Featured Supplemental Essay Prompt For Boston College Applicants:

Students at Boston College are encouraged to consider critical questions as they pursue lives of meaning and purpose. What is a question that matters to you and how do you hope Boston College will help you answer it? 400 Word Maximum.

Successful Supplemental Essay Example From Our Accepted Alumni Student:

From building confidence, debating differing viewpoints, meeting with embassy representatives, and uniting with my school’s diverse community, I have been fortunate to learn through seeking—and uplifting—differences.

But, my pressing questions reach beyond my community, beyond my generation: How do we get all communities to value differences?

As a hopeful future business leader and activist, I’d explore answers at Boston College. BC’s emphasis on collaboration, mission-based learning, global perspectives, and community connection would help me seek solutions.

Concerningly, social divides still persist across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and more. Even worse, many people avoid—and judge—those who are different from them. With BC peers, we’d contend with visions for cultivating community across difference—from interdisciplinary Diversity Debates to 4Boston outreach initiatives. To make immediate change, I hope to work with marginalized local communities. And, as a hopeful future business leader, I want to encourage those with privilege to seek new perspectives. With equity-embracing Carroll School courses like Ethical Leadership Skills and Managing Diversity, I’d discover how to cultivate awareness, empathy, and inclusion.

As a passionate leader in MUN, I am especially drawn to BC’s emphasis on embracing global perspectives. I’d find ways to help divided groups navigate clashes and establish common ground. In unique interdisciplinary courses like Peaceful Conflict Resolution Methods, we’d unite to explore negotiation, empathy, and compromise. Passionate about fair wages and human rights, I also appreciate BC’s emphasis on social responsibility and intercultural awareness. We’d discuss visions for change in Social Impact and Entrepreneurship. With Arrupe International, I can even help abroad, channeling spiritual reflection toward justice and equity.

Above all, a desire to uplift differences begins with our values. Raised by Hindu parents, I particularly appreciate BC’s mission to reach across any spiritual difference—uniting us toward progress. BC’s Jesuit tradition, while based in spirituality, embraces diverse connections in all ways. With BC Neighborhood Center initiatives, I’d promote empowerment for adults and inspire curiosity for young students. In one-of-a-kind Complex Problems & Enduring Questions courses, we can unite—and seek answers. We’d grapple with how to create more inclusive, diverse, and equitable schools in Institutional Disparity: Equity and US Education—promoting connection across difference for the next generation.

With the BC community, I can unite with others who embrace differences—and find ways to help all communities seek common ground, even when it seems uncomfortable or inconvenient.

Because that’s the only way we can all truly grow.