My senior wants nothing more than to attend BC. How much do you think community outreach plays a part in the application process? He has an unfortunate cumulative GPA of 3.39 at a competitive HS with only academic electives, honors, and 7 AP classes but a ACT of 33. He has done extensive mission projects and what excites him so much about Boston College is the emphasis on service. Will that help to make a difference? He’s not Catholic and no legacy. I can handle the truth. (I think.)
EDIT: I just saw that this was posted on the 14th, which was before EA decisions were sent out. This might not be pertinent now, but if your son got deferred, maybe it is.
Hi @FunWithTeens! I’m a freshman at BC who was accepted off the waitlist, and I was very similar to your child. I had no extra curriculars and my junior year was especially rough with grades (I got a 1 on one of my AP exams, and my school required that it stayed on the transcript).
My school didn’t do a 4.0 GPA scale, but i was sitting at around a 92.7 at the start of senior year. My ACT was also a 33, and I had a SAT score of 2040. I took a bunch of honors classes and 5 AP classes. It’s also important to note I went to a Jesuit school, which is the same Catholic order that BC belongs to, so that might have helped me.
I was also very big on service, and I made a big emphasis on it in my resume and essay.
While your son is very much at a point where the decision could go either way, I don’t think you should give up all hope now. I upped my grades extensively during senior year, especially the second semester, to get a 98.5 average for the year. Grades are the best information you can provide. If he really strives hard and gets great grades this upcoming semester, it could help him a lot. Have his school send updated grades as soon as quarter grades are in.
Really check and see if anyone in your immediate circle (someone at school, friends, relatives) knows someone at BC. I was surprised how much I found in that sense, and got a few people to send informal emails for me, but that may just be because of the school I went to.
Even a teacher or school administration member who your son only slightly knows should be considered a viable option. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
What I wouldn’t do is get a letter from someone who doesn’t have any connections from BC.
Lastly, just wait. Time will tell. I recommend picking another school he applied to and just picking it as one to “get excited about”, so it won’t sting as much if BC doesn’t turn out right.
If he gets on the waitlist instead of being outright denied, that’s when you should start sending a few emails to whichever person @ BC admissions is looking over his application. Not too many of them, just periodically to demonstrate intent.
Hope this helped, and good luck to your son!
Oh my gosh! Your reply was so incredibly helpful, reassuring, and kind of you to take the time to respond. (Loving BC more and more…) His GPA has always been around 3.3 but this past semester he got a 4.2 because he really wants to show what he can do. (I wish he had done that earlier, but you guys are kids and should love every aspect of high school not have to work yourselves to the bone starting at 13.) Living in CO we don’t know a soul from BC. Seriously. Not a living, breathing human. What he liked most about Boston College is the reflection that you all do. Is this my 17 year-old boy? You gave some great advice all around, on many things. We flew specifically to Boston to visit the school- do you think we should email the woman who coordinated the student panel (awesome kids, btw) and thank her? She was so kind. I just don’t want her (them) to think we’re brown-nosing. We’re not. It’s sincere. Thanks!
You’re very welcome! I’m glad to help in any way I can. Last year was very stressful for me with BC’s application process, and I wanna make sure I can help anyone in a similar situation if I can.
I think it couldn’t hurt to email that lady. Since the letter would be out of sincerity, it probably won’t come across as brown-nosing.
I wish your son the best of luck, and if I can be of any more help, please let me know!
Thank you, I will! Best of luck to you as well! I appreciate your time.
FWT:
search the bc thread for posts by scottj which provides sage advice on how to craft a ‘Why BC?’ essay. Yes, services is big in Jesuit education, so the key is showing – not telling – what your son brings to the class.
Good luck.
(Parent of a former Wait-Lister, who was offered a spot and took it and had ‘the best four years…’.)