Are you ready to tackle the Boston College supplemental essay prompts? As one of the top universities in the country, Boston College is known for its rigorous academics and vibrant campus community. But before you can join the Boston College family, you’ll need to capture the admissions committee’s attention with powerful, authentic writing. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through each prompt, showing you how to highlight your unique qualities and prove you’re a perfect fit for this prestigious institution. Drawing on years of experience, Zak Harris—a Former Boston College Admissions Officer with InGenius Prep—shares his insider tips on this season’s updated prompts so you can craft essays that stand out. Grab your pen, and let’s dive in.
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Boston College Supplemental Essays
We would like to get a better sense of you. Please respond to one of the first four prompts below (400-word limit). Students applying to the Human Centered Engineering major should respond to Prompt #5 instead.
Question 1
Strong communities are sustained by traditions. Boston College’s annual calendar is marked with both long-standing and newer traditions that help shape our community. Tell us about a meaningful tradition in your family or community. Why is it important to you, and how does it bring people together or strengthen the bonds of those who participate?
Students may tend to overthink this prompt and feel like their tradition needs to be “big” or unique. What Zak appreciates about Boston College’s perspective is that they are specifically asking “why is it important to you?” That is a clear signal that they truly want to learn more about you or your community and something that has been a consistent event or theme or moment with them. This is a great opportunity to get open and vulnerable within your writing. Don’t be afraid to let the admissions officer into your life and allow them to get to know you within the context of this prompt.
Question 2
The late BC theology professor, Father Michael Himes, argued that a university is not a place to which you go, but instead, a “rigorous and sustained conversation about the great questions of human existence, among the widest possible circle of the best possible conversation partners.” Who has been your most meaningful conversation partner, and what profound questions have you considered together?
Zak reminds us to mindful here about the person reading your application. You never want to intentionally offend someone, so when you’re thinking about the profound questions part of the part, be careful about what ideas your brainstorm. You always will want to be authentic, but not to a point where someone may be offended. From Zak’s perspective, this also strikes a more serious note and he would treat it that way. Sure, we all have friends/family/teachers that serve as great debaters about sports, movies, or music – and those topics certainly have their place, but his read on this essay and the way it’s introduced leads him to think that more substantial content is needed.
Question 3
In her July 2009 Ted Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warned viewers against assigning people a “single story” through assumptions about their nationality, appearance, or background. Discuss a time when someone defined you by a single story. What challenges did this present and how did you overcome them?
Similar to the last question, you want to identify an interaction that matches the complexities of this prompt. Don’t force it if this prompt doesn’t fit within your experiences or you can’t think of something to write about! The bright side here is that you have three other prompts to choose from.
But if you do choose this prompt, rely on emotion and become vulnerable in your writing. Show the Admissions Officers the depth of your experience and allow them to truly understand how it has shaped you since then. It’s not just about recounting what happened but also about reflecting on the impact it has had on you and your personal growth. Zak also adds, “When discussing difficult topics, it’s not about having all of the answers, but more so about letting the reader into your story, so they can feel how you’re feeling.” Letting Admissions Officers into your emotions and experiences will create a stronger connection and make your essay more impactful. The goal is to convey the significance of this single story and how it has shaped your perspective, values, and outlook on life.
Question 4
Boston College’s Jesuit mission highlights “the three Be’s”: be attentive, be reflective, be loving – core to Jesuit education (see A Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education). If you could add a fourth “Be,” what would it be and why? How would this new value support your personal development and enrich the BC community?
This is a great opportunity to get creative and add a different layer than the other essays allow. Again, Zak would probably take a slightly more serious tone to match the previous examples, but try to have some fun with the one. Allow the reader to really feel your Application Persona with a value or a mission that you really care about. This is a great example of a college wanting to get to know you really well, and using their own mission to get you to open up. Don’t overthink it either. You’ll have the space to explain why this “be” will matter to you, so use that space wisely to help the AO become convinced by your response.
Question 5
One goal of a Jesuit education is to prepare students to serve the Common Good. Human-Centered Engineering at Boston College integrates technical knowledge, creativity, and a humanistic perspective to address societal challenges and opportunities. What societal problems are important to you and how will you use your HCE education to solve them?
For Human-Centered Engineering (HCE) applicants, you want to make sure that your response aligns with your intended major and showcases real evidence from your activities list. This could include projects, research, internships, or any other relevant activities that demonstrate your passion and dedication to solving societal problems. Highlight the outcomes achieved through these experiences, emphasizing the positive impact you have made on the individuals or communities affected by these problems.
Remember, Admissions Officers are not looking for a perfect solution and definitely do not expect you to have all the answers to these societal problems. Instead, they want to see your commitment and innovative thinking when it comes to addressing these problems. Share your ideas, strategies, and approaches for how you plan to use your HCE education to contribute to the solution. Showcase your ability to think critically and creatively—and how you can leverage your technical knowledge and humanistic perspective to make a difference.
By demonstrating your passion, commitment, and ability to think outside the box, you can show the admissions committee that you are not only prepared to tackle societal challenges but also eager to do so with the help of your Human-Centered Engineering education.
Additional Tips for the Boston College Supplemental Essays
Here are some additional tips to make your college essays more engaging to Admissions Officers:
- Vulnerability will always lead to a compelling essay. When you embrace vulnerability in your writing, you give the Admissions Officers a glimpse into your true self. You show them that you are not just presenting a polished image or trying to impress them with achievements and accomplishments. Instead, you are willing to reveal your vulnerabilities and share the lessons you have learned from them. And when the Admissions Officers can feel what you felt, they are more likely to remember your essay and understand the impact that particular experience had on your personal growth.
- Stay authentic! Your vulnerability should never be forced or exaggerated. It should come from a genuine place within you. While it’s important to be honest about challenges and hardships, it’s equally important to reflect on the growth and resilience that resulted from those experiences.
- Avoid controversial topics. While it may be tempting to choose a controversial or polarizing subject to make your essay stand out, it’s important to consider the potential consequences of doing so. Remember, the purpose of these essays is to showcase your ability to think critically, reflect on your experiences, and contribute positively to the Boston College community. By focusing on topics that are inclusive, respectful, and aligned with the values of the university, you can create an essay that stands out for all the right reasons.
- Don’t stress about a “right” or “wrong ” answer. Admissions Officers understand that you may not have all the answers or have solved all the world’s problems. They are more interested in seeing how you think and reflect on your experiences. They want to see your commitment to making a positive impact and the steps you have taken to contribute to the world around you, no matter how small or big. It could be as simple as volunteering at a local shelter, starting an awareness campaign, or even initiating a community project. So don’t stress about having the right answers, but rather focus on expressing your thoughts, reflections, and steps in a genuine and compelling way.
When choosing a topic for the Boston College supplemental essay, select one that holds personal meaning and reflects your unique journey the best. Use vivid details and examples throughout your response to bring your story to life. By doing so, you will not only showcase your intellectual curiosity and willingness to engage with differing viewpoints but also demonstrate your commitment to making a positive impact on the world around you as a future Boston College student.
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