The Boston College motto is Ever to Excel, and boy, is it living by it! The private Jesuit university located in (you guessed it!) Boston has recently announced a record-setting admissions cycle for the Class of 2029. All told, a record 39,681 students applied to join campus, but only 5,000, or 12.6%, were accepted. Considering this was a not very forgiving year for many of BC’s elite college counterparts, admissions officers at BC should be very proud of themselves for steering the school through troubled waters. Let’s get into the details:

Boston College Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics (Classes of 2029 — 2018)

Boston College Class Year	Total Applications Received	Total Applications Accepted	Overall Acceptance Rate
Class of 2029	39,681	5,000	12.6%
Class of 2028	35,475	5,200	14.7%
Class of 2027	36,525	5,511	15.1%
Class of 2026	40,477	6,678	16.5%
Class of 2025	39,875	7,570	19.0%
Class of 2024	29,400	6,881	23.4%
Class of 2023	35,500	9,500	26.8%
Class of 2022	31,000	8,400	27.1%
Class of 2021	28,500	9,200	32.3%
Class of 2020	29,486	8,551	29.0%
Class of 2019	29,400	8,232	28.0%
Class of 2018	23,323	8,000	34.3%

Boston College’s Class of 2029 in Historical Perspective

Taking a look at the last 12 years of admissions data, the trend line is clear: Boston College becomes more and more selective each year, and more and more applicants pour in from around the world. The Class of 2029’s record 12.6% acceptance rate is just another feather in BC’s cap. But you might notice something odd about that middle column in the chart above.

Why has the total number of applications accepted been on a downward trend over the last five years? One possible explanation is that Boston College’s yield rate, the ratio of admitted students who chose to enroll, has increased with this remarkable upswing in popularity. The more students decide to enroll, the larger the incoming class — unless you think ahead and admit fewer students with each cycle. That’s exactly what it appears BC has done: anticipate higher yield and adjust their admissions goals in turn. After all, admissions officers can’t just build new dorms to accommodate larger class sizes in the summer before each year!

Demographic Breakdown of BC’s Class of 2029

Boston College has shared some juicy details on the Class of 2029, unlike many other schools of its caliber. True, we don’t know the racial breakdown of this cohort because if BC collected such data the school would be in direct violation of the 2023 SCOTUS ruling outlawing the use of race-based Affirmative Action. But there’s still plenty to dissect.

A BC news press release states, “The admitted students come from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., five United States territories, and 77 countries. Twelve percent will be the first in their families to attend college, and nine percent are international citizens. Forty-eight percent are male and 52 percent are female.”

BC also proudly shared the academic profile of these new admits: “95 percent of the admitted students rank within the top 10 percent of their graduating classes and their SAT/ACT test scores average 1503 and 34, respectively. A total of 74 percent submitted standardized scores, despite the University’s test optional policy.”

Hidden within this information is a gem of a data point — 3 out of every four applicants submitted test scores despite the University’s test-optional policy. If one were to take elite colleges at their word, that those who take advantage of such test-optional policies and don’t submit scores with their applications will be at no disadvantage, then one would expect far fewer students who submitted test scores in the Class of 2029. It just goes to show that test-optional policies are a load of bogus. All else being equal, the students who submit scores will always win out over those who don’t!

Ivy Coach Can Help With Boston College Admission

Over the years, Ivy Coach has helped many a student on the Boston College waitlist earn admission to the incoming class.

If you’re interested in optimizing your case for admission to Boston College, fill out Ivy Coach’s consultation form and indicate that you’ve been waitlisted to BC. We’ll then be in touch to delineate our go-forward waitlist service.