Boston University

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea important to you or others. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Option A: Reflect on a social or community issue that deeply resonates with you. Why is it important to you, and how have you been involved in addressing or raising awareness about it?

Option B: What about being a student at BU most excites you? How do you hope to contribute to our campus community?

Option A: What about the Kilachand Honors College resonates with you, and how would Kilachand's curriculum fulfill your academic, creative, intellectual, and/or professional goals?

Option B: If you could create a new Kilachand course, what would it be? How would your imagined course align with the core values of Kilachand?

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Describe a time in your life when you stepped out of your comfort zone and forged your own path. What motivated you to take that action and how did it change your perspective? Share the lessons you learned from that experience and how they might shape your views as a Trustee Scholar.

Nobel laureate and BU professor Elie Wiesel reflected on how learning connects us to our personal history. Is there a book, film, podcast, or life experience that has made you feel more connected to your personal history or identity?