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Prompt database · 2026-27 cycle

Boston University

Verified — cross-checked against official sourcesLast verified August 15, 2026

Deadlines

source
Early DecisionNovember 2, 2026
Early Decision IIJanuary 5, 2027
Regular DecisionJanuary 5, 2027

Essay prompts (2)

  1. communityAll applicants2026-27300 words
    Source details

    All first-year applicants. BU requires one 300-word supplemental response in its member questions on the Common Application; applicants answer either this prompt or the 'What excites you' prompt.

    Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you and explain why it is important to you.

    This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Boston University has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

    source

  2. why usAll applicants2026-27300 words
    Source details

    All first-year applicants. BU requires one 300-word supplemental response in its member questions on the Common Application; applicants answer either this prompt or the social/community issue prompt.

    What about being a student at Boston University most excites you?

    This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: Boston University has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.

    source

The school's published AI policy

No published AI policy for applicants as of Aug 27, 2026.

How reviews use this page

When you request a review for a Boston University supplement, the feedback is grounded in exactly what you see here: the prompt itself, its word limit, and what the school publishes about its values and programs. That's the whole claim — calibrated to the prompt and the school's own published guidance, scored against a consistent rubric. Not insider knowledge, and never a rewrite: Second Read is a coach, not a ghostwriter. It flags weaknesses and tells you what to fix and why; it never writes a sentence of your essay.

Something wrong on this page?

A wrong deadline is worse than no deadline. If anything here doesn't match the school's official page, tell us — same-day fix is the goal.

Prompts move mid-season

Every Friday: what changed in this week’s prompts. Nothing else. See what changed.