<p>[Boston</a> College Sees a Sharp Drop in Applications After Adding an Essay - Students - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“Boston College Sees a Sharp Drop in Applications After Adding an Essay”>Boston College Sees a Sharp Drop in Applications After Adding an Essay)</p>
<p>However, as suggested by the article, this will probably serve as an effective screening measure of applicant interest.</p>
<p>I’m interested in seeing how BC handles admissions this year. I wonder if they’re confident in their yield prediction.</p>
<p>Huh, this is interesting. I didn’t think twice about doing another essay when I applied - 400 words isn’t that bad, is it?</p>
<p>Hopefully this means that more students who really want to attend BC will get a yes!</p>
<p>I doubt that the supplement is the reason for the drop - BC was at the top of our list until we toured and met with admissions…it was the least welcoming info session and tour out of the 30 schools we have visited (two kids) over the last two years. BC acted as if they were doing us a favor instead of courting the student and families…it quickly dropped off the list.</p>
<p>It’s interesting to me that the tour guide makes such a huge difference. Ours talked a billion miles a minute (way too fast for my southern ears!) but despite that, my son really liked BC. He is deaf and we found them extremely accommodating of his hearing loss when we were there which means a lot to us for down the line. I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience!</p>
<p>I agree I don’t get how the tour guide can persuade your emotions that much, but sorry to hear that. A tour is so limited, so if that was the deciding factor, then I think it’s a shame</p>
<p>The tour guides we had at Villanova and BC were knowledgeable, personable, enthusiastic and professional. By contrast, Stanford was terrible – the girl couldn’t stop gushing over her pending semester at Oxford. Gag. The Yale guide was the most courteous of all, saying that he would stop and talk only when people caught up and would not engage in the whole backward walking thing. Drama major. I felt sorry for him (like, you really don’t need Yale to do drama . . .).</p>
<p>BC gets fewer apps because it adds a supplemental essay. At least BC is on the Common App, so it gets a few throw-away apps each year to pump up the numbers. By contrast, just imagine the surge in apps for Georgetown if it ever were to go on to the Common App. USC went on the common app just last year for the first time and apps surged 20%. Georgetown is already down around the 15% acceptance level – if it went to Common App, it might be the next UChicago and break into that magical sub 10% range. Oh, this is the BC forum. I digress.</p>
<p>^Yale is known for its drama department (among other things).</p>