Boston College is a medium-sized Jesuit research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Religion does not have to be a primary aspect of your education should you attend Boston College, but the Jesuit background informs life on campus in two ways: curiosity and academic learning are seen as crucial elements of understanding the world and practicing faith, and students are expected to address and engage with social issues. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 24%. Let’s break down their supplement:
Boston College provides four prompts, and you’ll respond to one. (Word limit is 400)
Great art evokes a sense of wonder. It nourishes the mind and spirit. Is there a particular song, poem, speech, or novel from which you have drawn insight or inspiration?
The first two sentences of this prompt make us wonder if Boston College has ever spoken to a teenager. The question itself is not terrible, but the first two sentences are problematic. The words “great art evoke a sense of wonder” are often translated by a 17-year-old to “important sounding poems and books that I have never read.” With that, our first piece of advice is to NOT start by picking out a medium, and then attempting to extrapolate some kind of deep and meaningful take away from it. That simply will not work.
Here’s our advice. Take a look at your common app essay and the rest of your application. What does Boston College know about you? If you wrote your common app essay about your empathetic nature, you shouldn’t double down on that trait. Then, make a list of what you’d still like to show BC. Let’s say that you feel it’s important to show them that you’re tenacious, driven, and will stop at nothing to get the job done. Your song? Savage by Megan Thee Stallion. Just kidding, kind of.
Once you have your personality trait, go back to the mediums. The only requirement is that you need to feel connected to what you pick in a way that come off as genuine and real. Is there a song you play when you’re tacking a 100-item to-do list? A set of poems that you read when you want to feel inspired? We suggest making a list before you start writing, because there’s another pitfall that you need to be aware of before you start drafting. The goal is not to write about the medium. Your submission should not be the spark notes version of “White Teeth” by Zadie Smith, or a biography of the songwriter of your chosen song. Your goal is to tell a story about you and the medium. How have you interacted with it? How did you find it? When do you turn to it? Think about those details and craft it into a story with beginning, middle, and end. If this task seems daunting, consider the options below before settling on this one.
When you choose a college, you will join a new community of people who have different backgrounds, experiences, and stories. What is it about your background, your experiences, or your story, that will enrich Boston College’s community?
Again, this question also sounds like it was written by someone who has met exactly zero teenagers. We would like to offer this rewording to our blog readers:
“What soft skill are you bringing to college, and where does it come from?”
What we love about this question is that it is your best chance at writing exclusively about yourself. You should know by now that every aspect of your college application (common app essay, activities section, supplemental questions, letters of recommendation, etc.) are opportunities to show another unique aspect of your personality.
Boston College mentions background, experiences, and stories. That’s incredibly broad, which gives you a ton of breathing room. Again, start with the trait. Let’s say that you want to show Boston College that you have leadership qualities, are incredibly organized, and that you’re the person who people come to when they need help with a problem. From there, you’d start thinking of examples of those qualities that stem from your upbringing or past experiences. We don’t love writing about leadership qualities in the framework of academic leadership positions (because those would be listed in your activities section) but maybe you’re the oldest of four children and you often take care of your younger siblings while your parents are at work. Sticking with the big family example, you could write about how your siblings all barge into the kitchen for homework help while you’re making dinner for your family.
Whatever soft skill you decide to write about, brainstorm a few examples. If you aren’t sure what qualities to express, text a few of your friends and ask them to describe you. Just be sure that you’re linking that trait back to something that stems from your background or past experiences. In terms of actually writing, tell the story from start to finish, and don’t forget about the importance of details. Drop the reader right into the scene and make them feel like they’re witnessing things firsthand.
Boston College strives to provide an undergraduate learning experience emphasizing the liberal arts, quality teaching, personal formation, and engagement of critical issues. If you had the opportunity to create your own college course, what enduring question or contemporary problem would you address and why?
This is a great option. We love that it gives you the opportunity to dive into something you’re passionate about, but haven’t had the opportunity to write about just yet.
The prerequisite to this question is that your course must address either an enduring question or a contemporary problem. Whatever you do, don’t google “enduring question.” You’ll need to have a genuine interest in the broader topic in order to successfully answer this prompt. The good news is that these buckets are big enough that you have tons of options, so much that you should start by narrowing down what field you’ll be teaching your course in. If you’re interested in Math, start by writing down questions that come to mind. Keep brainstorming until you find something that satisfies the requirement.
For those who are interested in tackling a contemporary problem, you’re better off choosing something that you’ve seen examples of at home. It’s fine if they are also prevalent in other areas, but don’t forget that this question asks you WHY you’ve chosen your topic. For example, you might live in an NYC apartment building that doesn’t recycle, or you live in an area with poor access to produce. These problems are widespread, but experiencing them firsthand will help you get to your “why.” As always, the more specific the better. You’re being given permission to nerd out – take advantage of it!
When you get to the first draft stage, here’s what you should include:
A course name (get creative)
Learning objectives
A reading list (2-3 books or articles will work)
A paragraph about why you choose your question and/or problem
And while your response should be inclusive of the above, it should not be presented in bullet point format. Tell a story, bring them into the issue, and then weave in the texts that will help you get to the bottom of things.
Jesuit education considers the liberal arts a pathway to intellectual growth and character formation. What beliefs and values inform your decisions and actions today, and how will Boston College assist you in becoming a person who thinks and acts for the common good?
Unless you read this and something immediately came to mind, this prompt is not for you. The pitfall of this question is that you run a serious risk of sounding like a Miss America hopeful.
If you must, we framed it like this internally: “What are your beliefs and values, and how will Boston College encourage the fostering of those traits, and therefore help you act towards the common good?” For example, you might say that you’re a person who is loyal and empathetic to others, and by attending BC you’ll be able to learn from your peers and rely on the Jesuit framework of the education to learn more about the humanity. As we said earlier, something might come to mind immediately if you truly believe that your belief system is a core aspect of your identity, but we would suggest prompts #1-3 for most students.
While the prompts are slightly wordy, they embody what it’s like to study at Boston College. You’ll be expected to question the status quo and think about the world and your place within it. We’re working ahead with our students on their supplements and crafting narratives around each question that speak to their personalities. Start working now, and don’t forget to edit each question multiple times.
If you’re interested in working with someone one-on-one, contact us here.