Advice for approaching the Boston College supplemental essays (2025)?

Boston College’s supplemental essay options usually give you a lot of flexibility to showcase your character and reflect on your values, so it’s great that you’re getting an early start. When picking a prompt, take some time to review all the options and ask yourself which one lets you share something about yourself that either isn’t in your Common App essay or wouldn’t fit well there. The most compelling responses often zoom in on a specific moment or experience as a way of illustrating bigger personal qualities or growth.

Boston College cares a lot about values like reflection, community, social justice, and intellectual curiosity, given its Jesuit traditions. While you don’t have to focus on religion unless it’s meaningful to you, essays that touch on personal growth, ethical development, or making an impact in your community tend to resonate. For example, one strong essay focused on a student’s regular conversations with a grandparent from abroad, using those talks to illustrate cross-cultural understanding and empathy. Another wrote about designing a tutoring program for younger students, connecting it to a desire to support others academically and emotionally.

It’s perfectly fine (and sometimes more powerful) to write about something highly personal, as long as you use it to show how you think or what matters to you. You could write about an unexpected moment of conflict, a time when your beliefs were challenged, or a small act that ended up meaning a lot. The key is to be specific—rather than retelling your whole life story, zero in on a single event or decision, and use that as a lens to talk about your growth, values, or aspirations.

For structure, a clear beginning, middle, and end helps: start with a hook or a memorable scene, give some context, and then reflect on what you learned or how you changed. Maintain a sincere, authentic tone—let your personality come through rather than aiming for what you think admissions wants to hear.

If you’re stuck between prompts, try drafting a short paragraph response for each, and see which comes most naturally. Ultimately, your essay should reveal something unique about you and align (if possible) with Boston College’s values—pursuing knowledge, caring for others, and reflecting about greater purpose. Even academic topics can work, but connect them to personal motivation or broader impact.

Most importantly, don’t stress about being too ‘impressive’–focus instead on being insightful and honest. The right topic is often the one that excites you most, not the one you think sounds the most prestigious.