Boston University (BU) is a private research institution with 37,000 students and a 140-acre campus located in the heart of Boston, MA. With robust research opportunities, 24 NCAA teams, and a consistently high ranking in the “happiest students” index, it’s no surprise that BU attracts so many qualified applicants. (The University’s acceptance rate hovers around 14%.) Boston University’s accomplished alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Julianne Moore, Jenna Marbles, and Uzo Aduba. Hoping to join their ranks? First, you’ll need to understand the BU supplemental essays. Let’s dive in.
BU’s 2024-2025 Prompts
BU sets two prompts for their applicants, who must choose one of the two BU supplemental essays to answer.
Choose One: BU Supplemental Essays
- 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 or fewer)
- What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community? (300 words or fewer)
General Tips
These prompts are prefaced by a paragraph written by the BU admissions team. Let’s take a look at it:
“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.’ “
This paragraph aims to contextualize the BU supplemental essays and the framework in which you should approach them. Let’s break it down and understand how it could factor into your essay:
“… higher education should be accessible to all… ”
In this phrase, BU’s admissions team clarifies that the University values accessible education. Therefore, if you have a community service background that involves making education more accessible, then you may want to share this background in a response to the first essay prompt. Similarly, if you have experienced any barriers to receiving education yourself, you may wish to share your excitement in receiving the education you’ve always dreamed of in a response to the second prompt.
“… research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice should be conducted in the service of the wider community—local and international.”
This part of the paragraph indicates that Boston University values serving the community through its research and other endeavors. In other words, whatever BU produces—whether art or scholarship—is not solely self-serving. This value of community service is clearly indicated in the first prompt as well, and if you have space, you may want to share why you value service too.
This sentiment also connects to the sentiment expressed implicitly in the second prompt, that your interest in BU should not only be grounded in what excites and will benefit you, but also what will benefit the BU community. So, bear this value in mind while completing an answer to the second prompt.
“… the University’s insistence on the value of diversity in its tradition and standards of excellence… ”
This part of the paragraph emphasizes the importance of diversity to the BU community. Moreover, this statement indicates that BU has traditionally valued diversity. In other words, this is not a new value provoked by the current sociopolitical climate. Rather, it is in an intrinsic part of the BU community and ethos.
Evidently, BU sees diversity as an asset that contributes to their ability to maintain “standards of excellence.” If you consider yourself to be part of a diverse group, you should feel welcome at BU an comfortable sharing your experiences with the admissions team in your essays.
“… its dynamic engagement with the City of Boston and the world.”
This last part of the paragraph grounds BU not just in the City of Boston, but also in the world. Earlier in this paragraph, the BU admissions team noted the “local and international” community surrounding BU. It seems that not only is community important to BU, but a broad interpretation of the word community is valued as well.
Thus, when writing about your past experiences with community in response to the first essay prompt, or your aspirations in joining the BU community in response to the second prompt, feel encouraged to interpret the word “community” broadly. Don’t limit your response to just the BU student body and campus, or your own community(ies), if you don’t wish to. Rather, let your imagination explore!
Choose One: BU Supplemental Essays
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 or fewer)
Students who have backgrounds or experience with activism, social justice, community service, or similar activities, should consider selecting this question to answer. This prompt is best served by an essay that demonstrates passion for solving a certain issue, answering a certain question, or enacting a certain change. That said, you also need to back this passion with a description of the actions you have taken.
Be specific when you describe the actions you have taken. You may want to share how you ended up taking the actions that you took, as well. Did you conduct research? Did you have a mentor? Providing these details will add context to your story. Then, quantify your actions and impact when possible. For instance, tell the reader that you helped 20 people through 5 hours of volunteering per week, having raised $6,000.
Then, take some time to reflect upon this experience. What did you learn? How has your perspective changed? What’s the next step in your activism, community service, or social justice endeavors? If it makes sense to do so, you can even share what your next step will be at BU. Doing so will show your excitement in pursuing an education at BU and your vision for what that experience will look like.
What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community? (300 words or fewer)
This is a classic “Why BU?” essay prompt with some added details. The BU admissions team not only seeks to understand why you want to attend BU, but also why BU’s community will benefit from your presence. In other words, you need to share why you’re a good fit for BU, both in terms of your interests and in terms of BU’s.
Before you embark upon this essay response, conduct some research. Make a list of all the programs, courses, professors, clubs, values, and other opportunities at BU that excite you. Focus on the opportunities that specifically pertain to you and your interests. For instance, if you hope to study computer science at BU, you might be interested in BU Blockchain. If you are a dedicated rock climber, then you may want to mention how excited you are to join the BU climbing community. Whatever excites you about BU, share it here, explain why it excites you, and be specific. With each of the items you list, share how you will not only benefit from that item, but also how you will actively participate and contribute.
Before you embark upon this essay response, conduct some research. Make a list of all the programs, courses, professors, clubs, values, and other opportunities at BU that excite you. Focus on the opportunities that specifically pertain to you and your interests. For instance, if you hope to study computer science at BU, you might be interested in BU Blockchain. If you are a dedicated rock climber, then you may want to mention how excited you are to join the BU climbing community. Whatever excites you about BU, share it here, explain why it excites you, and be specific. With each of the items you list, share how you will not only benefit from that item, but also how you will actively participate and contribute.
