In this article, we will cover how to write the Boston University supplemental essay. This is by no means an easy school to get into; you’ll need to be at the top percentile of students to get accepted.

Their acceptance rate just decreased to 18.9%, and it will only get lower with every passing year.  

There are a few other factors you should consider when applying for Boston University. That’s why we’ve split this guide into multiple parts. First, we’ll discuss how hard it is to get accepted into Boston University. This includes whether you can get into BU with lower grades, and how important the BU essays are to the admissions process. Next, we’ll cover how to write the Boston University supplemental essay. This includes the “why us” format, how to show you’re special in the essay, and connecting BU to your career.

Table of Contents

1. How Hard is it to Get Accepted Into Boston University?
   1. Can I Get Into Boston University with Lower Grades?
   2. How Important Are The Boston University Essays?
2. How to Write the Boston University Supplemental Essay Prompt
   1. The BU Why Us Essay Format
   2. What Makes You Special?
   3. How Does This Determine Your Career?

How Hard is it to Get Accepted Into Boston University?

So, just how hard is it to get accepted into Boston University? Let’s take a look at their admissions stats first.

Boston University Academic Profile

1. 75,733 applications. An incoming first-year class of 3,200 students.
2. Average Rank in High School Class: Top 6% of class.
3. Average GPA Range: 3.7-4.0
4. SAT Middle 50%: 1430-1540
5. ACT Middle 50%: 33-35

With these stats, you can assume that getting into BU requires upwards of the 90th percentile in your class. This means you’ll need stellar academic marks. Now, also consider the fact that admissions rates at BU –and across all schools for that matter– are declining. Getting good grades is not enough. You’ll need strong extracurriculars and essays to help you stand out amongst the rest.

Can I Get Into Boston University with Lower Grades?

But now the question arises: can I get accepted into Boston University with a lower GPA?

The answer is: yes.

Now, don’t get your hopes up. The reason we said you can is that it is a technical truth. We’ve helped students with lower than average GPAs get accepted into Boston University. However, this does not mean a low GPA won’t lower your admissions chances. You’re still fighting an uphill battle.

The key to getting accepted into Boston University with a lower GPA is to make your application difficult to refuse. That means increasing your value as a student to the degree such that rejecting you would be unwise.

Perhaps you have a clear startup project you’ve already begun to conduct that will help many people. Or, maybe you operate a non-profit organization and increased ROI in a small amount of time.

Whatever the reason is that makes you a strong candidate, it should compensate for the fact that you have a lower GPA. It may even explain why your GPA is lower than average. Remember to write this properly in your supplemental essay, though. If you are struggling or do not know how to write this into your Boston University supplemental essay, ask us for help! We’ll get back to you with advice within 24 hours!

How Important Are The Boston University Essays?

Okay, let’s summarize: you can get accepted into Boston University with a lower GPA so long as you have something else to show your worth as an applicant. This inexorably ties us up with the next question.

How important are the Boston University essays? Here’s the answer: very. It is very, very important.

Let’s take a look at what BU has to say about the matter themselves.

While the admissions process at Boston University has always been holistic and decisions have never been solely based on one single factor, such as an SAT or ACT score, the move to test optional for fall 2022/spring 2023 will allow us to add further weight to the important qualities and characteristics that focus more on you, and your academic and personal accomplishments.

Boston University Website

Boston University has always had a holistic admissions process. That means there are more important factors than just the test scores and academic profile. The admissions officers want to see that you can demonstrate strong value as a candidate to their school, and that may require qualitative factors instead of just quantitative ones.

The admissions essays are the perfect opportunity to achieve this.

Instead of just bland numbers and stats on a piece of paper, the Boston University supplemental essay helps admissions officers see what kind of person you really are. It also gives you the opportunity to write in a manner that helps you stand out amongst the rest of the geniuses applying.

In other words, the essay is a vital asset to you whether your GPA is low or high because it helps you stand out in a college that wants unique students.

How to Write the Boston University Supplemental Essay Prompt

What About Being a Student at Boston University Most Excites You?

(250 Words)

Boston University Supplemental Essay Prompt

The BU Why Us Essay

This prompt follows the BU “why us” essay format.

Now, lets deconstruct what makes this “why us” essay different from the rest.

First, you can’t talk about the smaller parts of BU. That means the minor traditions and the coffee shops that may be peppered around the area. You should address two major points instead: being a student at Boston University, and what excites you. Your role as a student at a university is to become a more “whole” or “complete” person whilst pursuing your career. That may mean developing your personality to its fullest, discovering yourself and your being, etc. However, the primary focus of school is to pursue your academic field. Thus, you’ll need to dive deep into the resources that BU has. Perhaps the courses and professors –especially the research they may be doing– have something relevant to your future career projects.

Then there’s what excites you. A good way of answering this is by saying what exciting result may occur that you look forward to with a future in BU. Here’s an example.

Let’s say you have a project you would like to undertake creating software for small businesses to streamline their management processes. You are interested in both business management and computer science. Because some of the professors are working on similar projects and the clubs available have had experience doing this in the past, you may want to attend at BU compared to any other school. Only at BU can you fully actualize this dream of creating your successful software business. Thus, you may say the thing that excites you most is the dream that BU is capable of fulfilling that no other school can.

Anyone can be excited by great teachers or great programs in a school. However, you become a unique candidate when you say that your are excited for the chance to attend the one and only school that can fulfill your aspirations like no other.

How Does This Determine Your Career?

The admissions office at BU knows that you have options to choose from. Well, sort of. With schools being so competitive, you’ll be lucky to get a few acceptances here and there; however, it’s not all ripe pickings.

With that said, the admissions officers will know you will choose the “best” fit for your academic career. They know you’ll be applying to more than just BU. You may have MIT, Georgia Tech, NYU, FSU, and other schools to apply to. If you want to maximize your admsisions chances, make sure to convince the admissions officers that BU is your top choice. You can do this through explaining how your career would most fit their program, and settling for anything less would be a disaster.

That can be quite hard, especially with how many great schools and programs there are. However, it’s quite possible to include this in the essay. Instead of just saying you are excited to attend BU as a student for their computer science program, you may want to talk about your future career or startup projects that would be impossible without BU.

Sure, UC Irvine has a nice computer science program. They even have an esports club, and that may fuel some developers into creating software for esports players. However, if you want to get into BU, you may say that they have a niche no other school does best. You might want to capitalize on that niche by cross-disciplining it with your major. Just like with the UCI example, you’d do the same with BU to prove that it is the only school that can fulfill that aspiration.

What Makes You Special?

One of the most important parts of the Boston University supplemental essay is you need to show how you are a special candidate to BU. Remember: most students who were admitted were at the top 6% of their class and had GPAs ranging from 3.7-4.0. You need to write your essay in a manner that showcases how you will be a valuable asset to the school.

With 250 words, though, that will be quite difficult. In order to achieve this, you need to imagine yourself as an investment. If the admissions officers were willing to spend money on training and teaching students in their institution, why would investing in you be a better choice than the rest? Is there something that your academic interest has that can provide great value to the school?

Since this essay question is about what makes you excited to be a student at BU, you may not have all the space to truly discuss what makes you special. You can, however, imply through your writing how you are a unique candidate who will be a great asset. This means you’ll have to “weave in” or “imply” how you are a special candidate who will be a great fit and asset to the school. Let’s see an example.

Having both succeeded and failed in my own startup projects, I’ve seen the beautiful and ugly that comes with business projects in software development. I’ve witnessed the disconnect between STEM and business, developer and client. With my newfound experience and recent success in Tithe Simply, a digital religious donations software, I learned to bind the gap between software development and business marketing. It’s also why Boston University’s deep connection between the two fields made the school feel like home to me.

Sample Writing for Boston University Supplemental Essay

Here we’ve show that we have a knack for business and an interest in software development. We demonstrate worth by showing the project we’ve conducted, and how we are excited to continue our pursuit of computer science and business at Boston University. We also clarify that BU is a good fit since it has a deep connection between computer science and business; this makes us a great candidate who will be a good addition to the school’s academic cross-disciplinary interests.

If you are still wondering how to write the Boston University supplemental essay, you may want to consider speaking with an admissions expert. Fortunately, we’ve helped other students get accepted into BU by helping them write essays that made them stand out from the rest. Schedule a free phone consultation with us, and we will get back to you within 24 hours!