By Sydney Topf and Lindsay Shachnow
Boston University released decisions for the first round of early decision Thursday evening, admitting over 1,300 applicants to the class of 2028, according to statistics from BU’s admissions office.
Out of the 3,832 early decision applicants, the admit rate was 34.1% for this round of admissions. BU’s admissions office only officially calculates admit rates based on the entire class.
BU reported a 4.8% increase in early decision applications from last year. There were 3,832 students who applied to be part of the early decision class, and 1,307 were accepted. For the BU Class of 2027, 57% of the class was admitted through either early decision or early decision two.
“The inaugural members of the BU Class of 2028 are truly extraordinary,” Dean of Admissions Kelly Walter wrote in an email statement. “Not only am I excited to welcome these new Terriers to campus next fall but I am confident that their diverse backgrounds and impressive experiences will add to the richness of our campus community.”
Boston University provides early decision and early decision two as application options. If admitted to BU through either of these options, students must withdraw their applications to all other schools. Prospective students have until Jan. 4 to apply for early decision two and regular decision, according to the admissions website.
Students were accepted from all 50 states except for Michigan, West Virginia and Wyoming. Forty-seven nationalities beyond the United States were represented. International students made up 20% of the early decision class.
The average GPA for accepted students was 3.87, according to the admissions office.
BU remained test optional for the fourth year in a row, which will continue at least for students applying during fall 2025 and spring 2026, according to the admissions website.
Of the students accepted, 35% submitted standardized test scores. The average SAT score was 1454 and the average ACT score was 32.
First generation students made up 21% of the early decision class, while 5% of accepted students were legacies.
BU student government shared in an email on Oct. 26 that admissions does not consider legacy status in admissions decisions. Colin Riley, BU spokesperson, confirmed at the time that BU never considered legacy status in admissions.
Accepted students came from both public and private schools. Seventy-five percent of the early decision one class came from public high schools, while 25% came from private high schools.
This was the first class accepted early decision following the Supreme Court’s ruling on June 29 to end affirmative action in college admissions. Despite the Supreme Court’s decision, BU’s admissions office told The Daily Free Press they remain committed to enrolling a diverse student population.
Walters wrote in an email that BU’s admission’s office could not provide The Daily Free Press with data on the racial demographics of students admitted early decision because of the Supreme Court ruling.
“Given the Supreme Court’s decision last June banning the use of race in admissions, this demographic data is not available to report at this time,” she wrote. “BU Admissions will release information about the racial composition of the class only after the class is finalized next May.”
This article has been adjusted for clarity.
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