<p>Presumably, this is all because BC began requiring a supplemental essay. It's a not a no-supplement dummy school any more. What will these mean for admissions? My guess is that the yield will increase, causing admissions officer to admit the same percentage (25%) despite the drop in applicants. However, I'm not too qualified to make this prediction. What do you think this means?</p>
<p>Will it be easier for students to get into BC this year?</p>
<p>That seems like a way to screen for “level of applicant’s interest” without explicitly using that as a criterion for admissions.</p>
<p>It is much better for the applicants and the school, since applicants do not have to guess about what they have to do to “show interest”, and the school need not try to guess which high stats applicant really is likely to attend versus just using the school as a last-choice safety.</p>
<p>@tyson -I’m lucky I wrote the essay at last minute!! haha</p>
<p>@ ucb - Though there are some pluses for applicants, don’t you think the fact that the average applicant will now be more likely to attend will force admissions to be more selective?</p>
<p>Yes, they may have to admit fewer to get the same number of matriculants.</p>
<p>But it can still be advantageous for applicants, since:</p>
<ul>
<li>Less competition from high stats applicants applying to the school as a last-choice safety.</li>
<li>Avoids the issues of using “level of applicant’s interest” in admissions where applicants have to guess at what “showing interest” means (perhaps an expensive recorded visit, or asking unneeded questions to the admissions office to “show interest”), especially if one is a high stats applicant for the school.</li>
</ul>
<p>@ ucb - Oh alright. The reason I asked is because BC would be an amazing school to go to, and I’m very happy to hear that applicants will at an advantage this year!</p>
<p>if it is a filter to remove less serious apps., then you can write on the essay blah blah blah blah blah, nobody will be reading it. but it is a good move…it’s purpose will be served in cleaning up the applicant pool.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for BC, there are kids out there who do not apply to schools that require a supplemental essay, or won’t add one other than a specific number of them to their list. If they can’t recycle an essay to use, then it’s off the app list. </p>
<p>Also, unfortunately for BC, that doens’t mean those are not kids that would have turned down BC had they been accepted. So they misses some kids that would have been good picks. I think their yield will go up and their ratings will go down from this.</p>
<p>Interesting that nearby Boston University reported a 20% increase in applications this year. The article admitted that the average GPA and SAT scores are lower than last year. </p>
<p>@ TomSr - Yeah, I read that to. It’s so strange. I’m from Seattle, and EVERYBODY is applying to BU. I only know 1 other person applying to BC!! I hope this means good new for me and a friend.</p>
<p>Personally, the problem wasn’t the fact that there was an essay that deterred my application. I expected an essay for all of the schools I applied to. The essay prompt was just so… unusual! I read through all four options and they were all a tad odd, imo. It was very difficult to brainstorm what to write for them. I did apply anyway, and I felt pretty good about my essay. I think I have a good chance at admission.</p>
<p>I think if they kept an essay but toned down the topic they’d receive a lot more (qualified) applicants.</p>
<p>I’m sure that they are hoping for the former, but what do you base the latter on? What will cause the rankings to drop? Lower quality students matriculating, i.e., test scores?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>One of the essay prompts – well all of them, actually, but only one was specific – referenced the benefits of a Jesuit education, which is why BC exists.</p>
<p>Why those prompts may be considered “unusual”, it is the exact type of kid BC is seeking, and is the type of “Why BC?” essay that would close the deal for those on the spring WL’s.</p>
<p>I agree that the prompts fit the type of kid BC is seeking. I also think that their yield will go up. I don’t think the prompts are bad or anything. But as a student who was on the border of whether or not to apply to BC, I was slightly swayed against it. Maybe I just prefer the more typical essay prompts. Other students may disagree with me. That said, even if accepted, I am not likely going to attend BC either way.</p>
<p>I do think their acceptance rate will go up. I really doubt their higher yield will cover the 26% drop in applications.</p>
<p>The whole point of the essay prompts is to identify students who will be a good fit for BC. If the prompt sways you against BC, that might be an indication that BC is not a good fit. Adding the essay weeked out students who were otherwise using BC as a safety - good, because few would end up going anyway. It may have also weeded out those who were only willing to do a specific number of supplemental essays - that’s good too, because if BC’s didn’t make the cut, it obviously wasn’t at the top of their list. BC wants students who want to attend BC - not students that are willing to attend BC if nothing else works out.</p>
<p>While their selectivity may take a hit, I expect their yield to go up. Of course with a higher yield, maybe the selectivity won’t take nearly as hard of a hit as expected, because they won’t have to accept as many students in the first place.</p>
<p>Not everyone who can benefit from and enjoy a Jesuit education is Catholic or even religious. Some essay questions requiring knowledge of a Jesuit education (Villanova has an essay requiring knowlewdge of St Augustus) may be intimidating to non Catholics, which may have put off some candidates. BC is supposedly not known for great merit aid and if you cannot write about Jesuits, the chance of getting any from BC, may have caused students look elsewhere in the Boston area. The BC student body may be more homogenous this fall.</p>