For the Boston College supplemental essay, you have a great opportunity to demonstrate how BC’s key values—personal growth/development and service to others—reflect your own ideals, and how they’ve shown up in your life, through your experiences, talents, and lessons learned.
Before you dive right in, take a minute to learn more about how BC envisions its mission, purpose, and opportunities, and how it wants to grow and evolve, by combing through its strategic plan. You’ll also find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at BC’s offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set.
What are the Boston College supplemental essay prompts?
We would like to get a better sense of you. Please respond to one of the first four prompts below (400 word limit). Students applying to the Human Centered Engineering major should respond to Prompt #5 instead.
Boston College Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
- Strong communities are sustained by traditions. Boston College’s annual calendar is marked with both long-standing and newer traditions that help shape our community. Tell us about a meaningful tradition in your family or community. Why is it important to you, and how does it bring people together or strengthen the bonds of those who participate? (400 words)
- The late BC theology professor, Father Michael Himes, argued that a university is not a place to which you go, but instead, a “rigorous and sustained conversation about the great questions of human existence, among the widest possible circle of the best possible conversation partners.” Who has been your most meaningful conversation partner, and what profound questions have you considered together? (400 words)
- In her July 2009 Ted Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warned viewers against assigning people a “single story” through assumptions about their nationality, appearance, or background. Discuss a time when someone defined you by a single story. What challenges did this present and how did you overcome them? (400 words)
- Boston College’s Jesuit mission highlights “the three Be’s”: be attentive, be reflective, be loving – core to Jesuit education (see A Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education). If you could add a fourth “Be,” what would it be and why? How would this new value support your personal development and enrich the BC community? (400 words)
- Human-Centered Engineering (HCE) Applicants only: One goal of a Jesuit education is to prepare students to serve the Common Good. Human-Centered Engineering at Boston College integrates technical knowledge, creativity, and a humanistic perspective to address societal challenges and opportunities. What societal problems are important to you and how will you use your HCE education to solve them? (400 words)
How to Write the Supplemental Essay Prompt for Boston College
How to Write Boston College Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
Strong communities are sustained by traditions. Boston College’s annual calendar is marked with both long-standing and newer traditions that help shape our community. Tell us about a meaningful tradition in your family or community. Why is it important to you, and how does it bring people together or strengthen the bonds of those who participate? (400 words)
This prompt invites you to share ways you contribute to communities (whether big or small) you are a part of, and to talk about significant activities or events which may reflect your culture or identity.
The second part of the prompt encourages you to reflect on the so what? of these activities, asking about the impact on those around you and the connection which results. Remember, colleges are building communities, and behind this kind of prompt is a desire to know what kind of person you will be on campus.
One option for this prompt is to treat this as essentially a “Community Essay” focused on how your engagement with that community and its tradition/s created a positive impact on others.
You can find our comprehensive guide on how to write the Community Essay here. Or, if you’re short on time, here’s the abbreviated version:
Step 1: Create a “communities” chart by listing all the communities you’re a part of. Keep in mind that communities can be defined by ...
Place: Groups of people who live/work/play near one another
Action: Groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (Examples: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)
Interest: Groups of people coming together based on a shared interest, experience, or expertise
Circumstance: Groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations.
Step 2: Use the BEABIES Exercise to generate your essay content. Once you’ve chosen a community, map out your content using the BEABIES Exercise. That exercise asks:
What did you actually do? (Tip: Use active verbs like “organized” and “managed” to clarify your responsibilities.)
What kinds of problems did you solve (personally, locally, or globally)?
What specific impact did you have?
What did you learn (skills, qualities, values)?
How did you apply the lessons you learned?
For this prompt, you can also consider:
What traditions did you practice? (Family? Religious? Cultural? Local?)
Why were these meaningful to you?
In what way do your activities impact and shape the community you are a part of?
See the example below for what this may look like.
– – –
Example
The smell of barbecue floods my senses as I rush to the end of the hallway, clearing my throat and mind. I pass through the crowd of diners as they are serenaded by muffled blows of trumpets and the strokes of violins. Mariachi Los Changuitos Feos rehearses in the back of Brother Johns, a barbecue restaurant that devotes its business to mariachi.
I play the violin, an instrument that I’ve had by my side since the first grade. We work on a popurri for the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, a mashup of songs that encompass various aspects of our heritage.
The music goes beyond sharp accents, long vibratos and rhythmic groove.
On a practical level, violin has given me the muscle memory to not only recall the classic version of Las Mañanitas, but also a way to communicate with the deaf community in Tucson through American Sign Language. While being connected to my heritage and abuelos I gain a superpower; the ability to manipulate the energy surrounding me as I evoke emotion from the audience and even myself.
With every caballito sprouts a new sensation, the feeling of unity and the colors of Mexican culture. Not only do we keep Mexican tradition alive, we plant smiles and energy into our community. Evoking a smile from an abuelita makes me feel a sense of warmth, almost as if the entire community is smiling along with her.
The sun goes down as sweat curves on my shoulder rest and my fingertips become bruised. Tomorrow we perform at mass where I can spread this sensation to a whole audience, keeping mariachi music and my own soul alive (274 words)
– – –
Tips and Analysis
Create a window into the tradition to hook the reader (but don’t delay too long). By taking us straight into the scene, this writer catches the reader’s attention with their appeal to the senses. But then, by introducing the tradition of Mariachi music right at the start, the importance of the tradition in shaping the writer’s community is quickly established. The use of vivid sensory details is a nice way to create a strong impression in your essays, while with a relatively short word count, it’s also great to give your reader a clear sense of where you’ll be heading and how you’re addressing the prompt.
Weave in your identity and values through the description of your activity. Notice how the writer includes their violin playing (since first grade) almost as an aside. In their second paragraph, they demonstrate their cultural background and consistent engagement in their community. Finding ways to show the admission nutrients colleges are looking for in your writing is a great approach as it demonstrates the value you will bring to campus.
Show (mostly don’t tell) how this tradition builds connection. It would be easy to get lost in the story telling in this kind of prompt, but the writer effectively moves their story into impact and insight by describing their superpower. The description of the smiling abuelita is a positive image that helps the reader understand the impact of the mariachi music the writer is creating. But they also include “telling” statements like “Not only do we keep Mexican tradition alive, we plant smiles and energy into our community” to make sure the point doesn’t get lost.
Address the personal and wider impact. Throughout the essay, the writer addresses the personal aspects of the tradition, alongside the community and cultural connection. This is beautifully captured in the closing sentence which provides an effective response to the second half of the prompt.
– – –
And here’s another example essay to show how you can approach this prompt.
Example
Gazing up at the smattering of bright stars on the inky canvas of the night sky, I feel the prick of the grass and hear the chirp of bullfrogs. Once a month, my closest friends and I pitch our tents at the Everglades Conservation to watch the stars and wonder about our universe.
Our eyes to the sky, we discuss everything from Taco Tuesday to a recent New York Times article about the threat of Florida’s eventual submersion. While space is often associated with cold and hostility, I — surrounded by the warmth of my friends — have come to a realization: like the stars above our heads occupying one sky, mankind shares one planet.
Humans have virtually the same genome; our differences are rarely more than skin deep. However, there have always been deep divisions, and we tend to fixate on issues such as politics, ethnicity, race, gender, and culture. These elements are crucial to informing individuality, yet in many ways humankind is bound together. My friends and I may not always agree, but our ability to listen to and empathize with each other is a source of joy.
This star-gazing tradition connects me to both my intimate group of friends as well as all of our world and the universe beyond it.
– – –
How to Write Boston College Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
The late BC theology professor, Father Michael Himes, argued that a university is not a place to which you go, but instead, a “rigorous and sustained conversation about the great questions of human existence, among the widest possible circle of the best possible conversation partners.” Who has been your most meaningful conversation partner, and what profound questions have you considered together? (400 words)
If there was an impactful conversation you remember having, this prompt gives you a chance to answer that, plus a little more.
While the question directly asks two things
(1) Who is your conversation partner? and
(2) What profound questions have you considered together?
there is a third element that you should consider including:
How did this influence you?
In other words, what did you learn or gain from this conversation? While things gained from this conversation could be, for example, a new way of seeing the topic at hand, a lesson, or new values, this is a great place to show how you handle difficult moments and what values you gain through interacting with those who hold different perspectives.
Another thing to consider is what else you’ve already written about in your application (personal statement, other supplemental essays, activities list)—have you already covered how you handle challenging moments? If not, responding to this prompt can demonstrate this side of you. If so, you might have more of an opportunity to show something new with a different prompt.
What BC is ultimately looking for in this response is, especially on a college campus where people from various backgrounds are coming together and finding new conversation partners within the BC community.
To see how other students responded to the prompt, you can keep reading the examples and Tips + Analysis below.
The following example, written for an almost identical prompt from Brown, nicely illustrates how you can approach this BC prompt.
Example 1:
The perspective of my father consistently challenges me. He lives in Missouri and does not believe the government should issue mask mandates and that as long as we take vitamins we will be alright. He believes that the government is trying to manipulate the general public with restrictions that neglect the individual freedoms of the people. I, on the other hand, believe that mask mandates are essential to ensure that the general public is better protected.
He wanted me to visit him in Missouri for our usual slate of activities—the State Fair, ComicCon, water park, and World War II museum—and I wasn’t sure what to do: I wanted to make good on my plans with my dad, but also wanted to stay true to what I knew was right.
In the end, I decided to go and see him, but laid out clear rules and conditions that would make me comfortable. Personal relationships are important to me, and I want to maintain a connection with my dad despite the fact that we live far away from each other and it is hard for us to accept our differences in ideas.
At the same time, I needed to draw healthy boundaries that would make me feel comfortable and respected. I’m invested in public health, and want to be a model of doing the right thing, even if it would have been a blast to whoop my dad’s butt in the Magic the Gathering tournament at Comic Con. (246 words)
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Clearly provide context. This student spends the first few sentences setting up the scenario for the reader–we know who the conversation partner is and that they didn’t see eye to eye on mask mandates–which makes the rest of the reading experience easy to read and understand. Your readers will (mentally) thank you for giving them a clear sense of what the essay will cover and how you are addressing the prompt.
Show (don’t just tell) your values. This student’s essay is not only filled with values, but concrete evidence to back it up (which is key). For example, the student writes that “personal relationships are important to [them]” but shows this first through details and reflection in the second paragraph.. The student also says that they “laid out clear rules and conditions that would make [them] feel comfortable”, which is evidence for values later touched on in the last paragraph: healthy boundaries, comfort, and respect.
Don’t be afraid of vulnerability. The student wasn’t afraid to say that they weren’t sure what to do, which gave them an opportunity to write about how they thought through the difference in beliefs. Through their consideration of whether to visit their dad or stay true to their beliefs, we see that healthy compromise was something important to the student: they visited their dad, but gave rules and conditions that would make them comfortable.
Sprinkle in details. While supplemental essays may be shorter on word count, finding ways to sprinkle in details gives readers even more of an opportunity to get to know you. For example, this student’s “usual slate of activities” with their dad included the State Fair, ComicCon, the water park, and the WWII museum, and at the end, we learn that they like Magic the Gathering and that the student is invested in public health. While another student could’ve had a similar experience with a parent where they had different viewpoints regarding the mask mandate, these extra details are what make the essay uniquely this student’s. Each gives us a little window into who the student is and whom they will be on campus.
Stay true to your voice. The nature of this prompt can result in some not-so-lighthearted experiences, but this student was able to infuse some humor at the end of her essay by saying “it would have been a blast to whoop my dad’s butt in the Magic the Gathering tournament at Comic Con.” While you don’t have to inject humor into your essay, humor was this student’s way of adding in some personality. By letting your voice and personality shine through in your responses, it’ll make your responses more memorable.
And this Princeton essay (written for a very similar prompt) is a great start that could be improved with some key revisions.
Example 2:
I probably argue with my grandfather more than I do with most other people combined. It’s not because we’re at odds. We just have different perspectives, influenced by our experiences—his as a life-long resident of India, mine as a first-generation American.
One pretty common argument we have is over Eastern vs. Western medicine. My solution to a headache, for example, is to take Advil. His is to rub Tiger Balm on his forehead and coconut oil on the soles of his feet. I try to convince him of the benefits of taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, describing how it can reduce inflammation by blocking the production of certain chemicals. He tries to convince me that the balm creates a cooling effect, distracting the brain from pain and relaxing the muscles. Rather than becoming sore at or resentful of each other, we’ve grown closer through these debates, and I’ve learned how to disagree without letting the situation get acrimonious.
Through these interactions, I’ve learned that a discussion shouldn’t be confrontational. The purpose isn’t to win, but to share my knowledge with the other party and learn from them as well. So rather than saying, “Rubbing balm on your forehead is stupid; you should just take Advil,” I say, “While rubbing balm on your forehead seems to work, I’ve noticed that taking an Advil has a stronger and more immediate effect.” Respecting the opposing party makes them more willing to hear you out.
I’ve also learned there’s a fine line between logic and emotion. I try not to take personally the things my grandfather says in an argument. Just because he doesn’t think taking Advil is the better solution doesn’t mean he thinks I’m stupid. If I take it that way, we begin to move away from what the argument really was about—the facts.
I’ll continue to apply these learnings in discussions and debates I have with others, realizing that having a “successful argument” isn’t about winning. It’s about sharing my opinion and learning from theirs, expanding our perspectives without alienating each other.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Read beyond the prompt. There are two explicitly stated parts to this prompt: Your favorite conversation partner and what you discuss with them. For the first part, don’t just name the person and call it a day. Instead, go a step further and elaborate on what makes this conversation partner the right one, both for you and for the topic. Their childhood? Their communication style? Their career? Their accessibility? Their understanding of you? This student does a great job at expounding on “what you discuss,” but we don’t know why that makes HIS grandfather, out of all the people with differing perspectives, the conversation partner of choice. Had he been writing to this prompt, that aspect would likely have been made clearer.
Follow the conversation’s history. If you’ve chosen your mom, your coach, or your best friend as your conversation partner, you’ve done so for a reason: You talk with each other. A lot. Can you detail several of these individual conversations—where you were and what you talked about? Do you always have similar conversations with them, or are they your go-to person for exploring new topics? While this student chose to focus on one specific East vs. West difference in his response, another effective approach could’ve involved a second cultural difference he’d noticed—or another time the difference in medicinal approaches caused friction.
Track the change. Not explicitly stated in the prompt but of great interest to BC is how those conversations have shaped you: Have they altered how you feel about a topic? Made you consider a new perspective? This student doesn’t have a change of heart regarding the efficacy of Tiger Balm and coconut oil; instead, he conveys his newfound understanding of how logic, respect, and an open mind strengthen not just the relationship with his grandfather, but also with anyone he may have a difference in opinion with. Exactly the kind of growth BC wants to see.
And here’s another example without analysis, just to illustrate ways to approach this prompt:
Growing up in the historically conservative South shaped many of my early political beliefs. Most came from my dad; I took every word he said as gospel and was proud to repeat whatever he told me to my friends because I wanted to be just like him.
In many ways I still do.
But I am very lucky to have surrounded myself with diverse friends who are happy to talk to me about their personal experiences to help me gain perspective. One friend who is undocumented shared her family’s struggle to find a better life in the US and completely changed my opinions about immigration policies. Another friend helped me realize just how much our police system is stacked against minorities. In addition to personal anecdotes, they encouraged me to do my own research and form opinions without them or my dad telling me what to think.
I no longer repeat my dad’s ideas but now challenge him to have conversations that might broaden his beliefs. At first we left these conversations frustrated and upset, and sometimes still do. But over time we have been able to find middle ground and I have changed his thinking about some topics. He’s grown in his views about LGBTQ+ rights and women’s health, while staying put on immigration and healthcare. Actively seeking to understand the views of others and standing my ground has given me confidence that I can navigate disagreements with respect and encourage others to be open to different perspectives. (249 words)
— — —
And here’s one more:
As the matriarch provocateur, my grandmother, Nana, takes the title of the best conversationalist and masterful debater in the family. I value our talks, as she makes me consider my role as a global citizen and advocate of different perspectives. Today’s polarized political climate decreased the amount of civil and objective conversations between party lines. However, I have learned through my grandmother the value of civics and debates as she challenges me to look at both sides. She taught me that other people have different backgrounds and “their truths may not be yours, and you have to come to understand that.”
But she doesn’t give in easily; like the time we protested for women’s rights outside a Pennsylvania state representative’s office in Handmaid’s Tale costumes in almost 100-degree weather. The protest was inspired by our discussion on Margaret Attwood’s novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We discussed the novel’s dystopian setting and too-real scenarios. Nana illustrated the loss of June’s personal identity as the government took away her rights, relating to the importance of a woman’s individuality. Through our discussion, she reminded me to stay true to myself while exploring new values and opinions. I learned from Nana the importance of developing my own personality and confidence. Furthermore, we’ve discussed the inequalities in education in our country as we both value the importance of a socialized education system. She even inspired me to volunteer for the underfunded learning organization, Tik Tok (no relation to the social media app), which she helps run. Her beliefs in self-development and equal access to education align with my values and create an environment for in-depth discussions.
Even though she didn’t attend college, she values collegiate-level education with a core curriculum and a holistic focus. She’s primarily drawn to religious studies, including detailed analysis of the Bible and on a comparative standpoint. While I wasn’t raised with a religious background, my conversations with my grandmother have inspired my interest in comparative religions and interdisciplinary studies, particularly theology and anthropology. Fundamentally, Nana is one of my biggest role models as she hasn’t stopped learning and enhancing her global knowledge, and as I move through my studies, I hope to base my future conversations on the ones I had with Nana.
– – –
How to Write Boston College Supplemental Essay Prompt #3
In her July 2009 Ted Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warned viewers against assigning people a “single story” through assumptions about their nationality, appearance, or background. Discuss a time when someone defined you by a single story. What challenges did this present and how did you overcome them? (400 words)
Prompt 3 invites you to write an essay that focuses on how someone else has perceived you based on nationality, appearance, or (an aspect of your) background. Apart from just responding to the questions provided in the prompt (challenges and how you overcame them), you’ll want to dig a little deeper and expand on what you learned from the challenge.
To respond to this prompt, you’ll want to include:
The context for the challenge: who defined you by a single story, how did they define you
The challenges + effects it presented for you
The steps you took to overcome these challenges + effects and
What you learned from this experience.
While the context and challenges are important for the readers to understand the situation, what you did in response to the experience and what you learned from this experience are what they’re really interested in, as those show your values and how you handle challenging situations.
That should influence what you choose to write about and how you write about it: If you’re considering responding to this prompt, you’ll want to make sure you have a specific, concrete experience that you’ve been able to take steps to overcome . While some people could have had multiple experiences of being assigned a “single story,” if it was something that happened in passing (e.g. receiving remarks by someone passing on the street) or was a situation that wasn’t confronted, then this prompt would be difficult to respond to well.
And while it’s not required, if you still have some left over words before hitting the target word count, you could also sprinkle in a relevant activity you’ve participated in where you’ve been able to further apply what you’ve learned from the experience, or even how you hope to contribute to BC based on what you’ve learned from these experiences. This isn’t mandatory, but shows commitment through action. After all, BC’s Mission & History page tells us that they welcome and embrace the contributions of a diverse student body from many faith traditions.
Here’s an example essay:
– – –
Essay Example:
Growing up, I spent summers in the US, where I encountered people defining me by one of two stories. Initially, when asked about my origins, I responded with 'Lebanese,' forgoing my Palestinian heritage to avoid misconceptions. However, this choice didn’t shield me from a barrage of misunderstandings.
People assumed I meant the New Hampshire town, and confusion ensued when they realized I meant the country. Questions like, 'Can you wear shorts?' or 'Can women drive?' became commonplace. I found myself assigned the single story of 'oppressed.'
To sidestep these questions, I changed my answer to 'I live in Dubai’, which triggered a new set of assumptions: 'Is gold your choice of toilet paper?' 'Do you collect designer bags?' I thought they were joking, but there was conviction in these questions. Now, my single story was 'wealthy.'
The truth is far from either; women in the region aren’t oppressed; nor are we swimming in prosperity. I see women striving to educate themselves, build careers and nurture their families. I see women needing fewer people worrying about their subjugation and more worrying about quality education delivered to their schools and capital flowing to their businesses. I see the women at AlFanar, not wanting to be seen as ‘helpless refugees,’ but as individuals with innovative ideas and ambitious goals. I see that they seek support in laying the foundations required to bring their ideas to life. I see so much, but unfortunately, these realities often go unseen by those outside the region.
I have a curiosity of language and media. I’m intrigued by how humans may be described as ‘bizarre’ rather than ‘extraordinary’, ‘different” instead of “unique”, and “odd” not “special. My love for language and the portrayal it creates led me to research the representation of Middle Eastern women in Western media. I explored how opting for nuanced words like ‘oppressed’ or ‘liberated,’ a specific narrative is advanced. I conducted interviews with women from across the Region, representing a range of professional backgrounds. These discussions made clear that the narratives assigned to me were not unique, but rather misconceptions experienced widely. I tried to use my language to counter these stories: I wrote about the hardships these women faced and the means by which we can change perspectives. I am currently preparing my research for publication, hoping to share multifaceted stories that foster comprehensive understanding.
– – –
Tips + Analysis:
Make your single story clear from the outset. This prompt asks about a very specific experience, and in order to help the reader understand your situation, opening with a clear statement about the way you were defined and by whom is important. In just a few lines, the writer explains their situation and the challenging misunderstanding they faced.
Develop your answer using specific examples to show your reality. Given the whole prompt is about misunderstandings, it works well for the writer to name their misunderstanding early on. By stating their single story became “oppressed” and then showing how it became “wealthy”, the writer sets out the challenge they faced.
Name your truth as you offer the other side to the single story. In the third paragraph, the writer begins to address the way things actually are for them, countering the misunderstanding described earlier. By including observations about women’s situations and offering specific details about the story they see, the writer addresses the risk of cultural misunderstanding that they are facing. The problem is summed up beautifully in the sentence, “I see so much, but unfortunately, these realities often go unseen by those outside the region”. Having effectively described the challenge and its impact, the writer is ready to talk about how they respond and what they do to address this situation.
Connect the challenge to your actions and interests. In the last paragraph, the writer moves on to talk about the way their intellectual curiosity led them to research more about the way women are represented, linking their research back to the single story presented earlier in the essay. The writer shows how responding with action brought them the realization they were not alone. Not only that, it motivated them to action as they found ways to promote understanding. Ending your essay looking forward to a more positive outcome, almost a call to action, can be an effective way to show the impact of the lessons learned from this challenging experience.
– – –
Here’s an example written for a similar prompt from USC that would work nicely (though it would need big word count cuts—more on that in the Tips + Analysis).
Essay Example:
– – –
“If you were a kitchen utensil, which one would you be?”
As silent awkwardness fills the breakout room, I warily click the unmute button and toss out cheesy Google conversation starters. For better or for worse, 30 minutes of small talk with my teammates yield a consensus: Forks are the superior utensil. With a new sense of camaraderie, we’re prepared for the real work to begin.
Our final project at Asian Diversity Incorporated (ADI), a leadership program for Asian youth, required us to answer this question: How can the next generation of Asian-Americans advocate for the AAPI community’s history, present, and future?
Inspired by Generation Z’s influence over social media, we chose to create an Instagram account debunking the racial stereotypes and myths surrounding the AAPI community: cultural appropriation in fashion, misrepresentation in the film industry, Asian defamation in Western politics. Navigating different time zones, schedules, and skills, I saw my role as team leader put to the test by the conditions forced on us by the pandemic. Nonetheless, through weekly Zoom meetings, Emma’s evocative graphic designs, Drew’s thought-provoking articles, Justin’s insight on Instagram’s algorithms, and my extensive research, we were able to capture the attention of over 15,000 users. Comments of gratitude and encouragement, like “Excited to see this coming out to the world!”—along with frequent reposts and shares—reassured us that our message was beginning to resonate. With an open heart and mind, and a willingness to compromise, we formed a united front around a shared mission: to make an impact on others. Not only did I gain a valuable community of friends and mentors, but I was also able to cultivate my voice as an activist during the rise of anti-Asian rhetoric and hate crimes.
I had the polar-opposite experience while on tech crew for the musical production, All Shook Up, when our team was tasked with creating a billboard for the main stage’s set. As the only POC woman in a crew of six white males, I was often subjected to derogatory name-calling and objectifying comments. My ideas and opinions were routinely undermined or dismissed, whether it involved a bigger responsibility, like creating sketch designs, or more menial tasks, like selecting materials from the woodshop. This toxic culture became even more apparent when the team leader started assigning crew roles. I soon realized that my lack of opportunities in the construction workshop was not a coincidence. The tech head decided that “heavy-lifting” work, like sawing and drilling the wooden boards, was off-limits for me, while deeming more passive roles, such as gluing or cutting paper shapes, a better fit.
When I confronted one of my teammates, he dismissed me with empty excuses like “it’s not intentional” and “it’s better for you to leave the handiwork to the bigger guys.” In order to protect future POC, female techies to come, I was determined to have a much-needed conversation with the leaders. When I began the discussion, I first laid out my concerns about the boys’ sexually demeaning comments, as well as harmful racial and gender stereotyping. I then shared the toll this behavior took on my dignity and how the environment threatened the safety and security of all women of color. At the same time, I was adamant about facilitating a space that would not only allow the boys to acknowledge their mistakes but to begin growing from them. In order to keep myself composed, and to not put them on the defensive, I heard their perspectives, and offered to work with theater instructors to implement a training program focusing on cultivating respect. Ultimately, we were able to complete the billboard, but the crew’s behaviors didn’t change much, and there would be no training program, leaving a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.
Both experiences underscored for me the gravity of my actions and to be intentional in uplifting the voices of myself and others. Working with my teammates at ADI introduced me to the beauty of intercontinental collaboration, especially in our new virtual settings. It’s taught me how to bring together diverse individuals, with unique perspectives and skills, to contribute to a greater purpose and mission. Having a freed mind and being open to new ideas, while striving to navigate a middle ground, allowed us to learn while doing. My experiences in theater tech, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of speaking up and being heard, even if I don’t see an immediate impact. When we empower others by acknowledging their right to be seen and recognized, we begin to build and cultivate trust.
Informed by these lessons, I hope to promote artistic climates that allow all members to thrive and embrace their identities through empathy, trust, and constructive compromise. All while developing healthy relationships and having fun along the way. Filmmaking lacks luster without collaboration. It requires a culmination of voices, and as each team member is heard, we’re able to further amplify the story and voices of the characters on screen. In my future workspaces, I envision working with my peers to craft potent films, empowered by USC’s determination to foster a collaborative environment where persistence, discipline, and most of all, imagination are celebrated and encouraged. (860 words)
– – –
Tips + Analysis:
Jump straight to the point. Since this essay was originally written for a different school, prompt, and word count, it includes a few things you wouldn’t need to address for BC. While this student focuses on two experiences, one inclusive and one challenging, for BC you would ideally jump straight to the point by setting up context for the challenging experience (in this case, working as part of the tech crew for the musical production). At the very least, you’d want to minimize the word count dedicated to the inclusive experience, using it only to set up framing for the other story. Similarly, for the second to last paragraph, this student describes lessons learned from each experience–for BC, you would focus on lessons learned from the challenging experience. By taking out or minimizing the inclusive experience and lessons learned from it, that significantly reduces the number of words and should set this essay much closer to the target word count.
Strike a balance. While responding to a prompt like this may elicit painful memories, the student in this example was able to clearly offer context and state the facts by including direct quotes and taking the reader step by step through the events that occurred. However, this student doesn’t simply disregard her emotions; she isn’t afraid to be vulnerable, and tells readers that “In order to keep myself composed, and to not put them on the defensive…,” she heard their side and asked for a training program to be implemented. The way she handled her experience demonstrates an admirable ability to find balance between not simply shoving her emotions down, but also finding a way to engage that leads to growth and progress.
Look beyond the scope of the challenge. After writing about the challenge, how she handled it, and the lessons she’s learned, this student takes it one step further by expanding on how she hopes to make an impact in her future communities by promoting inclusive artistic climates while developing healthy relationships and having fun. While this isn’t mandatory, it’s great to see this added since it shows forward thinking and how she might want to contribute to the university’s community.
Bonus! Add in an element of ‘Why Us’. Again, not mandatory, but it’s generally great to sprinkle in elements of why you want to attend a certain university since it shows enthusiasm and your alignment with their values. At the end, this student talks about how she hopes to be “empowered by USC’s determination to foster a collaborative environment where persistence, discipline, and most of all, imagination are celebrated and encouraged.” To find more information on a university and/or specific department’s values, you can visit their website (search for about pages and/or ‘mission’).
And this essay, written for Yale, nicely answers a similar prompt.
Example:
Yet again, I sat dumbstruck in the cafeteria with my friends after hearing about a video of students at our school chanting the n-word. Yet again, our principal walked up on stage asking us to forgive. Until we’d had enough.
Sixty of us locked ourselves in a school building. Our principal had refused to act on our demands to reform the disciplinary process and curriculum to prevent this blatantly racist activity from reoccurring. For three nights, we slept on classroom floors. Both a teacher and a parent tried to barge in, each assaulting a student. I met with supportive faculty to draft out concrete modifications to the school. As the New York Times covered our journey, our school board was finally pressured into implementing our pre-drafted proposals.
We had stirred up some good trouble to bring racism to the forefront of the conversation. Yet the protest was just the beginning. We were still at step zero of successfully implementing anti-racism education to reframe our mindsets towards achieving social justice. I see it as our responsibility to light the spark that will start the fire.
We shouldn’t wait for “our turn.” Black rights are Asian rights are women’s rights are LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. This is a collective journey. If we all attack oppression individually, we will never win. We must charge from all directions, together, in order to defeat systemic racism. We need to show up for each other.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Be specific about your experiences. If you respond to this prompt, it’s important you’ve had at least one specific experience that’s fundamentally changed you. This probably isn’t the right prompt for you if you have strong opinions on racial injustices but lack the firsthand experience to support the impact on you or can’t show how you’ve been a change agent (e.g., your essay details only the one Black Lives Matter event you attended but lacks insight or forward movement). This student doesn’t just talk about her feelings regarding fellow students “chanting the n-word.” She shares how she took action—sleeping in the school for three nights, getting press coverage, and drafting anti-racism policies with faculty. We’re left with a concrete sense for how she took action to create change in their school.
But be mindful of what you share. Efforts to enact change come in many forms—from online petitions to large in-person protests. Emotions can run high, and tensions can flare. Reconsider telling any story that describes you participating in any gray-area activities, like violence or vandalism, no matter how well-intentioned. Instead, keep your focus on positive, nonviolent efforts. Yes, this student does mention assault. But that physical violence was instigated by neither the student nor her fellow classmates, and it’s just a very brief mention in a larger (nonviolent) story.
Watch your tone. While helping others in a time of need is usually a good thing, if you’re not a member of the BIPOC community, make sure you’re helping for the right reasons. In your essay, don’t oversimplify the problem (or the solution) or assume you know what the community needs. Doing so runs the risk of coming off as condescending or naive. Instead, make sure you’re sharing when you’ve been a respectful ally who’s amplifying their voice, not yours. While it’s not clear whether a BIPOC student is authoring this essay, we see her playing an active role in a thoughtful, nonviolent group effort to outline and implement anti-racism education.
Don’t minimize your contributions. It’s easy to think you’re not really making a mark in the efforts toward racial equality if you aren’t spearheading big changes on a community or state level. But big changes often start with small steps—especially when those small steps are taken honestly and authentically. What are the small but meaningful actions you’ve taken to initiate change? While this student engaged in some larger activities within her school community, your small act may be no less meaningful.
How to Write Boston College Supplemental Essay Prompt #4
Boston College’s Jesuit mission highlights “the three Be’s”: be attentive, be reflective, be loving – core to Jesuit education (see A Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education). If you could add a fourth “Be,” what would it be and why? How would this new value support your personal development and enrich the BC community? (400 words)
This prompt is an opportunity for you to write about an aspect of your identity or one of your values which you have not been able to include anywhere else.
Think back to the brainstorming exercises you did at the start of your essay writing process and check where your top values are showing up (Or if you didn’t do our Values Exercise, dive in and do it now, and think about which ones you aren’t showing/emphasizing elsewhere).
Is there one you could focus on here? A value that motivates your actions, in ways that have led to your growth and can also enrich the BC community?
The first three “Bes” describe different ways of being in the world. This question is a space for you to reflect on who you are and the whys behind the way you act, rather than focusing simply on what you do.
If you’re having trouble, one way to approach this is to think about how others see you (and maybe even ask them). Are you the friendly one, the funny one, the organized one in your group? What do others depend on you for? Snacks? Encouragement? Directions? What roles and identities do you take on for others? Is there a “Be [X]” related to that way you are seen? After you have decided on your “Be”, make sure you can explain why it is important for you and for the wider community.
Once you have chosen your “Be”, find a story or anecdote which will work well to illustrate this characteristic at work. It could focus on your role in your family, school or another community you are part of. Wherever it is, you’ll want to be specific about why behaving in that particular way is important for your own growth and that of those around you.
This prompt is also asking about your future contribution to the BC community, so you’ll want to do some “why us” research and to include specific ways you imagine getting involved that will give you a chance to put your fourth “Be” into action. (For more on “how will you contribute” prompts, check out the guide here.)
Here’s an example essay written for a different prompt that can show you the direction to head here (though it’s over BC’s word count). Analysis below on how it could be tweaked to fit BC’s “Be” prompt.
– – –
Example Essay:
Restorative justice empowers students to lead by engaging others who are dealing poorly with major social issues at home or at school, who don’t feel seen or heard, and help to reintegrate them back into the community. As a member of the Student Life Advisory Committee, SLAC, I meet with suspended students and use the tools of restorative justice. Through SLAC, I’ve learned and applied skills like active listening, communication, and compassion, to work towards strengthening my community. These values improved my capability in other leadership positions, like being President of Honors Society and Boy Scout troop leader, by teaching me to encourage student engagement through example and listening with the “ear of my heart.”
Restorative justice encourages students to resolve issues without administration involvement. The small group discussions with peers require vulnerability. To encourage student engagement, I meet every other week with SLAC to organize events to eliminate cliques and resolve grade-wide disputes. To do so, I’ve created interactive ice breaker games and team building activities, and hosted difficult conversations about destructive behavior. It has been gratifying to see students we worked with apply to the committee, which has shown me that community engagement is contagious. One of my most meaningful experiences with SLAC was reintegrating a student who was ostracized after false rumors changed the way the community thought of him. To encourage his reintegration, we held conversations to discuss why rumors can be so detrimental and held meetings for students to discuss how and why they were harmed. From these experiences, I have realized the importance of compassionate and supportive leadership, values that have shaped my actions as the President of Honors Society.
As President, I have found active listening to be essential during Zoom meetings, for example, during our creation of our first ever care package sale. To spark ideas, I implemented breakout room sessions to ask students to determine which organizations to donate proceeds to, how to distribute, and what to include in the packages. Once my peers returned to the main room, I actively listened to their ideas, took notes of each member's suggestion, challenged some of their ideas, and implemented many of their recommendations into the final product. Despite tough circumstances, my club members and I were able to create a new tradition because of the support we provided for each other and our ability to communicate effectively. I realized that active listening and creating space for expression makes others feel valued and encourages greater engagement.
SLAC also taught me how to effectively engage my communities through joyful interactions that build comradery, something I’ve applied in scouting. As an Eagle Scout and leader of my Boy Scout troop, I’ve drawn upon my experience of creating a welcoming environment to encourage troop interaction and fellowship. The bonds we’ve developed created space for exploring our shared values, which has motivated us to show up for each other. For example, after hearing about the food insecurities students in low-income communities were facing during the pandemic, I created a food drive to help support students and parents. When I asked my scouting community for help, 15 scout members dedicated their money and time to support me helping a community in need. Having developed a supportive community enabled us to build and donate 1100 boxes, far surpassing my initial goal of 250.
I believe that my engagement in my community has translated to a more supportive environment for my peers and future students. Having an opportunity to support my community has allowed me to grow as a son, brother, friend, and student. I have matured through my responsibilities; I have rebuilt myself after my failures; and most importantly, I have embraced the values of restorative justice. At Pitzer I will continue to live by these values and search for opportunities through clubs, student government, and educational opportunities to learn new lessons and add to the active community. (649 words)
– – –
Tips + Analysis:
Open with a direct response to the prompt. If we were to tweak/rewrite this example for the Boston College prompt, we could open by naming the fourth “Be”. The writer of this essay names restorative justice and its purpose in the opening sentence, effectively setting up the rest of the essay as a place to explore their involvement in this movement and why it is important. Adding a direct “Be just” would set them up for this prompt pretty easily.
Show what it means to put this “Be” into action. Having established the main topic, the writer then uses the second paragraph to talk about specific experiences where they have worked for restorative justice. These examples add meaning and depth as they offer evidence of the writer’s commitment to the cause. By explaining the ways they’ve had difficult conversations, been an active listener, and created interactive games, the writer brings the term restorative justice to life in their context.
Connect your “Be” to different parts of your life. Having given clear examples of the way they work for restorative justice in the school community, the writer then broadens the scope. Having described their success with fundraising activities , they show how this same approach carried through to scouting. Notice how the writer uses quantitative details to highlight the success of their activity, too. The reader has the chance to see that the writer’s values show through in different settings, and this is continued in the final paragraph. Looking forward to getting involved on campus, the reader names specific ways they hope to contribute. By ending with the focus on how you will be in the BC community, you will show the value of the fourth “Be” you are proposing.
Show how you’ll enrich BC. Another way the example above could be strengthened for BC’s prompt is to include some specific ways they want to engage with the BC community—whether through a student organization focused on restorative justice, or ways they want to engage through BC and in partnership with other students with the Boston community. Help your reader see specific ways you’ll be a part of BC’s community.
– – –
And here’s another example that could be tweaked pretty easily to fit BC’s prompt by focusing on something like “Be equitable.”
Example Essay:
As a child, I was a Monopoly Champion. After all, I did as I was taught—use every tactic possible to bankrupt my opponents into surrender.
Granted, Monopoly is a game whose ostensible purpose is to create and hold monopolies, but I have realized through my experiences in the Texas mathematical community that life is a bit more complex.
A significant issue for mathematical competitions is asymmetric access to study resources. Schools do not share study materials so that they can preserve their competitive edge. This behavior carries serious implications including student discouragement. After another school swept regionals when I was in sixth grade, many of my peers, seeing the shiny study booklets in the hands of the winning team, quit the activity. Asymmetrical access to resources turns the original goal of fostering interest in mathematics on its head by discouraging students, ultimately having toxic effects for the community.
Since ninth grade, I have worked to combat this problem by co-founding the San Antonio Math Club, a non-profit organization that works to provide equal access to resources by holding free monthly meetings where students from all over the state can get together and discuss challenging problems.
Don’t get me wrong—I love to win. But I believe that some players can’t begin with $8000 while other players begin with $1500, and through endeavors like the San Antonio Math Club, I strive to maintain the sustainability of the game so that everyone will play again without fear of bankruptcy.
Because to me, equity matters.
– – –
How to Write Boston College Supplemental Essay Prompt #5
For Human-Centered Engineering major applicants only: One goal of a Jesuit education is to prepare students to serve the Common Good. Human-Centered Engineering at Boston College integrates technical knowledge, creativity, and a humanistic perspective to address societal challenges and opportunities. What societal problems are important to you and how will you use your HCE education to solve them? (400 words)
Engineering students, this is your only choice for your one BC supplemental essay, and by asking you to write about how you envision yourself using a BC education to contribute to the Common Good, this proud Jesuit school is showing just how important those ideals (and how they breed action) are. New to the prompt this year is the request for you to explore how an HCE education is uniquely qualified to help you solve what you view as society’s most pressing issues.. So keep that in mind as you write!
Think of this essay in two parts. The first is the “Why Major.” Here’s a guide to writing that portion. The second part is the “Why us?” Here’s a guide for that type of essay. We’d recommend dedicating about the first 200 words of the essay to your interest in engineering, especially how it connects to your “humanistic” values and what pressing societal problems you’ve identified, then segueing into the “Why BC,” spending the other 200 words on how its programs, courses, clubs, activities, and other aspects of campus life will help you identify opportunities for resolving those challenges.
Just imagine melding the two together with a relevant transition—or a soldering iron. Whatever works!
To give you an idea of what that looks like in action, here’s a combined “Why Major” + “Why us?” essay written for the Carroll School of Management. It does a nice job of weaving both essentials together with some heavy “why me” examples, as we’ll explain further in the Tips + Analysis.
Example:
Empathy. Fairness. Education. These are the values that have been emphasized in my family, and that have guided my decisions and actions in life.
Every year, my family and I visit rural areas in Vietnam to donate money and essentials to disadvantaged families and orphans. Each time I witness their circumstances, my heart aches. I’ve known since my first service trip there at eleven years old that I needed to do more to improve the circumstances of their lives.
During my junior year at my new high school, I established the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) and seized the opportunity to fundraise for the orphanages in my hometown, Da Nang City. Besides organizing fundraisers, I partnered with the Yarn Club to make keychains to sell. The $800 we raised helped provide the children with new clothes and school supplies.
I often think about these children, and how unfair it is that they were born into a life of poverty. At Boston College, I want to continue to help kids in Vietnam through VSA, and maybe even establish a club that helps support disadvantaged children from all around the world. However, I realize now that helping individual children and families won’t solve the problem of systemic poverty. That’s why I want to become a social entrepreneur: to use business principles to find solutions for a more just world.
At the Carroll School of Management, I want to pursue Leadership and Management as my first concentration, and Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good as my co-concentration. Utilizing research opportunities and taking courses like Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Leading for Social Impact and Global Inequalities, I hope to gain skills that will allow me to address the inequalities associated with poverty and parentlessness.
While I do want to start a social enterprise, I also want to establish a traditional non-profit that will help provide free education for underprivileged children. There is an old saying in my family: “No matter how poor you are, you have to succeed in education.” Through education, my parents and their families were able to overcome poverty, and they have inspired me to succeed, and to one day pay it forward to others.
Empathy, Fairness, and Education. These are the values that I’ll bring to Boston College, and I hope that Boston College will teach me how to bring these values to the world.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Connect “why me?” with “why BC?” One effective way of doing this involves using the first half of your essay to lay out your “Common Good” values and beliefs, the examples that reflect how you serve them, and the societal issues that most resonate with you. Then use the second half—the “Why BC?” portion—to lay out how BC will give you the education, tools, and connections to solve those problems. BC admission officials want to know you’re familiar with and excited about the opportunities their school offers, and a great way to show that is to write about those specifics. Name the courses you’d want to take, what you’d expect to learn from the professors who teach them, the clubs and activities you envision yourself joining, and the research opportunities you’d pursue. Then name the takeaways you’ll get from each to help you solve your societal problems. And it may seem obvious, but it’s worth repeating: Make sure to spell the names of these clubs, courses, and professors correctly. This essay is a good example of this approach: At the beginning, the student clearly spells out her values (empathy, fairness, and education) and how she’s embraced them, while the second half clearly details what BC clubs and courses will help her continue her efforts and leave a lasting mark on society.
Show how you’re a student who’ll “serve the Common Good.” Yes, this is a key part of the prompt, but it’s also a great opportunity to show how you share BC’s values (check out their mission statement if you don’t know what they are). Can you connect the problem you want to solve with the values you’re going to develop at BC? This student clearly describes how she’s giving back, founding the VSA and wanting to continue the organization at BC—even outlining how her chosen career path dovetails with her passion for “paying it forward.”
Show a diverse range of interests. Yes, it’s important to write about the courses, programs, and majors/minors you’re interested in—after all, this is a college education we’re talking about. But BC officials know college is about more than book work. They want you to have a well-rounded experience, and showing you’re interested in opportunities outside the classroom will show your depth and range. Even better: Those details will give admission reps a nice glimpse of what life as an Eagle would look like for you. This student does a nice job of connecting the BC educational and extracurricular opportunities that’ll help her achieve her goal of becoming a social entrepreneur. She could’ve strengthened her essay further by identifying additional opportunities that would help her develop other sides of herself that’ll foster leadership in new, unexpected ways.
Special thanks to Elica Sue for contributing to this post
