What are Boston University's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into Boston University. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.
Location: Boston, MA
This school is also known as: BU
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Boston University Admissions Statistics
There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into Boston University.
Average SAT: 1418
The average SAT score composite at Boston University is a 1418.
Boston University SAT Score Analysis
The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1410, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1500.
In other words, a 1410 places you below average, while a 1500 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Boston University, but they really want to see at least a 1410 to have a chance at being considered.
Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:
Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
Math | 726 | 710 | 780 |
Reading + Writing | 692 | 680 | 740 |
Composite | 1418 | 1410 | 1500 |
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Average GPA: 3.89
The average GPA at Boston University is 3.89. This makes Boston University Extremely Competitive for GPAs.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.89, Boston University requires you to be near the top of your class, and well above average. You'll need mostly A's, ideally with several AP or IB classes to help show your preparation at a college level.
If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.89, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics. This will help you compete effectively with other applicants.
Admissions Rate: 10.8%
The acceptance rate at Boston University is 10.8%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, only 11 are admitted.
This means the school is very selective. Scores are vital to getting past their first round of filters. After that, you will need to impress them beyond just your academic scores.
Final Admissions Verdict
Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.
To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1500 SAT and a 3.89 GPA or higher to be above average.
This is only part of the challenge - after this, you'll need to impress them beyond your academic scores, with your accomplishments and extracurriculars. But if you apply with a 1418 SAT or below, you unfortunately have a small chance of getting in.
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Admissions Calculator
Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.
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Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
- 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
- 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
- 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
- 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
- 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
Try to take your current SAT score and add 160 points to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?
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Other Schools For You
If you're interested in Boston University, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Boston University.
Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into
These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Boston University. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
---|---|---|---|
Georgetown University | Washington, DC | 1480 | 33 |
Hamilton College | Clinton, NY | 1480 | 33 |
Scripps College | Claremont, CA | 1480 | 33 |
University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | 1470 | 33 |
Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT | 1466 | 34 |
College of William and Mary | Williamsburg, VA | 1460 | 33 |
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | New York, NY | 1460 | 33 |
Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into
If you're competitive for Boston University, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.
School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
---|---|---|---|
Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | 1436 | 32 |
Binghamton University | Binghamton, NY | 1430 | 31 |
Lehigh University | Bethlehem, PA | 1430 | 32 |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY | 1428 | 32 |
University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | 1415 | 31 |
University of Washington | Seattle, WA | 1410 | 32 |
University of California, Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 1405 | 31 |
Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into
If you're currently competitive for Boston University, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Boston University is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.
School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
---|---|---|---|
University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA | 1358 | 30 |
Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY | 1352 | 31 |
United States Military Academy | West Point, NY | 1331 | 30 |
Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA | 1330 | 30 |
University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT | 1315 | 29 |
Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY | 1310 | 29 |
University of Texas at Dallas | Richardson, TX | 1291 | 28 |
Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.
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