be, can i reuse my common app personal statement for one of the supplemental essays, when are the application deadlines for boston university, can i get creative with my boston university supplemental essay answers, scholarships360 recommended.

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How to Write the Boston University Supplemental Essay: Examples + Guide 2023/2024

Want to geek out on stats and data and make more informed choices about college? Read Boston University’s Common Data Set, for an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information.

To find out why and get some key phrases that you can use to make your essays amazing, read its strategic plan . Reading through this will give you the inside scoop on what Boston University values and what changes will shape the university in the future.

BUT, please don’t just copy and paste chunks of the plan into your essay because a) that’s plagiarism and it's basically an academic crime, and b) anyone could do that.  

Think about this: What aspects of BU’s plan speak to you? Does it matter to you that the student-to-faculty ratio has dropped? Think about what this signals and whether that resonates with you (does more face-to-face time with professors appeal to you?). What about a new career planning center? This might be exciting if you’re planning on getting internships and taking advantage of help finding a job after college. Are you interested in global studies? Would you be excited to take classes at “one of the country’s largest schools of global and regional studies”? Keep reading to connect the dots. 

How to Write the Boston University Supplemental Essays TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What are the Boston University supplemental essay prompts?
• How to write each supplemental essay prompt for Boston University
• Prompt 1: “Community”/”Social Awareness” essay
• Prompt 2: “Why Us” essay
• How to write the Kilachand Honors College essay
• Prompt 1: “Why us” essay
• Prompt 2: “Creating a new course” essay
• How to write the Trustee Scholarship Essay
• Prompt 1: "Personal history/identity" essay
• Prompt 2: "Comfort zone or marginalized" essay

What is the Boston University supplemental essay prompt?

Boston university supplemental essay prompt #1.

Boston University is dedicated to our founding principles: “that higher education should be accessible to all and that research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice should be conducted in the service of the wider community—local and international. These principles endure in the University’s insistence on the value of diversity in its tradition and standards of excellence and its dynamic engagement with the City of Boston and the world.” With this mission in mind, please respond to one of the following two questions in 300 words or less: Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it? (300 words) What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community? (300 words)

Boston University Kilachand Honors College Essay

The mission of Kilachand Honors College is to offer a challenging liberal arts education grounded in critical and creative thinking, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and the real-world application of knowledge. Please see https://www.bu.edu/khc/about/ for more details about our program, and then respond to one of the following questions in an essay of 600 words or less: What about the Kilachand Honors College resonates with you, and how would Kilachand's curriculum fulfill your academic, creative, intellectual, and/or professional goals? (600 words) If you could create a new Kilachand course, what would it be? How would your imagined course align with the core values of Kilachand? (600 words)

Boston University Trustee Scholarship Essay

Please write an essay of 600 words or less in response to one of the following two topics: Nobel laureate and BU professor Elie Wiesel once said: “There is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests." Is there a book, film, podcast or life-experience that has made you feel more connected to your personal history/identity, and what is the most important thing you learned from it? (600 words) Describe a time when you felt out of your comfort zone or marginalized in a situation. How did you respond to that moment and how has it informed your actions moving forward? (600 words)

How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Boston University

Boston University is dedicated to our founding principles: “that higher education should be accessible to all and that research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice should be conducted in the service of the wider community—local and international. These principles endure in the University’s insistence on the value of diversity in its tradition and standards of excellence and its dynamic engagement with the City of Boston and the world.” With this mission in mind, please respond to one of the following two questions in 300 words or less:

• Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it? (300 words)

What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community? (300 words)

No matter which option you choose for this essay, notice that BU went to the trouble of inserting some of the college’s founding principles directly into the prompt! So there are big clues here about the subjects you’re being asked to write about: educational access for all, service to the community (local and international), diversity, and/or dynamic engagement in Boston and the world. As you plan your essay, consider how your experiences connect with one or more of these themes.

Essay option 1

Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it? (300 words)  

When choosing a topic for this prompt, explore these questions:  

What issue(s) matter most to you? 

What gets you fired up? 

What local or global situation do you find yourself thinking and talking about? 

And most importantly, how have you dedicated your time and energy to doing something about some of your answers to the questions above? 

Your activities list is a great place to look for a topic. Your social media feeds might also offer some useful clues—what social or community issues repeat in the accounts you follow? And keep in mind that you might already be writing an essay about one of your activities for another school that could double for this prompt. If so, it may be a candidate for a Super Essay .

Next, brainstorm your content by answering these questions:

What’s the issue that resonates with you? 

Why? Where do you see this issue playing out? Who or what is affected? 

What have you done about it? Be specific about your role and actions taken.

What impact did you have, and what did you learn?

Once you’ve answered those questions, you can dive into drafting. And the 1-4 order above can work for structuring your essay (Issue, Stakes, Actions, Impact + Insight). 

Because this is a new prompt for BU this year, we don’t have an example that was written specifically for it, but the examples below, written for other schools’ similar prompts (with a different word count), would work well.

In 2020, various racially motivated hate crimes such as the slew of disturbing police killings and spread of Asian hate caused me to reflect on racial injustice in America. While such injustices can take many different forms and be overt or subtle, all are equally capable of creating racial inequality. A societal issue significantly impacting minorities is educational injustice between private and public schools since students of color account for more than 75% of public-school enrollment. The pandemic exacerbated this problem as some private institutions (like my school), not impeded by a lack of financial resources or bureaucracy, could return to in-person instruction, while many public institutions stayed closed for the majority of the 2020-21 school year, their students’ educational experience less optimal as a result. The values of service instilled through my Sacred Heart education prompted me to act in response to this injustice and do my part to propagate educational equality across races in the Bay Area. My interest in tutoring began in middle school when I volunteered in my school’s peer tutoring program. In high school, I created a tutoring club, giving my peers the opportunity to help younger elementary students on financial aid with their homework. With the club being sidetracked by COVID-19, I joined 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students in the Bay Area. This experience prompted me to transition my old club to a remote format, adapting to restrictions posed by the pandemic. I worked with my friend to rebrand the club, naming it TutorDigital, registering it as a non-profit, and designing a website, efforts which expanded our reach to include local public schools. Through our efforts, we’ve helped provide tutoring services to 32 underprivileged Bay Area students, while also identifying other opportunities to support public schools, such as donating upwards of 60 iPads and creating a book donation program.  While educational injustice is an issue that unfortunately will not be solved overnight, it’s an issue that must be aggressively addressed, now more than ever given the massive impacts from the pandemic. I look forward to continuing this work at Boston College. But for now, I gain comfort from each thank you note from a parent or good grade achieved by a student, knowing my efforts have potentially improved the academic trajectory of these children and helped to address racial injustice in America. (393 words) — — —

Tips & Advice:

Use the problem/solution structure from your brainstorming. This student starts the essay by naming how racially motivated hate crimes raised their awareness of racial inequity and then identifying the specific context that concerns them, educational injustice. Once they flesh out the problem in the second paragraph, they launch into a description of the steps they took to address it. The structural approach used here can also work well in other essays you may be writing about volunteer or community service.

Be specific about your role and activities. The bulk of this essay—the third paragraph—clearly lays out this student’s actions on the issue: started a tutoring club, joined a nonprofit, rebranded the club, registered it as a non-profit, etc. Using clear, active verbs with this kind of detail helps you highlight your skills and achievements for your admissions reader.

Show your impact. Thank you notes and good grades let this student know how they might have improved their students’ academic trajectory and achieved their goal of addressing racial injustice. And offer tangible evidence when possible: 32 students, 60 iPads, book donations. What has happened because of your efforts? What outcomes can you report? Whom have you affected and how?

Looking ahead… at BU. This author points out that there’s still much to do and that they plan to continue their work at BU. You could go further by suggesting one or two specific things you plan to do on campus on your issue, building on what you’ve already done. For ideas, do a little “Why Us” research and link back to those founding BU principles: educational access, diversity, community service, and local and global engagement.

Read on for another example essay that would work well for this prompt:

In the 1930s, 36 members of my family were lost to the Holocaust, and that fact has since led me to carry on the memory of my ancestors through tradition—preparing for my Bar Mitzvah, observing Jewish holidays, and going to synagogue for Rosh Hashana. Additionally, it has driven me to teach others about the Holocaust. At my first-year Entry, I would share my involvement within the Jewish community, and how it has led me to become a more engaged member of society. During this past school year, I became an educator on the Student Leadership Board of the Seattle-based Holocaust Center for Humanity. Meeting biweekly, we discussed historical anti-Semitism as well as modern-day discrimination toward oppressed groups of people. Before joining the board, I had felt disconnected from Jewish activism and lacked a community of fellow Jewish activists. My year on the board solved that. Each week, I added my ideas and learned from fellow students during group discussion. Additionally, I built an interactive website to share the story of a Holocaust survivor.  Even though we weren’t all Jewish, this group’s drive for educating others and spreading peace brought us closer. It was a community where we could talk about serious current events, but also where we could share a laugh. At Williams, I hope to discover that same kind of community. I’ll join the Williams College Jewish Association, where I can carry on what I loved about the Holocaust Center’s board, participating in discussions, leading service projects, and making impactful art to share stories. Even outside that group, I’ll bring to Williams my Jewish values and enthusiasm for meeting people from different backgrounds, spreading a greater message of peace and kindness. (282 words) — — —

Esaay option 2

This prompt is a version of the “Why us?” essay, with an invitation to say specifically how you plan to contribute to the BU community. As such, we recommend checking out this complete guide on how to write the “Why us?” essay and paying close attention to the “Why Cornell” and “Why Penn” examples, which are our favorites.

Here’s the short version of how to write the “Why us?” essay:

Spend 1 hr+ researching 10+ reasons why Boston University might be a great fit for you (ideally 3-5 of the reasons will be unique to Boston U and connect back to you).

Make a copy of this chart to map out your college research.

Come up with at least three ways you plan to contribute to life on campus, whether in an academic context, extracurricular activities, student leadership, or in other ways.

Create an outline for your essays based on either Approach 1, 2 (recommended), or 3 in the full guide above. Either conclude with your planned contributions, or weave them into the rest of the essay. 

Write a first draft!

As you write, try to avoid these common mistakes: 

Six Common Mistakes Students Make on “Why Us?” Essays

Mistake #1: Writing about the school's size, location, reputation, weather, or ranking.

Mistake #2: Simply using emotional language to demonstrate fit.

Mistake #3: Screwing up the mascot, stadium, team colors, or names of any important people or places on campus.

Mistake #4: Parroting the brochures or website language.

Mistake #5: Describing traditions the school is well-known for.

Mistake #6: Thinking of this as only a "Why them" essay.

Here’s a great sample essay for the BU supplemental essay. 

If plotted on a three-dimensional graph, BU stands as the intersection between science (X=1), humanities (Y=1), and a global education (Z=1). At point (1, 0, 0) you will find “CAS BI 206: Genetics,” while “CAS XL 342: Travel Writing and the Muslim World” will likely be found closer to (0, 0.75, 0.50). Classes involving travel or fieldwork all lie along the plane Z=1. In our three-dimensional world, BU prepares the next generation of students to see beyond X and Y. As a budding geneticist and physician, I am often told that I will have to sacrifice fundamental pieces of who I am in order to pursue a career in science. But as a (1, 0.5, 0.25), as an avid researcher but also an activist, volunteer, and community advocate, I know that I have to find a college that allows me to grow in all directions. I know that BU is exactly that. And because an entire college experience can never be broken down into numbers alone, I hope to work in the lab with Dr. Ho, as her research builds off of the work I am currently involved in at Columbia University to study genomes for disease-causing mutations. Additionally, the International Affairs Association combines both my passions for Model UN and service through BarMUN and Global Civics. Fun and exploration, awareness and advocacy find a home at Boston University, and I hope that I will as well.  — — —

Tips + Analysis

Find your hook. With the three-dimensional graph framing of this essay, this student reveals their math mind and scientific expertise without even saying it. What’s your 3d graph? As in, what do you know a lot about, or what’s something that you uniquely identify with? One of these elements can help you lead in an engaging and revelatory way.

Consider referencing specific classes and professors: Knowing that Boston University has classes such as “CAS BI 206: Genetics” and “CAS XL 342: Travel Writing and the Muslim World” shows the reader that this student dove deep into the academic offerings available. Bonus: These classes are pretty uncommon, especially the second one. Try to avoid referencing generic classes that every college will have such as Intro to Physics. Connect the classes to your specific interests (the more narrow, the better) and demonstrate what kind of student you’ll be. 

Speak to BU’s founding principles: This student’s use of the phrase “as an avid researcher but also an activist, volunteer, and community advocate,” nods to BU’s position that “research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice should be conducted in the service of the wider community.” (Pro tip: Try not to do this more than once in the essay; it’ll feel like you’re just telling BU what it wants to hear.) You can also take a look at your Values List and see how yours align with what excites you about BU. 

Brag, humbly: Instead of just stating that she hopes to “work in the lab with Dr. Ho” (a BU professor), this student connects her future plans at BU to college-level research she’s currently doing “at Columbia University to study genomes for disease-causing mutations.” This is what we call a subtle brag: Show off that you’re conducting college-level research as a high school student without sounding like a jerk or randomly dropping it in. Because it directly connects to this student’s values and future goals, it works. But if you haven’t done Ivy League-level research as a high school student, that’s okay. Almost no one has, and they still get accepted to great schools. Just think about what you have accomplished so far and see if you can connect some of those experiences to your future plans. Tutored your cousin in math? Awesome. You can use that. 

Articulate your planned contributions. This student wrote her essay before BU added the piece about contributing to community, but she headed that way by saying how she plans to participate in the International Affairs Association as an extension of her previous ModelUN and service activities. Go further in that direction with additional specific ways you’ll get involved on campus.

From first looking at countries’ GDPs without knowing what they meant, to exploring Keynes and Marx and neo-classical theory, I love that Economics challenges me to think about conflicts in aspects like religion, culture, and ethics that have significant impact on our lives. At Boston University, I want to explore how these important issues can be analyzed through Economics.  I am interested in both Behavioural Economics and Developmental Economics. Even though I have not studied them in school, books like The Undercover Economist  and TED talks have made me curious about different branches in Economics. Boston University Professor Raymond Fisman’s research paper, “Experience of Communal Conflicts and Intergroup lending” explores the connection between religion-based communal violence and lending, a connection I find interesting as religion is one of the factors that has enabled the economic development of my father’s hometown in India. To explore more about how religion connects with economics, I researched and wrote a 4,000 word essay on the contribution of religious pilgrimage and tourism of Ujjain for my IB extended essay.  Apart from Economics courses, Boston University’s community interests me because of things like India Club and Debate Club. India Club will help me to feel at home. And I really like debating, which has made me open to and aware of different beliefs and values and has connected me to people with different opinions. I’m also interested in the Boston University magazine, which helps generate conversation and connection among people.  — — —

Tips + Analysis:

Consider describing research you’ve already done (if you’ve done some). This student starts off with his interest in Economics. Then, he describes how he’s already furthered this interest. By reading “books like The Undercover Economist” and listening to TED talks, this student shows the reader what he’s done so far (although he could get a bit more specific here and list which TED talks were most memorable). These details give him the opportunity to connect professors, classes, and opportunities at BU to his interests in a specific way. He also mentions his IB Extended Essay, “a 4,000 word essay on the contribution of religious pilgrimage and tourism of Ujjain,” which shows he is capable of specific, high-level academic research and writing in his chosen field. If you’re an IB student, mentioning your essay topic in your supplemental prompts is a great way to demonstrate your academic readiness for college. If you’re not an IB student, think about other advanced work you’ve done and maybe find a way to work it in. 

Show how you’ll engage with BU inside and outside the classroom: This prompt asks what excites you about BU and how you’ll contribute to the community, which implies that it’s expecting you to go beyond just academics. The more detailed, the better. Really imagine yourself on campus. Where will you live? What will you do on the weekend, in the evenings? Who will your friends be? How will you meet them? What clubs or activities will you join or start? What communities might you become a part of, and what will you uniquely bring to them? This student mentions his excitement to join the India Club and the Debate Club, painting a picture of how he’ll fit into the wider student community at BU and getting a chance to further highlight his culture. 

Make personal connections: This student connects a BU professor’s research paper, “Experience of Communal Conflicts and Intergroup lending,” to the economic development of his father’s hometown in India, demonstrating that a) he’s read a college-level research paper and done a deep dive into BU’s Econ department, and b) this research has personal significance to him. Once you’ve found some good research about the college, remember to connect it back to your why (why are you interested in this subject, professor, paper, topic, etc.?). The more specific you are, the better your odds are of standing out. 

How to Write the Kilachand Honors College Essay

Kilachand Honors College Essay The mission of Kilachand Honors College is to offer a challenging liberal arts education grounded in critical and creative thinking, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and the real-world application of knowledge. Please see https://www.bu.edu/khc/about/ for more details about our program, and then respond to one of the following questions in an essay of 600 words or less:

What about the Kilachand Honors College resonates with you, and how would Kilachand's curriculum fulfill your academic, creative, intellectual, and/or professional goals? (600 words)

If you could create a new Kilachand course, what would it be? How would your imagined course align with the core values of Kilachand? (600 words)

Essay Option 1

Kilachand’s first option is a “Why Us?” essay, so you can follow the same advice and method for Option 2 above, focusing on the unique elements of the Kilachand program. Since you’re vying for a more limited number of spots, it’s even more critical to make a solid match between you and the honors college’s offerings. Here, you’re asked to say specifically how you’ll use the Kilachand curriculum to further your goals (academic, creative, intellectual and/or professional). Given Kilachand’s mission, yours will likely involve how you intend to benefit your community with the expertise you gain in the program.

Please note that we don’t have sample essays written specifically for the Kilachand Honors program, but the example below can illustrate the direction you’ll want to head in.

Art and medicine may seem like opposites, but for me, they’re symbiotic. At WashU, I’d be equipped with the resources to one day use both to nurture healthier lives.   I'm especially hungry to understand the intricacies of mental health by learning how physicians coordinate care for depression patients at the Charles F. Knight Hospital with Med Prep 2. Or learning about treating certain disorders by regularly attending therapy sessions with an autistic child in the Practicum in Applied Behavior course, then applying it to contribute to frequent lesson adaptations for autistic children’s therapies with the non-profit Giant Steps of St. Louis. After reading Because Tomorrow Needs Her’s heartbreaking stories on high maternal mortality rates around the world, I’m inspired to research how to train Ghana physicians to more effectively treat surgical infections resulting from C-sections with Dr. Denise Willers, and connect survivors of sexual assault with free counseling with the CHIPS Health & Wellness Center. I also want to use my minor in Creative Practice for Social Change to make an impact on women’s health with art. Could I choreograph a Bharatnatyam dance that showcases how pregnant women worldwide lack transportation to life-saving medical care? Only at WashU. (197 words) — — —

Name your niche. The courses and opportunities this student chose to highlight precisely articulate her interest in treatments related to depression, autism, c-sections, and sexual assault. In just 200 words, the author gives us a crystal clear snapshot of what matters to her and where she plans to direct her attention. And you have 600 words to play with. As you dig deep into the Kilachand program, hone in on those offerings that reveal your unique areas of interest, which will allow you to stand out from other applicants. To get there…

Do your research. This student obviously went deep to identify things that spoke directly to her desires. Find out about the special courses and professors that make up this program. Read up on Kilachand’s website, news articles and social media about Kilachand initiatives, research, community programs and more. Find a former alumni and ask to talk with them about their experiences. As you learn about the specifics of the curriculum, prepare to share how your experiences and intentions align directly with them.

See yourself there. Unique features of the Kilachand program are the Keystone Project you’ll complete in your senior year and the emphasis on experiential learning. Although you may not yet know what you’ll want to research, you can propose one or two possibilities that build on research or other work you’ve already done. Or throw out an idea or two for how you’ll learn by doing with Kilachand’s support (a particular internship, study abroad project, etc.)

Surprise! At the end of the essay, the author depicts an unforgettable image: choreographing an Indian traditional dance about global inequities in access to pregnancy care! That idea could spring only from the head (and heart) of this one individual. What’s one of your wild goals that no one else has thought of? Leave the reader with a look into your future.

Essay Option 2

This is your chance to be creative and really speak to the values that draw you to Kilachand. You’ve probably spent a lot of your high school career taking standard required courses. Now you get to dive into a truly engaging college curriculum tailored to your interests. And with this prompt, you get to design the one class you’d most like to take! Some pointers to get you started:

Tip #1: Think about what really gets you excited intellectually. Is there a course or academic extracurricular activity that you’d like to explore further? Something you’re constantly wondering, reading and watching youtube videos about? A subject you wish was offered at your high school? Scroll your news feed… what grabs your attention? Choose a narrow piece of one of those and develop your course around it.

Tip #2: If you’re looking for ideas, think about what you love and what you know and where there’s a nexus between them. Maybe you adore food and you’re curious about migration… What about “Refuge and Recipes: How Food Transports Culture”? Also consider any aspects of yourself that haven’t come through elsewhere in your application. If you’ve already communicated your academic prowess and contributions to your local community, wouldn’t it also be valuable to reveal your madness for bungee jumping or native geckos?

Tip #3: In order to answer the second part of the prompt, you’ll need to connect your invention with the school’s intentions. If you don’t already know what Kilachand’s core values are, you can start with its Mission & Objectives . Kilachand is looking for creative thinkers who will develop new solutions to global problems, so take this chance to show how you direct your innovative mind to real-world issues.

Please note that we don’t have sample essays written specifically for the Kilachand Honors program, but the example below, written for an older Pomona prompt, can illustrate the direction you’ll want to head in.

Example essay:  

The Exalted Power of Music: How Our Ears Inspire Our Eyes Course Description: Music dominates our society–pop songs and singers such as Drake are hugely popular and influential in today’s time. But where else in our lives does the enchanting power of music hold influence? As we investigate and unravel the techniques of modern artists through a diverse slate of plays, cartoons, and films, we will discover the vital role of music in enhancing benchmark works of visual fiction. Simultaneously, through philosophical readings of Walton and Nietzsche, we will analyze the emotional and physiological effects of music, examining the dynamic interplay of visual and auditory elements. Finally, students will synthesize their research to create a short film or multimedia piece that displays their knowledge of visual aspects, music's attributes, and their combined impact on a universal audience.  Sample lectures:   How To Enjoy Murder: Alternating Major and Minor Chords in Schubert’s String Quartet No. 15 Required Reading/Viewing/Listening:   The Evolution of Music in Film and its Psychological Impact on Audiences - Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D. Crimes and Misdemeanors - Woody Allen Schubert’s String Quartet No. 15 Why We Love Saturday Morning Cartoons: Two Mechanisms of Fictional Immersion   Required Reading/Viewing/Listening:   Fearing Fictions - Kendall L. Walton The Birth of Tragedy, Section 7, 24, 25 - F. Nietzsche Tom and Jerry, Episode 33 - William Hanna and Joseph Barbera Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 How Movies Possess Our Bodies: A Physiological Analysis   Required Reading/Viewing/Listening:   Quantitative and Visual Analysis of the Impact of Music on Perceived Emotion of Film - Rob Parke, Elaine Chew, Chris Kyriakakis The Invisible Art of Film Music, Section 7 - Lawrence E. MacDonald Jaws - Steven Spielberg Why Fiction Feels So Real: Analyzing Silence Required Reading/Viewing/Listening:   Silence and Slow Time: Studies in Musical Narrative - Martin Boykan Life Is a Dream - Pedro Calderón de la Barca “4’33”” - John Cage In a society propelled by media and entertainment, the study of music’s influence on our lives not only can allow us to better produce captivating works, but understand our emotional responses and discover the profundity of human expression. (347 words) — — —

Tips + Advice:  

Hook your reader with your course title. A clever title will not only engage your reader’s curiosity, but further flex your ingenuity. 

Geek out. This is the perfect place to show off specialized knowledge of your pet subject with insider jargon or super specific examples. Here, the writer proves their range with titles spanning music, research publications, literature and more. 

Style matters. This essay reads like an actual college course description. While you’re perusing the course catalog for your “Why Us?” essay(s), take a look at one as a model to cultivate this style of writing.

Do it your way. This student would require a short film or multimedia project as the final exam. If you’ve figured out inventive learning methods that work for you, bring them in here. Especially with Kilachand’s lean toward beyond-the-classroom study, dream into what would be the most fun and engaging for you… Museum visits? Author interviews? Podcast creation? Any such thing would be a welcome demonstration of how you think outside the box. 

How to write the Boston University Trustee Scholarship Essay

Please write an essay of 600 words or less in response to one of the following two topics:

Nobel laureate and BU professor Elie Wiesel once said: “There is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests." Is there a book, film, podcast or life- experience that has made you feel more connected to your personal history/identity, and what is the most important thing you learned from it? (600 words)

Describe a time when you felt out of your comfort zone or marginalized in a situation. How did you respond to that moment and how has it informed your actions moving forward? (600 words)

How to approach this prompt:

With Wiesel’s quote in the prompt, BU is signaling its belief that learning involves drawing on the expertise gained by our personal and collective forebears, that history matters, and that a scholar should acknowledge the shoulders of the giants they stand on. As you reflect on a topic for this essay, consider what aspects of your personal history or identity have had the greatest impact on you. Is there a particular event in your family line, a geography, a people, a cultural element or association that has strongly defined who you are? Then consider what book, film, podcast or life experience has let you feel closest to that.

Since BU awards only about 20 of these scholarships, your aim is to write a standout response. One way to do that is to choose a book, film, podcast or life experience so singular and captivating that your reader will ruminate on it after they set down their applications for the day. Another is to reach for unexpected and uncommon insights to answer the second part of the prompt—what you learned. Take the item or anecdote you’re sharing and consider the cliché takeaways that someone else might write about it, e.g, “I learned that family is the most important thing.” Then circular file those (as in, throw them away) and strive for illuminating insights that reveal perspective only you could hold.

For college, I left the burgeoning tech suburbs where I grew up and dropped into a large, diverse state institution teeming with thrilling new people and experiences. One of my fave memories from freshman year was wandering into my normally staid poli sci lecture hall packed out the door for a Black fraternity step show. While I fretted about being the only white person there—my mind wracked with self-doubt about acting right and not offending anyone—no one seemed to notice or care. Once those shows and the people I met there became a regular part of my life, I realized that what I gained from that experience—the exposure to different histories, language, perspective and expression I wouldn't have known existed if I’d stayed in my circle—far outweighed my small personal discomfort that first time. 

Since then, I’ve continually leaned into opportunities to learn more about this world by connecting with people different from me, respectfully and without fear. Most recently, I lived in various countries around the Mediterranean, staying with local Muslim families in order to learn about Islam and facilitate close and peaceful relations between Muslims and Jews. 

That’s one story. Yours is another. Whether you choose to write about a time you felt out of your comfort zone or a situation in which you felt marginalized, you’re invited here to tell the truth about your experience. Describe both the context and how you felt. Use descriptive detail so that the reader can imagine themselves in your shoes. Let your essay speak to the underlying personal, political, or social issues that were at play in the situation.

Bear in mind that the most important part of the prompt is the second piece: how you responded in the moment and how the experience affected your actions going forward. In other words, what can you demonstrate about the person you are when faced with such a situation, and how did you grow as a result of it? What you write about that will enlighten the scholarship grantors about your personal qualities, values and worldview. 

Check the Values List and discern which ones were strengthened. Share anecdotes or examples after the event that highlight your altered way of thinking and engaging in the world.

Want advice on dozens of other supplemental essays? Click here.

Special thanks to Shira for writing this blog post.

Shira Harris is an alternative educator, amateur ambassador, former civil rights attorney and queer activist, who received her BA from UC Berkeley and law degree from New York University. Currently, she studies Arabic, Hebrew, migration and mediation in the Mediterranean; upon completion of the masters program, she intends to work for peace in Israel Palestine. Shira loves hiking, camping, traveling, learning, cooking with friends, the CEG community and fourth-grader jokes.

Top Values: Integrity/ Curiosity / Love

• College Application

Boston University Supplemental Essay Examples

Perusing some Boston University supplemental essay examples will be a great foundational step to writing your own college application essays for Boston University. Excellent essays are one option for making your college application stand out.

Why look at example essays at all? Even knowing how to start a college essay can be a tricky prospect; looking over sample essays is a great first step, because you will see how other people kicked their own essay off. Or, maybe you’ve been working on your essay for a long time, and even though you’ve studied expert college essay tips , you don’t know how to apply them to refine your essay.

In this article, we will look at the two required essays for a Boston University application, the common application essay – a personal statement – and the supplemental essay. Then, we’ll give you some tips and tricks to write any kind of essay generally and supply you with specific information you need to write your Boston University essays.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 8 min read

The boston university supplemental essays.

Boston University requires students to complete two essays, a BU-specific essay and a Common Application personal statement.

Each of these essays fulfill a specific purpose in the Boston University application process, and you should take those purposes into consideration.

Boston University-specific Essay

Prompt: “What about being a Boston University student most excites you?”

Length: 250 words

This question, “Why Boston University?” is a common question asked by most universities and colleges of their prospective students. What they want to know here is why you fit perfectly with their school, and how you will mutually benefit each other.

First, you need to know about the school. What is so special about Boston University? Look up the programs they have but dive deep. A lot of schools teach math or have English lit courses. What does Boston University do that no other school is doing? Consider research that is being conducted or find out about any unique programs they have that excite you.

Of course, most of this you’ve already found out; it’s what inspired you to put Boston University on your list of top-choice schools, after all. All you need to do is pick your favorite reason – maybe two of them – and talk about them in the essay.

You can mention things like the beauty of the campus, but don’t focus on those aspects. You’re applying based on something deeper than the lovely buildings. The best subjects to talk about are academics and values.

Display not only why you would be excited to attend the school, but also why you will fit well with the school’s mission statement and their directives. This isn’t just about why you want to attend their institution. After all, they know their school is great – they love it. They want to check compatibility, like an academic dating app. Give them every reason to swipe right.

Prompt: “Please use this space if you have additional information, materials, or writing samples you would like us to consider.”

Length: None specified; aim for about a page or 600 words.

A personal statement is meant to introduce yourself and answer the question of who you are as a unique applicant. Therefore, you need to think about something you can say about yourself that is unique and shows off your perspectives, experiences, and accomplishments to any member of the admissions committee who is reading your statement.

What sorts of things might you include? You should think beyond your resume. Your transcript has your “stats,” so give them something extra. Give your reader insight into how you think. For example, you might take something you’ve done – a particular laboratory class, for instance – and speak to how you changed your thought processes, or what you learned about lab work. Your CV says you did the lab and got this-or-that grade, but if you talk about how this experience changed you, you give a far greater understanding of yourself to the committee.

With those samples in mind, you should have a pretty good idea of how to go about creating your own, perfect essay.

Some general tips and advice on how to write a college essay won’t hurt, so read on for a little extra information.

Let’s start off with format. The format you’re going to follow is a standard essay writing format, with an introduction paragraph, a body, and a conclusion.

Your college essay introduction should be a paragraph that sets up the rest of the essay, or story, that you’re relating to the admissions committee. Think of this as a way to set up expectations, but also to grab attention. You want to “hook” your reader in with a great opener. Do this with enough panache that they would want to read the whole essay whether they were on the admissions committee or not.

The other main thing your opening paragraph does is tell your reader what they have to look forward to. Maybe you’re going to emphasize a particular mentor, a skill you’ve developed, or academic performance and growth, but whatever your focus is, set that up in the opener.

That brings us neatly to the body of the essay. This is where your college essay topic is unpacked, expanded on, and explored. You should cover two or three main points – don’t overstuff this section. Whatever you set up in the opener becomes the bulk of your material. Do showcase at least two major elements of yourself here – give the impression of being well-rounded and having many qualities, even though you’re only touching on a couple of them.

Finally, conclude your essay by fulfilling the expectations of the opening paragraph. Your goal here is to conclude in such a way that the admissions committee wants to hear more, which means they will invite you to the next step in the admissions process, and then you just have to worry about how to prepare for a college interview .

Working on your Common App essay or personal statement too? Check out this video for tips:

Take note of how the BU-specific essay referenced Boston University’s GCIL initiative and the Hub. Those are unique learning opportunities at BU. The writer also shows why those particular aspects of BU are important to them, demonstrating why they would “gel” with the school.

Both essays focus on the uniqueness of the writer, so any admissions committee members will want to see more from this person, increasing their chances of an invitation.

Boston University gives no firm word count limits but be sure to check before applying; that might change from year to year. Read carefully over your prompts and instructions before working on your essays.

That is a wealth of information, both in examples and advice, which will serve you well in your essay-writing and application-filling days ahead. If you need more, go in search of other college essay examples to further boost your confidence and technique.

Remember to refine your essay, giving it all the care and attention it deserves – which is a lot. Your application depends on all aspects allowing you to shine through. Give yourself the best personal introduction you can.

We recommend that you dedicate time every week for three to four weeks to work on your essays; you don’t have to work full-time on them, but you do need to give yourself the time to brainstorm, write, review, edit, and polish your work.

The first is about 250 words, but the second is unspecified. Be careful not to go overboard. A page is plenty, and we recommend that you try to keep your work to no more than 600 words. There is no need to pad your essays; just answer the prompts.

Common App, or Common Application, is a centralized service used by post-secondary institutions all over the world. It allows students to create one application and send it in to multiple colleges or universities.

In complete congruity with its name, the Common App is widely used. A list of which schools use Common App is a long list: literally hundreds.

There are several factors to consider here. Different schools might weigh these two documents differently, so check with the school. Some schools have cutoffs, which means that a poor grade average on your transcript might eliminate you from having your essays read at all.

The best way to approach your application is to assume that all aspects are extremely important. Why chance anything? Why do less than your best?

Yes. Boston University accepts applicants from out of the state and out of the country. In fact, in a recent year, Boston University’s international students made up 24% of the student body.

The acceptance rate was 14% in a recent year.

The Common App allows for this, yes; you can change your essays after submission.

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Boston University Admissions 233 Bay State Road, Boston MA 02215

Trustee Scholarship

Every year, BU welcomes approximately 20 outstanding students to the Trustee Scholars Program. Many of our current Scholars had perfect 4.0 grade point averages in high school and ranked in the top of their class.

In addition to exceptional academic credentials, Trustee Scholars are intellectually and creatively adventurous and demonstrate viewpoints, experiences, or achievements beyond the usual. They are, in other words, not just top students, but extraordinarily well-rounded individuals. At BU, Trustee Scholars become part of a unique campus community that offers many intellectual, cultural, and social opportunities.

A Trustee Scholarship covers full undergraduate tuition plus mandatory undergraduate student fees, and is renewable for four years if certain criteria are met.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for a trustee scholarship:.

• Submit the Common Application and all required materials for admission to one of the undergraduate degree programs at BU  by December 1 .
• Complete the Trustee Scholarship essay on the Common Application as part of your application to BU.

The Trustee Scholarship Essay:

Please choose from one of the two prompts below and submit one essay, in 600 words or less, as part of your application through the Common Application.

• Nobel laureate and BU professor Elie Wiesel once said: “There is divine beauty in learning… To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests.” Is there a book, film, podcast or life- experience that has made you feel more connected to your personal history/identity, and what is the most important thing you learned from it?
• Describe a time when you felt out of your comfort zone or marginalized in a situation. How did you respond to that moment and how has it informed your actions moving forward?

For more information, please contact us at 617-353-2320.

Make Your Dreams Come True

Get all the nitty-gritty financial aid details that can turn the dream of a BU degree into a very exciting reality.

Merit Scholarships

Apply for financial aid, visit the site, financial assistance.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the Boston University Essays 2016-2017

About boston university.

If you prefer a charming New England environment amid a bustling city often consumed by heavy snow, then you might find yourself applying to Boston University, located in the heart of what has been called America’s college town. If you decide to come study in Boston, you will never be further than a short train ride or walk from an obscene amount of historic buildings, including Fenway Park, the Charles River Esplanade, Harvard, MIT, the Boston Common (America’s first public park), and many other notable places of interests.

Placing you and approximately 16,500 other undergraduate students in the city where an extensive amount of foundational US history was made, BU will give you the opportunity to pursue just about any degree that you want, and engage in any of 500 extracurricular activities it has to offer. It has received acclaim for both its capacity to conduct scientific research and the large number of various accolades its alumni have gone on to collect (7 Nobel laureates, 23 Pulitzer Prize winners, nine Academy Award winners, and more!).

This may not come as a surprise given that BU totals over 33,000 students per academic year within its massive expanse of property. Graduation from this institution will confer upon you an alumni network of over 300,000 people spread across about 190 countries.

If attending BU is your dream, then you will have to prepare an admissions essay responding to the following prompt in the BU supplement to the Common App. Not to worry, for our BU specialists at CollegeVine have created the following guide to help you through the creation of your admissions essay for BU.

Boston University’s Essay Prompt

In no more than 250 words, please tell us why BU is a good fit for you and what specifically has led you to apply for admission.

This is a very general question that must be answered in a very concise set of words. Thus, it is advisable to compose a rough draft that will most likely exceed 250 words, including everything you want to add in your short response. Afterward, a few rounds of editing will let you condense your ideas, excise the superfluous, and submit a strong response within 250 words. Remember: it’s better to have to cut words later on than to have inadequate content for a response.

Like most admission essay prompts of this nature, the applicant is required to demonstrate that he or she has done enough self-reflection to develop genuine interest in BU. In fact, BU admissions officers are expecting that the applicant will have done research on the institution in order to point out precisely which of its aspects best cater to his or her professional, academic, and/or personal fulfillment.

Moreover, as always, it is not enough to simply praise the university; the admission officers do not gain any knowledge about you as an applicant if they receive only praise about BU. The trick to composing a successful BU supplement response is to combine some of BU’s attractive traits with some truth about yourself that usually only becomes apparent after a high-degree of introspection.

Being able to summarize yourself and convince someone else that BU is the best possible match for you requires careful diction and thought development in order to make the best use of the few precious words allowed to make your argument.

One possible approach would be to make a list of all the things about BU that appeal to you. Then, compare each item on that list to some aspect of who you are, whether that be a particular type of extracurricular formerly involved in, a desired academic focus, a carefully written worldview that is best supported by being constantly exposed to a plethora of people in a sizeable space, or something else unique to you.

Often, these types of short responses are actually much harder to compose than one might initially assume, due to the specificity of content required coupled with as much self-understanding that an 18-year-old can have. Therefore, it is imperative that you try to outline your thoughts in bulk before attempting to cram them all into 250 words.

One example of a response to this prompt could start by taking note that BU offers one of the most comprehensive examples of diversity in coursework that a student can experience. Many other institutions do not have the luxury of having such a wide array of studies, including such courses as remote sensing, aerospace engineering, hospitality administration, and lighting design. This would allow the latter part of the response to discuss how the applicant is not ready to settle into one particular subject area and wants to maximize her breadth of study.

Furthermore, while BU is able to retain its status as a liberal arts institution, students who have already made up their minds on what they wish to study can pursue degrees that are much more specific. BU’s biology and business programs have at least half a dozen majors within them!

For example, for the precocious scholar who has known for years that she wants to study the ocean and its inhabitants — as evidenced by her diving credentials and high school projects on sea cows — being able to focus on marine science in college would give her a substantial leg up on another college graduate who was not able to study the subject more in-depth than a major in general biology.

Above all else when responding to this prompt, be sure to distinguish yourself from other applicants. While a longer word count might allow for more general statements, in this case, every single topic that is mentioned in the prompt should be clearly illustrated and inapplicable to other applicants. It is indeed a difficult exercise in persuasion to have your reader remember you after only 250 words, but that is the test that BU has devised to qualify an applicant, so please remain mindful of that fact as you write.

Luckily, our Boston University essay specialists are trained in creating responses to such tricky prompts, so please do not hesitate to reach out to schedule a free consultation .

From our best to yours, we at CollegeVine wish you a successful experience as you prepare to apply to BU.

Happy writing!

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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The BU Trustee Scholarship: Deadlines, Advice & Essay Prompts

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Whether or not you qualify for financial aid, there are other ways to get a full ride to your dream school. If Boston University is yours, then you can apply for their merit-based BU Trustee Scholarship. 

The BU Trustee Scholarship Award

Boston University’s merit-based scholarships recognizes students academic excellence and leadership potential. The BU Trustee Scholarship is awarded to 20 outstanding new freshmen every year. The scholarship covers the students full tuition over their 4 years at BU, as long as they continue to meet the academic criteria.

Application Deadline

All seniors are welcome to apply for the BU Trustee Scholarship. Students who are interested in being a candidate for the BU Trustee Scholarship must complete and submit their BU application through the Common Application by December 1st.

In addition, BU Trustee Scholar applicants are also required to submit 2 additional supplemental essay, which will also be submitted through the Common Application.

Application Essays 

Supplemental Essay 1:

Boston University Trustee Scholars are encouraged to develop well-informed and well-reasoned views of important political, social, and artistic issues. We select students who have a sense of how to present persuasive arguments in support of their views. With that in mind, please select one of the questions below and respond with an essay explaining your perspective in 600 words or less.

Essay Prompt #1

“Some have described the worldwide appeal of populism–a grass-roots force associated with a distrust of political and cultural elites, the attraction to common-sense solutions, and an upsurge in ethnic, religious, or national pride–as a response to the upheavals of globalization. Over the past decades, technology and global trade have cost jobs and emptied cities, income inequality has grown exponentially, and, for many, the values of community and identity seem more threatened today than ever before.”

Essay Prompt #2

“In your view, is the appeal of populism a necessary and positive corrective to the challenges of globalization, an unrealistic or inadequate response to the current age, or some combination of both? Is it an example of democracy at its best or a danger to democratic institutions?”

Essay Prompt #3

“Biospecimens routinely taken during medical procedures such as blood tests, biopsies, and surgeries can be an important source for research into a variety of diseases. In some cases, this research has led to breakthroughs in the development of new drugs and therapies. While protocols are now widespread requiring explicit consent from patients before any specimens are used for research, researchers predict future areas of research, especially regarding genetic material, that are unknown today.

Do you believe patients must give their consent before any biospecimens from their bodies may be used for research? Must all possible areas of research be specified? In cases where the research leads to commercially viable treatments should they or their families be compensated?”

Essay Prompt #4

“The German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote: “One cannot escape the world more certainly than through art, and one cannot bind oneself to it more certainly than through art.”

With extended reference one novel, poem, play, piece of music, or work of art, please discuss what you believe this sentence to mean.”

Supplemental Essay 2:

In addition, please submit a short essay of no more than 300 words, to the statement below: “Something that’s not on the resume”. Give us a glimpse of a passion, dream, or mental pursuit that absorbs and delights you.

Student Insight

University of miami ‘19.

In response to one of the prompts to supplemental essay 1:

“It is unjust to claim that some nations must protect their leaders and military personnel from the jurisdiction of the ICC. Some world leaders control their country’s justice system to such an extent that the system is powerless and unable to confront them. Leaders like Kim Jong-un and Omar Hassan Al-Bashir must be under the jurisdiction of the ICC because courts in their own countries are unable to try their crimes. The leaders of our world must be held to a standard equal to or higher than the standard we hold the citizens of the world to.” Read her full BU Trustee Scholarship application.  

Dev Blair 

Boston university ‘19.

I applied for the Trustee ad Presidential scholarships via BU. These were merit-based and so they had to do with my grades. I received neither, understandably as my grades are generally average (As and Bs with the occasional C and only two or so pitfall Ds). I applied for outside scholarships as well, but a tip for these is to apply while you are still in application mode. Read his full BU application file and application advice.

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About The Author

Frances was born in Hong Kong and received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. She loves super sad drama television, cooking, and reading. Her favorite person on Earth isn’t actually a member of the AdmitSee team - it’s her dog Cooper.

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How to Write an Epic College Admission Essay

• Academics  

Many factors come into play as college admissions teams evaluate each year’s pool of applicants. High school grades, extracurriculars and awards – they’re all major factors. But as more and more schools utilize a holistic admissions process, your admissions essay has more weight than ever.

Admissions committees have to comb through thousands of applications to choose an incoming class. Wondering how to accurately present yourself and make a lasting impression? Here are some savvy tips on creating a well-written, thoughtful and memorable essay that will make you stand out from the pack.

Answer the Question.

Read through the admissions guidelines for each college before putting pen to paper. What are the directions for the essay? Is there a prompt? Take some time to reflect on it and jot down your initial thoughts and responses. Then give yourself time to think about what you might be able to cover before you begin the essay.

Show, Don’t Tell.

While each applicant is different, everyone wants to touch on the same message: I’m a hard worker and I’m passionate about my pursuit of higher education. Take a tip from journalists and show the admissions team how you put your passion and industrious spirit into action – whether it’s in the classroom or during your club or sports activities. Tell them a story with plenty of memorable anecdotes that they’re not likely to forget.

Make Every Word Count.

After checking for a specific essay prompt, see if the application gives a word count – and stick to it. Tighten every sentence. Use active verbs and go easy on the lightweight adjectives and adverbs. You’re trying to convince the committee to admit you. Be sure to make a solid, persuasive argument.

Paint a Strong Picture of Yourself.

Be Honest and Address the Elephant in the Room.

Did you change high schools and have to play catch-up in math during the second semester of sophomore year? Did your beloved grandparent pass away shortly before senior exams? Sometimes your grades reflect a personal trauma or challenge that can be addressed succinctly, but honestly, in your essay. This is your chance to let the admissions committee know about extenuating circumstances not covered in other areas of your application.

Tell Them You’ve Got What It Takes.

Another tactic that works? Show the committee that you are prepared and ready to transition to college. Explain how you’ve become resilient through a school opportunity or personal experience that required true grit and perseverance. Highlight character traits that demonstrate you are self-motivated and possess the confidence and organizational skills for advanced study, communal living and critical thought and analysis.

Get a Second – and Third and Fourth – Set of Eyes.

Spellcheck!

We can’t say this enough: Your admissions essay is a formal piece of writing. Be sure to use proper tone and grammar. And spellcheck it each time you edit, making sure to read it through one last time to ensure changes have been saved and no editing marks remain on your clean, final copy.

Ready to Apply?

Talk to our team of undergraduate admissions counselors , each of whom is knowledgeable about Sacred Heart and the general college admissions process. Have a one-on-one conversation with one of our counselors to get all your questions answered either virtually or in person. Email [email protected] or call 203-371-7883.

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