Boston College

Boston College is very difficult to get into. The acceptance rate at Boston College is 17%. Last year, 40,494 students applied to Boston College and 6,748 were admitted.

If you are thinking about applying to Boston College, the deadline for Fall 2024 admissions is 1/1 and the fee for the application costs $80.

Students who apply to Boston College for fall should anticipate a decision by April 1.

Boston College Admissions Stats at a Glance

The following is an overiew of some of Boston College's admissions stats.

Boston College 2023	Admissions Statistics
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	89.5%
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	34%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	18%
Waitlist	Yes

Boston College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Boston College.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 1	December 15
Early Decision II	Yes	January 1	February 15
Early Action	No	–	–
Regular Decision	Yes	1 1	April 1

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Want to Apply Early to Boston College?

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Boston College offers early decision but not early action. Early decision is binding, meaning you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 1 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 15.

🗓️ Early Decision II applications are due January 1. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before February 15.

The early decision acceptance rate at Boston College is 28%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 17%. Last year, Boston College admitted 1246 of the 4428 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply early because they believe it will increase their chances of acceptance. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase your chance of admission, since it is a way to show your interest in a school.

➡️ Find a list of some selective colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Boston College Admissions

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Transferring to Boston College

Transfer student admissions is very difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to Boston College

Boston College has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What Does Boston College Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college decides which factors are given the most weight when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When assembling your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that prioritize the admissions factors where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at Boston College

Wondering what factors are considered by Boston College during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Important
Character/Personal Qualities	Important
Class Rank	Important
Application Essay	Important
Extracurricular Activities	Important
Recommendation(s)	Important
Religious Affiliation/Commitment	Important
Talent/Ability	Important
Volunteer Work	Important
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
First Generation	Considered

Make sure to check with Boston College for more information on admission factors.

Boston College Application Requirements

To apply to Boston College, all applicants must submit the following items. Make sure to check in with Boston College's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Letter(s) of Recommendation	2	–	–	–
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√	–	–	–
Other Requirements	√	–	–	In addition to 2 Letters of Recommendation from Teachers, BC requires a Counselor Recommendation Form & Mid Year Grade Reports. See
Transcript of High School Record	√	–	–	–

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Boston College?

Boston College has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school.

Out of all students that were admitted, 30.2% submitted a class rank. At Boston College 89.5% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 97.7% were in the top 25% and 99.3% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Boston College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	–
3.75 and 3.99	–
3.50 and 3.74	–
3.25 and 3.49	–
3.00 and 3.24	–
2.50 and 2.9	–
2.00 and 2.49	–

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Boston College directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Boston College is test optional. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 34% of Boston College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 18% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Boston College?

To be competitive with other Boston College applicants, you should strive to score between 1450 and 1520 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Boston College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1520 and 25% of scored lower than 1450, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Boston College students scored 780 or higher and 75% of students scored 705 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Boston College students scored 760 or higher, and 75% scored a 705 or higher.

To be most competitive at Boston College, you should strive to earn between 33 and 35 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 35 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Boston College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 35, and three out of four students scored lower than 35 on the ACT.

A 33 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Boston College students. Only one out of every four students scored below 33.

More Information on Transferring to Boston College

For transfer students, it is very difficult to get admitted to Boston College.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 15. Applicants should hear back by May 20.

Transfer students can enroll in Boston College during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Winter Term

• Spring Term

• Winter Term

• Summer Term

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Boston College Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Boston College?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Boston College.

Does Boston College accept transfer credits?

✅ Boston College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does Boston College accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ Boston College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Boston College?

❌ No, Boston College is test optional, so it's up to you if you want to submit test scores or not. If your scores are higher than the school's average, you should strongly consider submitting them. If your scores are average or below average, you may want not want to include them in your application.

What is Boston College's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for Boston College is 17%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Boston College?

✅ Boston College's early decision acceptance rate was 28% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Boston College?

To learn more about Boston College, choose from the options below:

Overview

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

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