Just for reference. These are the essay prompts from BC for past cycles. I’d say the 2016-7 prompts are more conventional vs the more challenging ones from previous years (esp. 2013-4).
2013-4
“St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, encouraged his followers to live their lives in the service of others. How do you plan to serve others in your future endeavors?”
“From David McCullough’s recent commencement address at BC: ‘Facts alone are never enough. Facts rarely if ever have any soul. In writing or trying to understand history one may have all manner of ‘data,’ and miss the point. One can have all the facts and miss the truth. It can be like the old piano teacher’s lament to her student, ‘I hear all the notes, but I hear no music.’ Tell us about a time you had all of the facts but missed the meaning.”
“In his novel, Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann writes: ”We seldom know what we’re hearing when we hear something for the first time, but one thing is certain: we hear it as we will never hear it again. We return to the moment to experience it, I suppose, but we can never really find it, only its memory, the faintest imprint of what it really was, what it meant.’ Tell us about something you heard or experienced for the first time and how the years since have affected your perception of that moment.”
“Boston College has a First-Year Convocation program that includes the reading and discussion of a common book that explores Jesuit ideals, community service and learning. If you were to select the book for your Convocation, what would you choose and why?”
2014-5 (2015-6)
What contemporary issue or trend relating to politics, culture, and society, or foreign policy particularly concerns you and why?
Many human beings throughout history have found inspiration and joy in literature and works of art. Is there a book, play, poem, movie, painting, music selection, or photograph that has been especially meaningful to you?
Contemporary higher education reflects a tension between preparing for a meaningful life and preparing for a career. What are you looking for in your undergraduate education? Which emphasis is more important to you at this time and why?
“Magis,” a Latin word meaning “more,” is often cited in reference to goals of Jesuit education, which seeks to help students become better, do more, and have as much impact on society as possible. How do you hope to achieve the Magis in your life?
2016-7
Human beings have a creative side that tends to shine most when we are truly invested in the world around us. Describe a situation when you responded effectively to a particular need and found yourself at your creative best.
Experience teaches us the importance of being reflective when making major decisions. Share an example from a recent event when a leader or an average person faced a difficult choice. What were the consequences of the decision? Would you have done the same?
Boston College strives to provide an undergraduate learning experience emphasizing the liberal arts, quality teaching, personal formation, and engagement of critical issues. If you had the opportunity to create your own college course, what enduring question or contemporary problem would you address and why?
Jesuit education stresses the importance of the liberal arts and sciences, character formation, commitment to the common good, and living a meaningful life. How do you think your personal goals and academic interests will help you grow both intellectually and personally during college?