As a first-year applicant, you must submit the following credentials. International applicants must also submit additional credentials.
A thoughtful and comprehensive review that takes into account your academic achievements and activities inside and outside the classroom within the context of your academic environment, life experiences, and background. We seek to bring together a diverse student body that is highly motivated, intellectually curious, and contributes to the BU community.
Apply as a first-year student if you are currently in your last year of high school, have completed high school, are a GED recipient, or have completed a high school equivalency exam. If you are currently in high school and are part of a dual enrollment program, you should also apply as a first-year student.
Admitted students who applied for financial aid and are US citizens or permanent residents will have 100% of their demonstrated need met.
QuestBridge Applicants: Please visit our QuestBridge webpage for details about the application process.
Selecting an Academic Program:
Essays: You must submit two essays in the space provided on the Common Application. This is an important part of your application because it gives you the chance to tell us your story as an applicant.
Admission to your selected program:
Application Fee: Our application fee is $80 and can be paid via the Common Application.
Fee Waiver: BU Admissions is here to support students and families and to make sure that an application fee does not pose a barrier to anyone who wishes to apply for admission. If you are interested in a fee waiver, please begin by reviewing the eligibility guidelines on the Common Application website. Your request for a fee waiver will not impact your admissions decision. If you have any questions about this process or your eligibility, please contact BU Admissions at admissions@bu.edu or 617-353-2300.
Official copies of your secondary school transcripts must be submitted by a school official. If you are enrolled in an international curriculum with national exams, please see our Secondary School Credentials page for how to submit these official results.
For most BU programs, the recommended high school/secondary school curriculum is as follows:
*Applicants to the College of Engineering are required to have a year of calculus. For students enrolled in IB courses, this requirement would be met with enrollment in HL or SL Math Analysis & Approaches or HL Math Applications & Interpretations.
* Applicants to the Questrom School of Business are required to have a year of calculus or a year of precalculus and a year of AP Statistics. For students enrolled in IB courses this requirement would be met with enrollment in HL or SL Math Analysis & Approaches or HL Math Applications & Interpretations.
Please ask your counselor to submit the School Report form and the School Counselor Recommendation form found on the Common Application.
Please ask a teacher to submit the Teacher Evaluation form found on the Common Application.
Boston University is test optional for first-year applicants applying through fall 2025 and spring 2026.
Prospective students and applicants must decide for themselves whether or not to include standardized test scores with their application for admission to Boston University. When making this decision, we ask students to consider the totality of their academic record, their contributions both in and out of the classroom and to their communities, and whether they feel confident that the sum of these experiences fully reflect their academic ability and potential.
Students have the ability to indicate whether they would like us to consider their standardized test scores when they apply. Once you have submitted your application, this answer cannot be changed.
If you would like your standardized test scores considered:
Boston University accepts self-reported standardized test scores on your application. You may also submit your official test scores via the testing agency, or through the self-report form on the MyBU Applicant Portal.
Please note: If you submit self-reported standardized test scores, an official score report from the testing agency will be required before enrolling at Boston University. If there are discrepancies between self-reported and official standardized test scores, your enrollment at Boston University may be rescinded.
When sending official scores, t he BU codes are:
BU superscores both the SAT and ACT. To take advantage of superscoring, we recommend including all your test scores if you take more than one test or take a test multiple times. For both the SAT and ACT, BU uses the highest score of each section, regardless of test date, to best represent you as an applicant.
If you are applying to the College of Fine Arts , please see the different requirements for the program.
Please note that all materials and documents submitted as part of an application for admission become the property of Boston University and cannot be returned.
As you embark on your college search, we want to assist you by offering a glimpse into life at Boston University with a variety of virtual events and programming. Begin your journey to BU with a personalized look into life on campus, and hear directly from admissions officers and current students about why BU could be the right fit for you.
To apply for graduate admission, visit the Graduate Admissions Office in the school or college you are interested in attending.
More than just academics, a BU education prepares you to make the most of life. So discover why clicking "send" on your application is a smart choice.
