boston university essay word count

Boston University 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 4

You Have: 

Boston University (BU) 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 300 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Community

How to Write Boston University Supplemental Essays

You only have to write one supplemental essay for BU , and both prompt choices are focused on community. According to their founding principles, BU believes that professional careers should be “in the service of the wider community—local and international.” In that spirit, the school values diversity and engages closely with both Boston and the world. To ace this essay, focus on the communities that matter to you and try to identify why you hold them dear. This will help you decide whether to write about what you’ve already done to serve your community, reflecting on your past, or how you will contribute to BU’s campus community next year, dreaming up future possibilities. Whichever path you take, make sure your essay highlights your passions and your commitment to bettering the world around you. With those elements in place, you’re sure to make your mark on admissions!

Boston University Essay Prompts Breakdown

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.

This is your opportunity to not only show admissions that you’re paying attention to the world around you, but also demonstrate your creativity and vision. Start by brainstorming a few problems or challenges—big and small—that bother you or impact your life in some capacity. Maybe it’s rampant wildfires, trans rights, or accessibility issues in your community. The scope and scale of your problem can vary. With this prompt, it’s a good idea that you touch on when or where your passion first began and how it developed over time. Show that you’re not only informed and concerned, but also actively engaged in addressing the problem head on (in one to three innovative ways). This prompt gives you a wonderful opportunity to reveal something new about yourself through discussing your enthusiastic engagement with a given issue; in the process, you will showcase your curious, well-rounded nature to admissions—and huzzah for that!

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

With this prompt, BU is marrying two classics: the Why Essay and the Community 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 and their unique offerings, the better you’ll be able to demonstrate both. 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, location—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, your essay should not only reveal information about your interests, but also your vision for engaging with the campus community from your first day on campus.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Boston University Essays

We have been reading supplemental essays for Boston University for over twenty years now, so we know a thing or two about the most common mistakes students make. The most common mistakes to avoid are repeating the prompt in your essay (don’t waste your words), trying to sound like an academic (admissions wants to hear your authentic voice!), and using cliches (they’re ineffective and—let’s face it—lazy).

Why Choose College Essay Advisors for Boston University Essays

We at College Essay Advisors have been guiding students one-on-one through the essay writing process for the Boston University (BU) supplements for over twenty years. We take a holistic approach to this essay, considering each student’s application package as a whole and identifying their strengths to highlight. Our Advisors accommodate each student’s scheduling needs to virtually brainstorm, draft, and revise a winning essay. It’s incredibly important to us that each student’s voice is preserved, and we pride ourselves in helping students to write successful BU supplemental essays that differentiate them from similarly qualified applicants. For more information, submit a contact form below or review our one-on-one advising services or list of student acceptances . 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Boston University requires one (1) supplemental essay.

Supplemental essays are designed to offer admissions more insight into your candidacy, so it’s in your best interest to take advantage of the opportunity to reveal new information about yourself, which will give admissions deeper insight into the kind of person you are and the kind of community member you’ll be on campus.

Authenticity and reflection are key. You want to both ensure that you’re submitting essays that no one else could submit—meaning they contain specific details from your life or interests that aren’t easily replicable—and show that you’ve put thought and care into your response.

The Boston University essay can be no longer than 300 words.

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How to Write the Boston University Supplemental Essay: Examples + Guide 2024/2025

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)

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Describe a time in your life when you stepped out of your comfort zone and forged your own path. What motivated you to take that action, and how did it change your perspective? Share the lessons you learned from that experience, and how it might shape your views as a Trustee Scholar.

How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Boston University

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:

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

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

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If you’re considering applying to Boston University, you’ll need to tackle their unique supplemental essay prompts. BU is a renowned institution committed to principles of accessibility in education and community service. To help you craft compelling essays, let’s dive into their prompts and offer some tips on how to approach them.

The Supplemental Essay Prompts

For the 2024-2025 application cycle, Boston University has put forth the following essay prompts, each with a word limit of 300 words:

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?

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

Let’s break down each prompt to help you effectively showcase your experiences and aspirations.

Prompt 1: Social or Community Issue

This prompt is an opportunity to illustrate your passion and dedication to a cause. Boston University values diversity and community engagement, so align your story with these values.

Here are some tips on approaching this prompt:

Choosing Your Issue: Select a social or community issue that has genuinely affected you. This could range from environmental activism to advocating for mental health awareness. Authenticity is key; pick something you’re passionate about.

Describing Your Involvement: Highlight specific actions you’ve taken to address or raise awareness about the issue. Concrete examples are vital in showcasing your proactive mindset. Did you organize a local event, start a blog, or collaborate with an organization? Detail your contributions.

Connecting to BU’s Values: Explain why this issue matters to you and how it ties in with BU’s commitment to diversity and community service. How will your experiences enrich BU’s dynamic community?

If you’re struggling to brainstorm or need feedback on your draft, consider using Sups AI . This AI college counseling platform offers tailored advice and even one-on-one chats with current students who can provide insider perspectives on BU’s community.

Prompt 2: Excitement about BU

This prompt is your chance to showcase what excites you about BU and how you aim to be an active, impactful member of their community.

Here’s how to approach this prompt:

Research BU: Dig deep into BU’s programs, initiatives, and campus culture. Are you excited about a specific research center, academic program, or student organization? Mention specific details that align with your interests.

Link to Your Goals: Explain how BU’s offerings align with your personal and professional goals. Whether it’s their engagement with the City of Boston or international programs, be specific about how these opportunities will help you grow.

Highlight Your Contributions: Illustrate how you plan to contribute to BU’s community. Are you planning to bring a unique perspective, start a new club, or get involved in community service? Show that you’re ready to be an active participant.

Again, if you’re unsure how to start or want feedback, Sups AI is a valuable resource. With feedback from current students and AI-driven insights, you can refine your essay to truly stand out.

Writing your supplemental essays for Boston University is a critical step in your application process. Remember to be genuine, detailed, and passionate about your responses. These essays are your chance to show how you align with BU’s values and how you will contribute to their vibrant community. Good luck!

How to Write the Boston University 2024-2025 Supplemental Essays

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Boston University Supplemental Essay 2024-25 — Prompts and Advice

September 20, 2024

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 1440. 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 2024-25 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address them:

2024-2025 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 Should I Use the Common App Additional Information Section?

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.

Looking for additional writing resources? Consider checking out the following blogs:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Quickly Format Your Common App Essay
• Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topics
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• How to Write the Community Essay
• College Essay

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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How to Write the Boston University Essays 2024-2025

Boston University has one required prompt for all of its applicants. Applicants must choose one of two possible topics—the first asks you to reflect on a social or community issue, and the second asks how you hope to contribute to the BU campus community.

Since BU receives thousands of applications from academically strong students, your essays are your chance to stand out. In this post, we’ll discuss how to craft an engaging response to each of these options.

Read these Boston University essay examples to inspire your writing.

Boston University Supplemental Essay Prompts

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:

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

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 sort of a combination of the community service prompt and the global issues prompt . Schools that use this kind prompt want to know about your level of engagement with the people and environments around you. BU especially emphasizes taking the knowledge you learn in the classroom and applying it to the service of the wider community, so definitely respond to this prompt if you feel like this is you.

Your response should illustrate your personal values through the lens of your perspectives on and interactions with your community. Keep in mind that often, the best way to respond to a prompt like this is with an anecdote. This prompt is not an invitation to list all your achievements in community service like you might on your resume—instead, you should share your experiences in a short illustrative anecdote. With the 300-word limit, it’s important that you convey relevant details from your story as effectively and concisely as possible.

This question is twofold. The admissions committee wants to learn about an issue in society or your community that deeply resonates with you, and that has motivated you to perform civic engagement and service. The prompt also asks you to reflect on how you’ve actively approached these issues and advocated for their resolution (or even attempted to solve them!).

To help you brainstorm about ongoing societal or community issues, ask yourself:

• What existing problems in my immediate community do I find personally and particularly frustrating?
• What issues have I taken a lead role in engaging with? How have I served my community?
• Have I been involved in any advocacy programs or campaigns in my community?

Additionally, there are a few other tips you can follow to stand out in this essay. Focus on one particular interest or concern if you can. Share responsibilities and accomplishments you had in your role. Highlight what you learned and how you’ll use those lessons moving forward. Don’t be afraid to call out different clubs, classes, programs, or initiatives on BU’s campus that connect with your particular interests and intersect with the types of service you do.

With only 300 words to spare, less is more—focusing on one key experience or aspect of your identity with an important relevant issue will demonstrate more thought and effort than just listing several experiences from your resume.

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

The key to this “Why This College?” prompt is to first lay out the specific aspects of the University that excite you, and then to supplement these aspects with the ways in which your personal traits and qualities will make you an excellent fit at the school’s community. Most importantly, you want to thoroughly research the aspects of BU that really resonate with you.

Remember to discuss both academic and extracurricular aspects, as college is about what happens both inside and outside the classroom! Note, the second half of this prompt is new this year—it asks how you plan to contribute to the BU campus community. Be sure to address this half of the prompt by explaining how your personal values and interests align with BU. Discuss how you hope to showcase these values and interests in BU’s lively community.

Here are some possible avenues:

• If you have a particular interest in conducting research, you might use this essay to dote on BU’s extensive undergraduate research opportunities. Maybe you’ve always been interested in studying mental illness, as it’s something you’ve both witnessed and had to reckon with personally for your entire life. You could talk about BU’s Approach Motivation and Participation (AMP) Lab , where you would have ample opportunity to interact with participants dealing with things like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• If you want to study business and are applying to the Questrom School of Business, you might talk about wanting to join the Questrom Honors Program , where you would be given unique opportunities to attend seminars on niche business topics of your interest, like green technology and intellectual property, and participate in networking events with alumni. Remember to talk about your own experiences in business, whether that was through DECA or through starting your own business. Be sure to also mention why Questrom would be a perfect avenue to continue pursuing your current passions.
• Maybe you’re an aspiring English major with a love for theatre. The Shakespeare Society would be a great place to combine your passions, as the group puts on 2-4 Shakespeare productions per year.

If you’ve visited the campus or have attended a summer program at the University, you should definitely note that in the essay. Include sensory details and specific moments, whether it was visiting the halls that Dr. Martin Luther King once studied in, lying down on “BU Beach” and catching the breeze, or simply sitting outside of Marsh Chapel and observing the great diversity on campus as people walked along Commonwealth Avenue.

That being said, don’t make the focus of your essay anecdotal; you want to be sure to include details about concrete resources at BU that would help you achieve your goals.

One final piece of advice is that you should avoid mentioning generic aspects of BU that could apply to many other schools, such as its location in Boston or low student-to-faculty ratio. You want to show the admissions committee that you’ve seriously reflected on how well you’ll fit at BU, and you can do that by mentioning specific, unique BU resources that support your aspirations.

Where to Get Your Boston University Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your BU essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Last updated April 13, 2023

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Blog > Essay Advice , Supplementals > How to Write the Boston University Supplemental Essays

How to Write the Boston University Supplemental Essays

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Alex McNeil, MA Admissions Consultant

Key Takeaway

The Boston University supplemental essay question is short and sweet. You’ll have a maximum of 250 words to answer it.

Let’s take a look and go over how you can write your own.

What about being a student at Boston University most excites you?

Yep—that’s it. It’s a classic “Why Us” prompt.

Remember that your goal for Why Us essays is twofold:

• Show that you’ve done thorough school research.
• Show academic, cultural, and values-based alignment.

To begin, you’ll need to head to BU’s website and do some digging. Look at their admissions page, academic offerings, and campus life. Search for anything that resonates with you.

In particular, be on the lookout for:

• Specific majors or programs
• Extracurricular opportunities: clubs, internships, on-campus jobs
• Research opportunities
• Faculty research projects
• Student research projects
• BU’s motto and mission statement

Analyze and take note of the things that excite you the most, then start thinking about how and why they excite you. Do they connect to past activities you’ve done or classes you’ve taken? Do they make you feel at home? Are they related to your goals or aspirations? Is there a particularly unique feature you can’t find anywhere else?

Once you’ve got your research down and connections down, you’ll be ready to start writing. Overall, the essay you write should communicate to your BU admissions officer that you are a natural fit for Boston University—academically, culturally, and in terms of values.

Before you get started, there are some major don’ts you should avoid:

• Don’t focus on only one feature of the school.
• Don’t choose relatively superficial reasons like weather or location.
• Don’t write a generic essay that could apply to any school.
• Don’t forget that this essay is still about you and your fit for BU.

With that, you’re ready to get to writing.

If you want more BU admissions insights, be sure to check out our How to Use the Boston University Common Data Set post and How to Get into Boston University guide. And if you need more college essay support, we’ve got an entire digital course that goes in-depth on how to write any college essay. It’s called the Essay Academy, and it’s chock full of tips and examples. See you in class. 👋

Liked that? Try this next.

The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application

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How to Write a Community Supplemental Essay (with Examples)

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Boston University Essay 2023-24

Boston university essay 2023-2024.

As admission to Boston University becomes more competitive, the Boston University essay continues to be incredibly important. Although essays are often the most time-consuming part of the application process, strong essays can make a huge difference. The Boston University essays give you the opportunity to elaborate on and strengthen your application . And, although your grades might be comparable to other applicants, your essays help make your application one of a kind.

For students researching how to get into Boston University, the Boston University essay prompts also provide valuable insight into the admissions process. The 2023-2024 Boston University essay prompts are slightly different compared to the Why BU essay of years past. However, that’s a good thing! The Boston University supplemental essays let students communicate with admissions officers, showcasing their unique personalities and experiences. 

In this guide, we’ll do a deep dive into the Boston University essay prompts and tips for tackling them. We’ll also offer advice for writing Boston University supplemental essays for The Trustee Scholarship and Kilachand Honors College.

If you want to learn more about how to write a Boston University essay, keep reading! Before we look at the essay prompts, let’s start with some quick facts about Boston University Admissions. 

BU Essay: Quick Facts

Boston university admissions: quick facts.

• Boston University Acceptance Rate: 14% – U.S News ranks Boston University as a more selective school.
• Common App essay
• 1 (~ 300 word) supplemental essay
• Boston University Application: Students can apply via the Common Application or the QuestBridge Application . A full list of Boston University application requirements can be found on BU’s website . 
• Early Decision I: November 1 st  
• Early Decision II and Regular Decision: January 4 th  
• Boston University Essay Tip: Aim to write about 250-300 words for your supplemental essay. It’s important to maximize your impact by using all the space available to you. If your Boston University essay is far below the word limit, you likely need to elaborate more on your ideas. 

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

How many essays are required for Boston University?

All first-year applicants must write two essays to satisfy the Boston University essay requirements. In total, you’ll need to complete the Common App essay (650 word maximum) and one school-specific supplemental essay (300 word maximum). You also may have other Boston University essays to complete if you apply for certain scholarships or to BU’s Honors College. We will discuss these additional Boston University supplemental essays later in this guide. 

Students can choose from two Boston University essay prompts for their supplemental essay. Remember, your Boston University essays are extremely important. Your response helps admissions officers gain a deeper understanding of who you are and why you’re interested in BU. So, be sure to think carefully about which prompt best aligns with the story you want to share with Admissions.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the Boston University essay prompts!

What are the Boston University Essay Prompts?

The Boston University essays are designed to help admissions officers gain a deeper understanding of you and your passions. So, if you understand the main theme of the prompt and the questions it asks, you’ll be prpepared to write a strong essay. However, always remember to read the prompt carefully. You don’t want to find yourself writing an entire draft only to realize you actually missed the mark.

As previously stated, students can choose between two separate prompts. Here are this year’s Boston University essay prompts:

Boston University Essay Prompts

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.

Both prompts have a specific focus, each unique from the other. These prompts are a bit different than they have been in previous years. So, next, we’ll talk a little bit about this change. Then, we’ll discuss how to pick the best prompt for your BU essay.

Does Boston University have a Why BU Essay?

While the second Boston University essay prompt shares similarities with a Why BU Essay, the focus is a little different. You need to do more than tell admissions what BU is going to offer you. You also need to share why you would be a valuable addition to BU. In this way, BU does not have a clear-cut Why BU essay. 

In years past, the Boston University supplemental essays included only one prompt – a Why BU essay. This is why many of our Boston University essay examples read like a Why School essay. Even so, these Boston University essays can still serve as great examples and sources of inspiration. (Be on the lookout for links to our past essay guides later on when we highlight some great CollegeAdvisor resources!)

However, if you want to categorize the second prompt as a Why School prompt, you’re not wrong. Still, it’s important that your BU essay captures more than what a typical Why School essay might cover. We’ll detail how to write your BU essay later in this guide. 

Choosing a Boston University essay prompt

Choosing between these Boston University essay prompts is an important decision. The BU essay is a great chance to elaborate on experiences or perspectives not captured elsewhere in your application. Moreover, the prompt you choose to respond to will help determine the topic and details discussed in your essay.

So, take your time and think carefully about which Boston University essay to write. It can make a big difference to your application! 

Boston University Essay Prompt #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.

This is a great BU essay for students who have a deep passion for a specific social or community issue. So, think about what you care about and how you’ve worked to address it. Maybe you’re part of an organization dedicated to social justice, helping your community, or raising awareness around important issues. If this sounds like you, this may be a great Boston University essay for you to write. Students with volunteer experience may also consider responding to this essay. Any action you’ve taken in your community or on a larger scale could make for a great topic! 

If you haven’t had direct experience, such as volunteering or leading a club, don’t be discouraged by this prompt. Maybe you’ve talked with your friends and family about the issues that matter to you. Alternatively, maybe you’ve even debated with classmates about a social issue. Even though it’s on a more personal scale, you can still use these experiences for your BU essay. Overall, you should choose this prompt if you are passionate about an issue that impacts our society or your community. 

Boston University Essay Prompt #2

What about being a student at bu most excites you how do you hope to contribute to our campus community.

Students picking this essay likely have a specific reason for applying to BU. Are there classes, programs, or extracurricular activities at BU that excite you? Or perhaps you’re inspired by BU’s values and the way they’ve structured their curriculum. This prompt is a great fit for students with a dedicated interest in BU. Although this prompt is close to a Why School essay, it’s important to dedicate equal writing space to both of the prompt’s questions. 

This Boston University essay prompt also asks how you’ll contribute to the overall campus community. Consider what perspectives you might contribute both in and outside of the classroom. How is your presence on campus going to enrich the larger BU community? Be sure to look through BU’s Student Activities website to see what clubs and extracurricular activities you may want to join. If you have the opportunity to visit BU’s campus , it may be a good idea to do so before writing this essay. Overall, if you have a clear vision of how you’ll engage with BU’s campus, consider picking this Boston University essay!

How do I write the Boston University essay?

Once you’ve picked between the two Boston University essay prompts, the next step is: to start writing. If you’re feeling stuck drafting your Boston University supplemental essays, here are some tips for each prompt.

Writing the Boston University Essay: Prompt #1

Try using a specific anecdote or memory as an anchor for this Boston University essay. Think of specific events, like attending a protest or having an intense debate with a friend or family member. Or, try recalling the first time your passion for this issue was sparked. This can provide context as to why you care about a particular issue. Whatever it is, try to incorporate this memory into your essay, then show how you’ve translated your passion into action. 

Once you set the stage, focus on your specific involvement. Have you organized educational meetings? Passed out pamphlets or literature? Have you become part of any larger organizations or movements? Even if you haven’t had the chance to take any major actions, consider how you’ve discussed the issue. Have you changed anyone’s mind on a particular topic? Have you had any difficult conversations with friends or family that you want to share? 

Overall, Admissions wants to get a sense of your role as an engaged citizen. Although this prompt doesn’t specifically mention BU, your reader is still getting a sense of what you might contribute to campus. Avoid writing about an issue you think admissions will find impressive—instead, always be authentic and true to your beliefs.

Writing the Boston University Essay: Prompt #2

This Boston University essay prompt allows students to share exactly why they’re excited about applying to BU. This essay prompt requires you to do some research into BU’s specific programs and opportunities. Out of the two Boston University essay prompts, this one focuses more on BU specifically. So, it’s important to showcase the research you’ve done. Begin by exploring BU’s website—the Why BU page is a great place to start. You can also watch our webinar on Boston University and Boston College here . 

Try not to list out a million things in your Boston University essay. Detail what most excites you, and why. Are you looking to continue a field of study or extracurricular program you started in high school? Are you excited to explore something new that BU offers? The more detail, the better! 

Now it’s time to tell Boston University Admissions how you plan to contribute to BU’s community. Do you see yourself as a student leader? Conducting important research within your major? Moreover, what do you think you’ll bring to the BU campus? Try to connect this part of your essay to your first section. Describe what excites you about BU, and then explain how you’ll get involved. This will help your essay feel like a cohesive narrative. 

In short, this Boston University essay helps admissions officers understand why you’re interested in BU. It’s important your essay is a genuine representation of why you want to go to BU. (Instead of a list of generic facts).

General Tips for your Writing Process

No matter which essay prompt you select, be sure to give yourself plenty of time for a complete writing process. That means:

Brainstorm your ideas

Set a timer and write down as many ideas as you can. See what ignites your passion, or the topic you can’t stop writing about, and then go from there.

Write a first draft

Your first draft isn’t going to be perfect, nor should it! Your first draft is just a starting point, so go with your gut and don’t worry about getting it absolutely right.

Edit and revise

Work on clarity, organization, and tone. Are there details you’re missing or extraneous ones you need to cut out? This is where the magic happens—taking the time to edit through a second or third draft can transform a first draft into a final.

Get an outside reader

Once you are fairly happy with your essay, get a second pair of eyes on it. Another perspective might bring up questions you need to answer or spot errors you’ve missed.

Do a final proofread

No final draft is complete without a comprehensive proofread. Make sure your essay is free of any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes. That way, your reader will be free to focus on your ideas and storytelling.

Follow through on your writing process and you’ll be sure to have a polished essay for your application. (You can also use these tips if you end up writing additional BU essays!)

Other Boston University essays to look out for

Students applying to merit based scholarships or the Kilachand Honors College might have additional Boston University essays to write. Note that these Boston University supplemental essays are not required for general admission, so they are not mandatory. Students planning to apply to either of these opportunities will want to set aside additional time to complete their application. 

While there are many Boston University scholarships, only one requires an additional essay – the Trustee Scholarship . The Trustee Scholarship covers full tuition and undergraduate mandatory fees. So, it’s not surprising it’s considered one of the more competitive Boston University scholarships. We will detail the Boston University essay prompts for the Trustee Scholarship later in this guide. 

The Kilachand Honors College also requires an additional Boston University essay. The honors college offers an integrated, four-year curriculum that helps students engage in a number of different areas of study. Students work to complete a Keystone Project and also have multiple opportunities for collaboration within the program.

Next, let’s review the Boston University essay prompts for the Kilachand Honors College.

Boston University Kilachand Honors College Essay

The Boston University essay prompts for the Kilachand Honors College allow students to showcase their interest in the program, and demonstrate their ability to think critically and creatively. Students can pick one of the following prompts: 

Boston University Kilachand Honors College Essay Prompts

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.

The Kilachand Honors College essay has a 600-word limit. So, students should take advantage of the additional space, thinking carefully through the prompt they select. Both of these Boston University essay prompts aim to capture if a student would be a good fit for the Kilachand Honors College. So, it’s important that you research the program thoroughly.

Think through your academic goals and how Kilachand can help you realize them. Mapping out your goals and connecting them with Kilachand resources and classes can help in your essay planning. To help your Boston University essay stand out, use as many specific details as possible. Additionally, make sure your essay captures your passion.

Boston University Trustee Scholarship Essay

As one of the more prestigious Boston University scholarships, the application for the Trustee Scholarship is competitive. Students have the choice between two Boston University essay prompts for the Trustee Scholarship.

Boston University Trustee Scholarship Essay Prompts

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.

The Trustee Scholarship essay prompts are designed to help the admissions committee learn more about you. Specifically, the type of art you connect with or your experiences stepping out of your comfort zone. These Boston University essays are illuminating and personal, so it’s important to take your time when crafting your response.

Just as with the Honors College essay, both these prompts have a 600-word limit. Be sure to take advantage of the extra space to clearly and effectively connect your ideas!

Does Boston University care about essays?

Yes, the Boston University Admissions committee cares about your essays. It’s hard to define exactly how the Boston University supplemental essays factor into the admissions process. However, the Boston University essay prompts showcase what the Boston University admissions office is looking for. They’re interested in students who are passionate about issues in their communities and who are excited to attend BU. In your essay, you can communicate directly with BU Admissions, telling them exactly who you are in your own words.

If you’re wondering how to get into Boston University, focus on your Boston University supplemental essays! With the competitive Boston University acceptance rate, it’s important to take every opportunity to connect with Admissions. No matter which Boston University supplemental essays you end up writing, spend ample time crafting your responses. The Boston University supplemental essays are a great way to showcase your personality and creativity and help your application shine! 

CollegeAdvisor resources on Boston University

The Boston University supplemental essays are only part of the larger BU application. With the competitive Boston University acceptance rate, it’s important to research BU thoroughly. CollegeAdvisor has several different resources to help you with all aspects of your application, not just the Boston University supplemental essays. You can read our articles on Boston University Majors and the Boston University Ranking . Also be sure to take a look at our comprehensive BU guide : How to Get into Boston University. We also have guides on the different scholarships at BU, other colleges in Boston , as well as the Questbridge Scholarship . 

If you’re still feeling stuck on the Boston University supplemental essays, read our past Boston University Essay guides. We have Boston University essay guides from the 2020-2021 , 2021-2022 , and 2022-2023 application cycles for you to review. No matter what you need, CollegeAdvisor has the resources to help you with your Boston University application. 

Boston University Essays – Final Thoughts

For students wondering how to get into Boston University, the Boston University essay is crucial . With the Boston University acceptance rate at 14% , BU essays are your best opportunity to stand out from the crowd. A great Boston University essay shows how you align with BU’s values and why you’re an ideal candidate.

Overall, the Boston University supplemental essays allow you to expand on your experiences and background. And, they can be a great place to highlight the things you’re most proud of. It’s important to think through your response and to submit the best version of your Boston University essay as possible. Dedicating enough time and effort to your Boston University essay will help you put your best foot forward. Consult with your family, friends, and mentors to help polish your Boston University essays.

The Boston University supplemental essays can help propel your application forward, so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity!

This essay guide was written by senior advisor, Jess Klein . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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