What are Boston University's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:
In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Boston University and build a strong application.
School location: Boston, MA
This school is also known as: BU
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If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.
The acceptance rate at Boston University is 10.8%. For every 100 applicants, only 11 are admitted.
This means the school is extremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don't meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.
After crossing this hurdle, you'll need to impress Boston University application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation. We'll cover more below.
We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.
We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.
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Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.
The average GPA at Boston University is 3.89.
(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. Your transcript should show mostly A's. Ideally, you will also have taken several AP or IB classes to show that you can handle academics at a college level.
If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.89, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.
Boston University hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."
Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Boston University will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.
The average SAT score composite at Boston University is a 1418 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes Boston University Strongly Competitive for SAT test scores.
The 25th percentile SAT score is 1410, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1500. In other words, a 1410 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1500 will move you up to above average.
Belmont students, and other students near BU, should consider searching for local tutors with expertise in SAT and ACT prep to bolster their test scores.
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 |
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
Boston University has the Score Choice policy of "Highest Section."
This is also known as "superscoring." This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit.
Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.
For example, say you submit the following 3 test scores:
| Section | R+W | Math | Composite |
| Test 1 | 700 | 300 | 1000 |
| Test 2 | 300 | 700 | 1000 |
| Test 3 | 300 | 300 | 600 |
| Superscore | 700 | 700 | 1400 |
Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, Boston University will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 1000 to 1400 in this example.
This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Boston University forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.
Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1500, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.
Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.
Just like for the SAT, Boston University likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
The average ACT score at Boston University is 32. This score makes Boston University Strongly Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 32, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 34.
Even though Boston University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 32 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 32 and above that a 32 will look academically weak.
If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.
Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.
This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 34 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.
By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.
However, in our research, we found that Boston University does in fact offer an ACT superscore policy. To quote their Admissions Office:
The Board does not superscore the ACT; however, if you send in scores from multiple test dates, the Board of Admissions will consider the scores from each of the subcategories, noting the highest scores achieved for each. For this reason, we encourage applicants to submit scores from all ACT test dates as well.
Superscoring is powerful to your testing strategy, and you need to make sure you plan your testing accordingly. Of all the scores that Boston University receives, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all ACT test dates you submit.
Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.
For example, say you submit the following 4 test scores:
| English | Math | Reading | Science | Composite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test 1 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 |
| Test 2 | 16 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 20 |
| Test 3 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 16 | 20 |
| Test 4 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 20 |
| Superscore | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
Even though the highest ACT composite you scored on any one test date was 20, Boston University will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 20 to 32 in this example.
This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Boston University forms your Superscore, you can take the ACT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.
Therefore, if your ACT score is currently below a 34, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the ACT and retaking it. You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.
Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the ACT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.
Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.
Boston University considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require or recommend it.
Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.
To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1500 SAT or a 34 ACT. You should also have a 3.89 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.
For a school as selective as Boston University, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.
But if you apply with a score below a 1500 SAT or a 34 ACT, you unfortunately start out with the odds against you and have a tiny chance of getting in. There are just too many students with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.
We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.
We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.
Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.
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Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Boston University here.
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.
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 |
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 |
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.
We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.
We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.
Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.
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