Boston College Deferred Acceptance Rate
Boston College is one of the most selective universities in the United States. In the 2019-2020 admissions cycle, BC received 34,857 applications and admitted 6,814 students or 19.3%. The university has a surprisingly high deferred acceptance rate of 34% (1,615 students). If you are interested in attending Boston College, consider applying as early as possible to increase your chances of receiving an acceptance letter on your first try.
Boston College Deferred Acceptance Rate
Introduction
Boston College is getting more and more competitive each year. The school’s Early Action acceptance rate was 32 percent in 2015, but some students were deferred to the Regular Decision round. Once again, we don’t expect that many of those deferred students will be admitted in the end, though it’s hard to find data on exactly how many are admitted through Regular Decision. A surprise for many students in the Class of 2018 was the deferral rate for the Early Action round of the admissions season. In fact, only 32 percent of the 7,953 early applications received this fall were accepted outright. This means that over 4,000 students who applied to BC early were deferred to Regular Decision.
Boston College is getting more and more competitive each year.
Boston College is one of the top-ranked private research universities in the US. It has a strong reputation in its home city of Boston, especially for its excellent academics and athletics programs.
In recent years, BC has been getting more and more competitive each year. This means that its admission acceptance rate is not as high as it used to be, but some students do get into this university each year.
The school’s Early Action acceptance rate was 32 percent in 2015, but some students were deferred to the Regular Decision round.
The school’s Early Action acceptance rate was 32 percent in 2015, but some students were deferred to the Regular Decision round. This means that Boston College can fill its incoming class with students who are more confident about their chances of admission, so it’s likely that this winner will be accepted if they’re deferred from EA.
The average acceptance rate for Regular Decision at Boston College is around 24 percent, meaning less than one out of four applicants usually get in. A few years ago, it was even lower—around 20 percent—but recent trends suggest an upward trend.
A few less lucky students may be rejected by both rounds: only 13% of applicants are ultimately denied admission during their application process at Boston College.
Once again, we don’t expect that many of those deferred students will be admitted in the end, though it’s hard to find data on exactly how many are admitted through Regular Decision.
While it’s hard to find data on how many of the deferred students are ultimately admitted, we do know that Boston College doesn’t release statistics on the number of admitted students from any pool. This means if you’re hoping for an admission result, you’ll have to wait until May 1st for your decision letter.
However, we do know some data about how many people BC admits through Early Action and Regular Decision each year. Between 2015 and 2018 (the most recent years available), BC has admitted an average of 21% of early applicants through Early Action and 40% through Regular Decision.[1] The school also reports that 92% of its regular decision applicants were accepted during those same years.[2]
A surprise for many students in the Class of 2018 was the deferral rate for the Early Action round of the admissions season.
The following is a list of things that you should always expect:
- Expect the worst.
- Expect the best.
- Expect the best case scenario.
- And also, be prepared for the worst case scenario, because if it doesn’t happen, then you’re going to feel really silly and unprepared when it does happen later on down the line!
In fact, only 32 percent of the 7,953 early applications received this fall were accepted outright.
But, you might be wondering: why is the deferral rate so high? It’s not that Boston College didn’t have enough room for all the students who applied. Rather, it reflects the fact that BC has more applicants than available spots and has had to make tough decisions about whom to admit. In fact, only 32 percent of the 7,953 early applications received this fall were accepted outright.
In other words: if your dream school has a high deferred acceptance rate (like Boston College), don’t worry too much! You still have time – and lots of options – on your side.
This means that over 4,000 students who applied to BC early were deferred to Regular Decision.
A deferral is an indication that your application was strong enough to warrant a second look. This means that over 4,000 students who applied to BC early were deferred to Regular Decision.
The difference between Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED)? EA applications are due November 1st, while ED applications are due November 15th. The main difference between these two admissions plans is that you must commit yourself to attend the school if you’re accepted in either of them—you sign a binding agreement stating this when you apply, which most schools won’t let you do until after they’ve reviewed all of your high school transcripts and recommendations. With ED, there’s no waiting period: If BC wants me as much as I want them now, then we’ll just go ahead with it! This means that if I’m lucky enough for them to accept me into their program before December 1st (the first day of class), then I can start classes sooner than most other students because my acceptance letter will arrive before theirs does.”
It’s important to not be upset if you’re deferred from a college during EA/ED as many colleges will accept a large number of students from the regular pool.
It’s important to not be upset if you’re deferred from a college during EA/ED as many colleges will accept a large number of students from the regular pool. In addition, it’s important to realize that there are dozens of great schools out there and tons more than just one school in which you can get accepted into during EA/ED.
Don’t let being deferred from one school get you down! If your heart is set on BC, then by all means keep applying! But don’t beat yourself up if you’re not accepted this time around. Remember that there are plenty of other amazing colleges out there, and most people don’t get into their first choice school anyways.
Conclusion
It is important to keep perspective and understand that this is really just the beginning of the process. Very few students will be admitted through Regular Decision and most deferred students, unfortunately, will not be accepted. However, it is worth noting that many schools—like BC—have become much more transparent with their decisions in recent years. This means that if you write a letter of continued interest or submit additional information to the school, they are likely going to take your application into account when making these final decisions. If nothing else, this should help put some worries at rest for those who felt slighted by their deferred status!
