Boston College accepted 18.9 percent of a record-high 39,875 applicants for the Class of 2025, according to a University release. This reflects a significant increase in the University’s admission selectivity from last year’s 24 percent acceptance rate.
Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin praised admitted students for their resilience amid the pandemic that has upended much of their high school career.
“The students embraced the challenge as an opportunity and, in the process, many discovered a newfound appreciation for what the world needs of them,” Gosselin said in the release.
This year’s admitted class is the most diverse in BC’s history, with 42 percent AHANA students, 11 percent first-generation students, and seven percent international students, the release reads.
This was the second admission cycle in which the University used Early Decision (ED) I and II instead of Early Action, meaning that ED applicants—who were notified of their statuses in December and February, respectively—immediately commit to attending BC if accepted. Regular Decision applicants were notified of their status on March 25.
Maame Twum-Barima, who plans to study sociology and psychology on the pre-med track, said she was excited when she found out she was admitted to BC last Thursday night. She said she is eager to get involved in campus life through groups including Ascend and the African Student Organization.
“I feel like I found the perfect place for me,” Twum-Barima said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Twum-Barima was unable to visit BC’s campus before applying. But the New Jersey resident said she still felt that she was able to learn about the many ways students can get involved on campus through virtual admissions programming.
Another admitted student, Arjun Garg, who is from New Delhi, India, has yet to visit BC in person but decided to apply ED II to the Carroll School of Management after learning about the immersive opportunities the school offers in finance and entrepreneurship.
“I’m really interested in joining the investment banking club and also going on a TechTrek,” he said.
Kedrick Delino—a student from Cambridge, Mass.—said he has learned a lot about BC’s history and values through his time at Boston College High School, and decided to apply ED I after spending time on campus visiting his older brother last year.
“I saw the culture and said to myself, ‘This is where I want to spend the next four years,’” Delino said.
Maria Wills—a student from Mullica Hill, N.J. who plans to major in biology—realized BC was her dream school while on a campus tour during her sophomore year of high school.
“I actually cried at the end of it,” Wills said. “It was just so beautiful!”
BC was one of several universities that was test-optional for this admissions cycle. Despite this change, 61 percent of BC’s accepted students submitted their scores, with an average SAT score of 1495 and ACT of 34, according to the BC release.
Wills said she was fortunate enough to have been able to take the SAT before the pandemic hit, but still faced challenges such as learning to navigate the Common App with guidance counselors over Zoom.
Twum-Barima said that although she studied extensively for the SAT and ACT, she was ultimately unable to take the tests because sites were continuously canceling their testing dates.
“We booked, they canceled … we booked, they canceled … it came to the point where we were forced to go test optional,” she said.
Garg said that he was initially worried when his tests were canceled, but was grateful that BC ultimately decided to go test-optional.
“I actually registered for the SAT twice, but they both got canceled, so I had to apply test-optional,” he said. “It was hard because for international students, they really want you to submit the SAT and I wasn’t able to.”
Despite this setback, admitted students said that they felt they were able to show they were qualified through other elements of BC’s application, including supplemental essays and extracurricular activities.
BC accepted students from 3,168 high schools across all 50 states and 75 countries to the Class of 2025, according to the release. Fifty-four percent of admitted students come from public and charter schools, 20 percent come from Catholic schools, and 26 percent come from private or independent schools.
Gosselin said in the release that BC is fortunate to be viewed as one of the leading universities in the country.
“Prospective students look to BC for our rich history of liberal arts education steeped in the Jesuit tradition, the social impact our students and alumni make on the world, and our continued physical and programmatic growth at a time when so many universities have been forced to cut back,” he said.
When it is safe to do so, Delino said, he is looking forward to attending on-campus sporting events with friends.
“BC already feels like a home away from home,” he said. “I’m excited for football games and hockey games with new friends from all over.”
Based on how BC has handled the pandemic so far, Wills said she feels hopeful she and her classmates will be able to have a semi-normal transition to college.
“I just really want to have the full freshman experience,” Wills said.
Twum-Barima said that she is eager to experience personal growth over the next four years at BC.
“The Jesuit Catholic identity is one of the main reasons why I found BC very attractive,” she said. “I didn’t really see the same emphasis on reflection in any other college.”
Featured Image by Ikram Ali / Heights Editor
