Boston University is a private research university in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. An urban campus nestled along the Charles River, BU has something for just about anyone. While the school boasts a champion hockey team and robust sports program, it’s also a great school for those wishing to explore the history and rich culture of a city like Boston, or really anywhere else in the world. After all, BU is home to one of the oldest study abroad programs in the nation. The acceptance rate is 22 percent and the student body is more than 35,000.

Many schools this year have adopted test-optional policies for the upcoming school year. BU is among them. However, the supplement for this year’s BU application is still very much required:

The Supplement

The Boston University supplement seems straightforward enough this year:

What about being a student at Boston University most excites you? (250 words)

Before you get started, read the question again carefully. There are a few elements to which you should pay close attention. Year-to-year, most supplemental essays fundamentally ask a version of the same question: “why do you want to go here?” This question is no different, but there is a bit more specificity requested of the writer. First of all, note that they’re asking you to say why you want to be a “student” at Boston University. Not a resident. Not a socialite. A student. More on this in a minute.

The second thing you need to keep in mind is the word limit. 250 isn’t a whole lot of space to let an anonymous group of adults on the admissions committee know who you are and what you’re capable, so choose your words wisely.

Why BU?

Now that you’ve meditated on the prompt, research the university. Focus on your academic area of interest, the major you intend to pursue and learn everything there is to know. Who are the professors? What are the course offerings? What are the relevant clubs? What is it that makes Boston University a unique and desirable choice? Now, imagine a Venn Diagram with BU in one circle and you in another. The essay is about where you two meet in the middle.

Why You?

Now that you’ve truly honed in on what it is that makes Boston University special, you’ll want to focus on the reasons why you’re a natural fit to go there. Identify the specific area of expertise you’ve been cultivating over the past few years. We recommend starting off your essay with a brief story that tells the reader how you kicked off your interest in that niche are. This story shouldn’t be grandiose or long. Remember, you’ll have to cover quite a bit of ground in 250 words. But it should be specific. Perhaps a lightbulb went out in your house when you were little and you became obsessed with figuring out why, so now you’re on a path to become an electrical engineer. Maybe you ran for student government in middle school and lost, but learned that you loved writing policy. Identify that story and distill it into a paragraph.

Connect the Dots

Throughout the essay process, you should be mindful of establishing a specific brand for yourself. Don’t just say you’re interested in Poli Sci and BU has a great Poli Sci program. There are thousands of applicants who are interested in studying Poli Sci. Establish a niche in the overlap of the Venn Diagram that’s unique to you.

In your essay, you should weave in the specific things that you discovered in research earlier. Remember, the prompt asks you why you want to be a “student” at Boston University. Use the essay to talk about specific classes you’re interested in taking and what it is about you and your own background that would make you a contribution to those classes. Discuss the professors you’d like to study with and how a report you did in class has uniquely prepared you to do research with that professor. You should also consider weaving in relevant clubs you’d like to join or activities in which you’d like to participate on campus and similarly, how joining them would be an extension of what you’ve been working towards throughout high school.

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