How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Boston College: Biology, Biochemistry and Neuroscience in the Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences, Nursing in the Connell School of Nursing, Choose Your College When You Apply, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Boston College is a private Jesuit university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. You apply to one of four undergraduate colleges: the Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences, the Carroll School of Management, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, or the Connell School of Nursing. Life-science and health-related majors are in Morrissey (Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Global Public Health and others) and in Connell (Nursing). There is no pre-med major in the United States; Boston College runs a Pre-Health Program within the Morrissey Academic Advising Center. This guide summarises BC’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences (majors list):
  • Biology: the Biology Department offers three degrees: a BS in Biology, a BA in Biology and a BS in Biochemistry (administered jointly with Chemistry). The BS is for students who want a strong background in physics, chemistry and mathematics or who want to meet pre-medical or pre-dental requirements. The BA is more flexible, removes some chemistry and quantitative requirements and can be combined with law, ethics, history, sociology, computer science or management, but BC states that the BA does not fulfill all medical school admission requirements, so BA students interested in medical school must choose electives carefully. The BS offers concentrations in Microbiology, Cell Biology and Development, Genetics and Genomics, Physiology and Organismal Biology, and General Biology, and there is a Bioinformatics concentration.
  • Neuroscience: a BS offered by the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience; BC says it covers many of the pre-medical requirements and emphasizes hands-on laboratory science.
  • Global Public Health and the Common Good: a BA/BS of 12 courses (36 credits). The majors list shows it under both Morrissey and Connell: prospective students apply to Morrissey, then apply to the program in the spring of the first year and, if accepted, transfer into Connell.
  • Other related majors and minors exist; they are not covered here. Human-Centered Engineering is mentioned only in passing.
• Connell School of Nursing: Nursing (BS), preparing generalist nurses; BC says it takes four years, combines classroom learning with clinical experience, and that you may be eligible to take graduate-level electives in the junior and senior years.
• Whether these majors are STEM-designated, and whether any combined bachelor’s/medical-degree program exists, is not stated on the pages we read; ask admissions.

2. Admission: you apply to a college and cannot freely switch afterwards

• Applying: you must choose one of the four colleges and are considered only for the college you apply to. BC says that, except for Nursing and Engineering, you do not have to declare a major when applying and need not choose until the end of sophomore year; selecting “undecided” has no bearing on admission. For students undecided between the arts, humanities and sciences, BC recommends applying to Morrissey.
• Nursing is chosen at application: apply directly to the Connell School of Nursing and select Nursing.
• Changing colleges: BC says you may not change colleges after admission but may apply for an internal transfer after one semester (to Morrissey or Lynch) or after two semesters (to Connell or Carroll); enrollment in the professional schools is limited and internal transfer may not be possible in a given year.
• Second majors: students in Carroll, Lynch or Connell may take a second major in Morrissey; Morrissey students cannot take a second major in the other three. So someone who wants Nursing plus a Morrissey major is advised to apply to Connell and add the second major in the first year.
• Entry conditions: the Biology and Psychology and Neuroscience pages we read state no GPA threshold or cap; ask the departments. Nursing places are not stated on the pages we read.
• Biology requirements (University Catalog): the BS and BA share BIOL2000 Molecules and Cells, BIOL2010 Ecology and Evolution and BIOL2040 Investigations in Molecular Cell Biology, plus one course each from Genetics and Genomics, Physiology and Organismal Biology, and Cellular Sciences, and one Advanced Experience course (at least 2 credits). The BS requires at least 30 biology credits and the BA at least 33, with electives numbered 3000 and above.
• Neuroscience BS: at least 57 credits including a foundation (Introduction to Brain, Mind, and Behavior, one cognitive course, BIOL2000, two semesters of General Chemistry, Calculus I and a neuroscience course), computation (two statistics/computing courses), and cognitive and systems neuroscience categories.
• Nursing curriculum: first year, Anatomy & Physiology with labs, Life Science Chemistry and Statistics; second year, Microbiology with lab, health assessment, pathophysiology, clinical pharmacology and nutrition; a flexible junior-year semester that can be used to study abroad, adjust clinical hours or catch up on core courses; then adult health, childbearing, child health, psych-mental health and population health theory and clinical courses. Clinical courses carry lab fees.

3. The pre-med path

• Pre-Health Program (Morrissey Academic Advising Center): BC says its team works with students and alumni in each year, with a director, assistant directors and a Pre-Health Committee of faculty from different departments, and holds group meetings for each class year.
• Suggested curriculum: two semesters of biology with lab, two of general chemistry with lab, two of organic chemistry with lab (or one organic plus one biochemistry), two of physics with lab (algebra-based physics is acceptable depending on the major’s program), two of English and two of math (strongly recommended). BC course numbers: BIOL2000 Molecules and Cells (required), another BIOL course above 2000, BIOL2040 lab; CHEM1109 and 1110, CHEM2231 and 2232 (or one semester of biochemistry); PHYS1500/1501 with labs or PHYS2100/2101 with labs. Apart from chemistry and organic chemistry, these courses can be taken in any year and in any order.
• Timing: most students spread the courses over four years and apply as seniors or alumni; to go to a health-professions graduate school directly after graduating, you must complete all required courses in three years and take the MCAT, as the page says. It also tells students to check each school’s prerequisites, for example in the AAMC’s MSAR prerequisite report.
• BC positions the Biology BS as the degree for students who want to fulfill pre-medical or pre-dental requirements; the BA does not fulfill all medical school admission requirements. The Neuroscience BS page says it covers many pre-medical requirements. The Biology Department’s health-professions page also gives course suggestions for physician assistant, nursing (master’s entry), genetic counseling, public health, pharmacy, physical and occupational therapy and optometry, and warns that Biology/Biochemistry majors will not be allowed to register for the Nursing School’s anatomy and physiology sequence (BIOL1300/1320) and should take BIOL4260 and BIOL4330 instead.
• Medical school acceptance statistics, a statement on pre-health advising for international students, and any BS/MD program: not stated on the pages we read; not published there. Contact the Pre-Health Program.

4. High-school preparation

• BC says its most competitive applicants tend to have four years of each of the five main subjects (English, math, social science, natural science and foreign language), and it considers what each school offers. The admissions pages we read do not give separate high-school math, chemistry or physics requirements for the biology, neuroscience or nursing majors; not published there.
• First- and second-year course sequence: Biology majors are advised to take BIOL2000 and BIOL2010 in the first year, along with CHEM1109/1110 General Chemistry (with labs) and Calculus I or II depending on AP scores; Nursing students take Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs, Life Science Chemistry with lab, Statistics and nursing introductory courses (see above).
• AP / IB / A-Level credit (BC’s table): AP Biology 4 or higher earns 6 advanced placement units and satisfies 2 Natural Science Core courses; AP Chemistry 4 or higher likewise earns 6 units; AP Calculus AB 4 earns 3 units and Calculus BC 4 earns 6 units. IB Biology or Chemistry at 6 or 7 earns 6 units each (2 Natural Science Core courses). A-Level Biology or Chemistry at A or B earns 6 units each. BC says that in most cases students do not earn actual credit but fulfill the corresponding Core Curriculum requirements. For the Biology major, an AP Biology score of 5 may replace BIOL2000, but this does not reduce the total credits the major requires, and first-year students should take BIOL2010 (there is no AP substitution for it). The Calculus I requirement is met by an AP AB score of 4 or 5 or a BC score of 3. Whether this credit applies to the Nursing major is not stated on the pages we read.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision I (binding): 1 November; notification by 15 December.
• Early Decision II (binding): 4 January; notification by 15 February.
• Regular Decision: 4 January; notification by 1 April; non-binding. Most applicants use Regular Decision.
• Spring first-year entry: 1 November, notification 15 December; Nursing and Human-Centered Engineering first-year applicants are not eligible for spring enrollment.
• The date pages print no year; check that they refer to fall 2027 entry. 1 November is also the priority deadline for the Presidential Scholarship (Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program); no separate application is needed and Early Decision I, Early Decision II and Regular Decision applicants are all considered.
• Platform: the Common Application or QuestBridge. Application fee $85; a waiver is available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents in financial hardship.
• Materials: official secondary school transcript sent by your school, school report and counselor recommendation, two teacher evaluations (preferably from teachers of English, social studies, science, math or a foreign language), a mid-year grade report (Regular Decision and deferred Early Decision applicants) and the Boston College Writing Supplement (2026-27: up to 400 words on one of the first four prompts; Human-Centered Engineering applicants answer the fifth).
• Testing: optional. About two-thirds of enrolled members of the Class of 2030 submitted scores, with SAT scores of 1200–1600 and ACT scores of 28–36. If you submit, BC superscores the SAT and ACT by section; the ACT science section is not required; official scores are required on enrolling.
• Interviews: BC says it has no admission interviews and does not track demonstrated interest.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost: BC is private and lists no in-state/out-of-state difference. For 2026-27: undergraduate tuition $75,075, mandatory fees $1,354, room and board $18,834, a total of $95,978; first-year students also pay a one-time $670 First Year Orientation charge and a $50 student ID charge; books and incidental items are estimated at $3,250. Nursing has clinical lab fees; the amounts are on BC’s undergraduate laboratory fee page, which we did not read.
• Aid: BC says it is committed to meeting the full demonstrated institutional need of every student applying for financial aid; its Net Price Estimator gives a cost estimate.
• In-state preference: the pages we read state no preference for Massachusetts residents; not published there.
• Research and labs: the Biology major includes an Advanced Experience requirement that can be met with undergraduate research, research lab courses or small classes built on the primary literature; independent research credits can be taken over several semesters, but only 3 of them count toward the 30 biology credits and require at least two semesters of research for credit in the same lab. Places are not published on the pages we read.

7. International applicants

• Who counts: anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. With a few exceptions, international students submit the same credentials as other first-year or transfer applicants.
• English: you must submit TOEFL iBT (test center or Home Edition), IELTS or the Duolingo English Test; English proficiency exams are not covered by the test-optional policy. BC does not superscore English exams or consider TOEFL MyBest scores. Recommended minimums are IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130 or TOEFL 100 (5.0 on the new scale); admitted students typically average 5.5 on the new scale. The requirement can be waived if English is your native language; if you have attended a U.S. high school or one in another majority native English speaking country for at least three years in a traditional academic curriculum without ESOL coursework; or if you score 650+ on the SAT EBRW or 29+ on the ACT English section.
• Interview: students attending a national school in China are encouraged to schedule an InitialView video interview; it is not required and does not replace the English proficiency requirement; results are due 15 November for Early Decision I and 15 January for Early Decision II and Regular Decision.
• Aid and proof of funds: BC is unable to provide need-based financial aid to students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, so international students should be prepared to pay the full cost. After admission you receive a Certification of Finances form; I-20s are not mailed until you verify that you can meet the costs, and BC accepts only that form. Whether the Presidential Scholarship is open to international students is not stated on the pages we read. The financial aid FAQ says BC is committed to meeting the full demonstrated need of “every student applying for financial aid”, while the international applicants page says need-based aid is unavailable to non-U.S. citizens; the pages disagree, so rely on the international page and confirm with admissions.
• Whether international students face limits in Nursing clinical placements or research labs: not stated on the pages we read; not published there.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages we read do not say how the Gaokao is used; not published there. Contact admissions.
• Huikao (academic proficiency exam): not mentioned on the pages we read; not published there.
• Transcripts: every applicant submits an official secondary school transcript sent by the school; BC does not accept academic credentials from students themselves, and a final transcript is required before matriculation.
• InitialView: BC explicitly encourages students at Chinese national schools to take it.
• English and funds: as in the previous section.
• Requirements for translation and credential evaluation, and any separate math and science expectations for the Chinese curriculum, are not stated on the pages we read; contact admissions and follow section 4.

9. Transfer

• Eligibility and size: a transfer applicant has completed at least nine credits before the deadline; around 200 students transfer in each year, about 50 of them in January. Testing is optional for transfer applicants, and international applicants still submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo.
• Deadlines: fall entry, 15 March (notification by 20 May); spring entry, 1 November (notification by 15 December). First-semester freshmen are generally not allowed to apply for January entry. Application fee $85; Pell Grant–eligible applicants are waived automatically. The pages print no year; check them.
• Materials: a transfer personal statement (650 words), official transcripts from all colleges, an instructor’s recommendation, and an academic and disciplinary report; the mid-term report is recommended but not required.
• Credit and courses: up to 60 credits transfer; courses must be equal in depth and breadth and graded C- or better; you must spend at least four semesters at BC to earn a degree. For Morrissey transfer applicants BC suggests about 30 credits after one year and about 60 after two, across math, English, natural science (labs not required for non-science majors), history and fine arts, and recommends taking only three or four courses in the intended major at the current school, since most departments require most major courses at BC. The course requirements for transferring into the Biology or Neuroscience majors are not stated on the pages we read.
• Nursing transfer: BC contradicts itself. The transfer application section says that “due to current enrollment trends, we are not accepting transfer applications to the Connell School of Nursing”, yet the course selection guide on the same page says nursing students enter as first-semester sophomores and take six more semesters, and BC does not recommend applying to Connell after more than one year elsewhere. Contact transfer@bc.edu to confirm. Aid for international transfer students is not stated on the pages we read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Choose the college: Morrissey (Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience) or Connell (Nursing, chosen at application); Early Decision I on 1 November, Early Decision II and Regular Decision on 4 January (check the year); testing optional
• The Biology BS is the degree built for pre-medical requirements, while the BA does not fulfill all medical school admission requirements, so choose BA electives carefully; plan pre-health courses from the Pre-Health Program’s suggested list

International applicants (including China):

• English test required; reference points IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130, TOEFL 100 (5.0 on the new scale); an optional InitialView interview for students at Chinese national schools
• No need-based aid: prepare the full cost and the Certification of Finances; confirm how the Gaokao is used with admissions

Transfer students:

• 15 March (fall) or 1 November (spring); up to 60 credits; confirm Nursing transfer availability with transfer@bc.edu

Sources: Boston College, Majors & minors; Biology majors; University Catalog: Biology; University Catalog: Psychology and Neuroscience; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience; Nursing (BS), Connell School of Nursing; Global Public Health and the Common Good; Pre-Health Program: academic preparation; Biology: health professions; Apply; Admission FAQ; Test-optional policy; International applicants; Advanced placement policies; Transfer applicants. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); the date pages print no year, so check them, and check Boston College’s website for the latest.