Boston University Essay Guide

Introduction to Boston University

BU is a 4 year private university with over 16,000 undergraduate students. It is an urban school located in the heart of Boston that offers many majors and resources. 

BU admitted students have an average SAT score of 1442 and an average ACT score of 33 although the school is test-optional. The average GPA of a successful BU applicant is 3.81 as of 2022. In 2022, 20% of students who applied to BU were accepted. BU offers 2 Early Decision cycles and has a 33% admission rate through early decision. 

At the time I applied to BU and in the current application cycle, BU applications are available through the Common App service, allowing students to send personal statements and credentials to multiple schools. Additionally, BU has a supplementary essay prompt which will only be sent to BU. I also applied and was accepted to the Honors College, for which there was an additional 650 word essay. 

Common App Personal Statement

Prompt: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (650 Words)

I wrote about my experience teaching swim lessons at my local pool. I had initially balked at teaching young kids and many of them were resistant to my teaching as well. I did not have any experience teaching so I had to learn on the job. However, after a few lessons, I found it to be a rewarding experience and I was proud of myself and my students when I began to see progress. An excerpt of my essay is below:

“I quickly learned that basic motion is really hard for a toddler, and I had to turn their arms for them or they would sink feet-first. After I assisted them for a while, one girl eventually did it on her own, giggling and squealing, “I’m doing it!” That small exclamation was really exciting and rewarding. She made me understand that lifeguarding is so much more than lounging around and collecting a paycheck.”

• This was likely a successful essay because I expanded upon an experience listed in my activities and work experience section and was able to address the prompt in a way that showed personal growth and desire to help others. 

Boston University Supplementary Application

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

For this supplementary prompt, I wrote about a few of the research labs at BU that align with my interests and build on some of the projects I did in High school. I also elaborated on the ways in which I could contribute to these research labs and demonstrated my excitement for these projects. An excerpt of my response reads as follows:

“In my Aerospace Engineering class, my classmates and I built an autonomous aerial vehicle which avoids obstacles. Our navigation system used an Inertial Measurement Unit, helping to situate and stabilize the drone. Our prototype was made using tools we could obtain like 3D printed plastic and a Raspberry Pi. Similarly, the HyNeSs lab at BU designs robots that are smarter and more independent than robots of the past… The HyNeSs researchers are currently working to remove GPS dependency from their drones, which is something with which I am excited to assist, as I have experience working with non-satellite navigation systems...”

• This response was likely successful because I focused on the resources of the major to which I was applying and because I specifically mentioned many of the projects I worked on. I did some research into the labs that the department at BU has and mentioned them by name so the people reading my application could see that I had a legitimate interest in the unique attributes of the school. The labs focused on projects I thought I might be able to contribute to. As there is not really a specific place to discuss projects in other parts of the application, I made sure to mention these unique experiences. Since I had a lot of experience working on Engineering projects which demonstrated my abilities and advanced understanding, using this supplementary prompt to elaborate on projects set my application apart from other students. 

Essay invitation for the Honors College

Prompt: Kilachand Honors College offers a challenging liberal arts education grounded in critical and creative thinking and interdisciplinary problem-solving. What do you think this approach means? Reflect on what has been missing in your education to date, giving at least one concrete example to support your response. How would Kilachand’s interdisciplinary curriculum fulfill your academic, creative, intellectual, and/or professional goals? (600 words)

For this prompt I wrote about my STEM focused education and how I like the curriculum of the honors college. I wrote that it would allow me to have interdisciplinary conversations and get different perspectives about different issues based on each individual’s training and focus. I also wrote about the creativity of the environment and how it could help me become more conscious of social issues in my engineering studies. An excerpt of my response reads:

“…Another integral part of Kilachand’s interdisciplinary program is analyzing current events through varying lenses. While I have learned about scientific or societal issues through their corresponding academic classes, I don’t often get to hear my history teacher’s perspective on carbon emissions or my math teacher’s ideas about poverty. I would like to experience Kilachand’s interdisciplinary approach which allows different people to contribute their ideas to topics and provides a more informed and comprehensive understanding of current events…. “

• I believe this essay was successful because I was able to demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of the honors program. Additionally, I was able to show how I would contribute to the program with a unique perspective and how the program would help me emphasize ethical considerations in my career. I also wrote about how my past education was lacking in a connection between different subjects. As this is a focus of the program, I believe this made me an attractive candidate. 

Written by Jacqueline Bachrach, PathIvy Boston University Ambassador