How to Apply to Biology at Boston College: You Choose a College, Not a Major, at Application, with Biology B.S., Biology B.A. and Biochemistry B.S. in the Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Boston College is a private Jesuit university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and its undergraduate biology programme is in the Department of Biology of the Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences. At application you do not apply to a major; you apply to one of four undergraduate colleges. Here is what you need to know, based on the University’s website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Chemistry, neuroscience, management, education and nursing are not covered here; medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and similar programmes are outside the scope of this guide, so see the website.

1. Degrees and areas

• Three undergraduate degrees: the biology majors page says the department offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biology, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Biology and a B.S. in Biochemistry.
• Biology B.S.: the page describes a structured programme for students interested in aspects of biology that require a strong background in physics, chemistry and mathematics, and for students who want to fulfil pre-medical or pre-dental requirements. B.S. students may choose a concentration: Bioinformatics (offered to biology, mathematics and computer science majors), Cell Biology and Development, General Biology (the default, with the most course flexibility), Genetics and Genomics, Microbiology, and Physiology and Organismal Biology. The course lists are in PDFs linked from the page, which are not covered here; please check the website.
• Biology B.A.: the page describes a flexible programme that can prepare students for graduate school in the life sciences or be combined with law, ethics, history, sociology, computer science and management; it provides a solid foundation in biology but removes some of the chemistry and quantitative requirements of the B.S. and gives more freedom in course choice. The page states that, unlike the B.S., the B.A. does not fulfil medical school admission requirements.
• Biochemistry (B.S.): the page says biochemistry is an interdisciplinary major administered jointly by the Biology and Chemistry departments, giving a broad background in biochemistry and related biology and chemistry courses. The requirements are in a checklist PDF that was not read.
• Required courses and credits: the required courses and credit totals for the Biology B.S., B.A. and Biochemistry are in the “Curriculum Checklist” PDFs linked from the page and in the University catalog. These files are not covered here and are not published on the pages read; please check the website.
• Learning outcomes (department): students completing the B.S. or B.A. should understand the core concepts of evolution, cellular structure and function, information transfer and gene expression, energy transformation, and systems and organismal biology; apply the process of science through observation, experimentation and hypothesis testing; use quantitative reasoning to analyse dynamic biological systems; use bioinformatics and databases; and understand research ethics.
• Thesis: the current students page says a Biology Thesis Program is offered to qualified majors, involving research and a thesis in senior year; a thesis research contract is listed on the research page. The pages read do not state the eligibility conditions. The research page also describes the Balkema Award for the most outstanding senior thesis based on original research with a biology faculty member.
• 5-year B.S./M.S.: the department says Boston College students involved in undergraduate research may apply to the graduate programme during their junior year for entry into a 5-year B.S./M.S. programme.
• Research: the department says research and experimentation are stressed throughout the curriculum through advanced labs and guided research on and off campus. The research page lists three primary routes to earn credit: research with a biology faculty member on campus, research off campus (pre-approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies), and Advanced Experience Laboratory courses. Independent research earns 3 credits per semester, and two semesters of research for credit can fulfil the advanced experience requirement; paid positions cannot be used for credit, and clinical research does not meet the department’s requirements for research credit. Advanced Experience Laboratory courses are typically for juniors and seniors with substantial related coursework and are capped at 12 students; recent examples include BIOL 4075 Research in Phylogenetics, BIOL 4830 Research in Molecular Biology Lab and BIOL 4870 Research in Molecular Genetics Lab.
• Pre-health: the department says it works with the Pre-Health office to create a plan of study and give guidance on graduate programmes and health careers.

2. How admission works: choose a college, then a major after entry

• At application: the University says applicants must apply to one of four undergraduate divisions (Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences, Carroll School of Management, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Connell School of Nursing) and are considered only for the division they apply to. Except for nursing and engineering you do not have to declare a specific major on the application; the FAQ says that, with the exception of nursing and engineering, you do not have to choose a major until the end of sophomore year, and that selecting “undecided” has no bearing on admission.
• Changing colleges after admission: the FAQ says admitted students may not change divisions, but may apply for an internal transfer after one semester for Morrissey or Lynch, and after two semesters for Nursing or Management; enrollment is limited in the professional schools, so internal transfer may not be possible in a given year.
• Declaring the major: the pages read say the major is chosen by the end of sophomore year. Whether biology has a grade requirement or cap on places is not stated in the pages read; please ask the biology department.
• Moving into biology: the FAQ says internal transfer into Morrissey is possible after one semester; separate conditions for moving into the biology major are not published, so please ask the department.

3. Prerequisites and course selection

• High school courses: the admissions pages say the most competitive applicants tend to have four years of each of the five main subjects (English, math, social science, natural science and foreign language) in the most challenging courses available; no specific high school biology or chemistry requirement is stated in the pages read, so please ask the admissions office.
• Courses after entry: the department says the B.S. requires a strong background in physics, chemistry and mathematics, while the B.A. removes some of the chemistry and quantitative requirements. The specific prerequisite courses and first-year course choices are in the checklist PDFs and the catalog, which were not read; please ask the biology department.
• AP and advanced placement units (admissions page): AP Biology 4 earns 6 units and satisfies 2 Natural Science Core courses; AP Chemistry 4 earns 6 units in the same way; Calculus AB (or the AB subscore) 4 earns 3 units and Calculus BC 4 earns 6 units; AP Physics 1, Physics 2 and Physics C 4 earn 3 units each. The page also says the units are generally used for placement only, not credit, so students still need the full 120 credits unless they have 30 units, in which case they may apply for Advanced Standing and a three-year degree.
• IB and A-Level: IB Higher Level Biology, Chemistry and Physics 6 or 7 earn 6 units each and satisfy 2 Natural Science Core courses; IB mathematics courses 6 or 7 earn 3 units. A-Level Biology, Chemistry and Physics A or B earn 6 units (2 Natural Science Core courses) and C earns 3 units (1 course); Maths/Further Maths A or B satisfy the Mathematics Core or an elective and C satisfies the Mathematics Core.
• Whether AP replaces a required biology course: the placement page only states the Natural Science Core equivalence; neither it nor the biology pages read say whether the units exempt a student from required biology or chemistry courses; not published, please ask the department.
• Honors and competitions: the pages read do not describe an honors course sequence in biology (the thesis programme is covered in section 1), and the admissions pages do not say how biology competitions are viewed; not published.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Deadlines (application requirements and early decision pages): Early Decision I (binding) 1 November, with notification by 15 December; Early Decision II 4 January, notification by 15 February; Regular Decision: the FAQ gives 4 January, with notification by 1 April and a reply by 1 May. The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry. The early decision page says admitted ED students must submit an enrollment confirmation fee within 10 days of the offer, and 1 November is the priority deadline for the Presidential (Gabelli) scholarship.
• How to apply and fee: the Common Application (QuestBridge applications are also accepted); the application fee is $85, with a fee waiver request for U.S. citizens and permanent residents in financial hardship.
• Essays: the Common App personal statement plus the Boston College writing supplement (2026-27: answer one of four prompts in up to 400 words; a fifth prompt is for Human-Centered Engineering applicants only).
• Recommendations and transcripts: official school transcript, school report and counselor recommendation, and two teacher evaluations (the page recommends teachers from English, social studies, science, math or foreign language); a mid-year grade report for Regular Decision and deferred ED candidates.
• Interviews: the FAQ says Boston College does not have admission interviews and does not track demonstrated interest.
• Testing: the SAT and ACT are optional. Scores can be sent officially, self-reported on the application or uploaded to the applicant portal, with official scores required on enrolling, and the SAT and ACT are superscored. The University says about two-thirds of enrolled Class of 2030 students submitted scores; among submitters, SAT scores ranged from 1200 to 1600 and ACT from 28 to 36, and the page lists quartiles (the top quartile 1510–1600 on the SAT and 35–36 on the ACT; the bottom quartile 1200–1440 and 28–33).

5. US domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-27, subject to change): tuition $75,070 (the international applicants page says $75,075, so the pages differ; check the latest), housing $11,270 (Newton and Upper campus), food $7,564 (the meal plan can be adjusted from $6,934 to $8,600), mandatory fees $1,354; first-year students also pay a one-time $670 orientation fee and $50 student ID fee. The international applicants page estimates books and incidentals at $3,250. Any extra laboratory fees are not stated in the pages read. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Aid: the University says it is need-blind in admission and committed to meeting the full demonstrated need of every admitted student; the aid page gives a 2026-27 need-based aid budget of $197.7 million or more and an average need-based package of $65,000, and says first-year students are offered a $3,500 loan and work-study valued at $3,000. Aid documents are submitted through the College Board’s IDOC service; the aid page deadlines are ED I priority 1 November, ED II priority 4 January, Regular Decision 1 February and fall transfer 1 April.
• Scholarships: the aid page says the academic merit-based scholarship is the Presidential Scholarship, covering full tuition for 18 applicants each year, with no separate application; ED and Regular Decision candidates who submit by 1 November are considered. The early decision page warns that families who depend on a merit scholarship should not apply ED.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read.

6. International applicants

• Who counts as international: anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; with a few exceptions they submit the same credentials as other applicants. The page says students come from 81 countries and 8% of undergraduates are international.
• English requirements: TOEFL iBT (test centre or Home Edition), IELTS or Duolingo English Test results; English test results are not superscored and TOEFL MyBest scores are not considered. The recommended minimums are IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130 and TOEFL iBT 100 (5.0 on the new scale), and admitted students typically average 5.5 on the new TOEFL scale. The requirement can be waived if English is your native language, if you attended a U.S. high school or one in another majority native-English-speaking country for at least three years without ESOL coursework, or if you scored 650 or above on the SAT EBRW or 29 or above on the ACT English section.
• InitialView interview: optional and not a substitute for the English requirement; the page says students attending a national school in China are encouraged to schedule one, with results due 15 November for ED I and 15 January for ED II and Regular Decision.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are optional for international applicants too.
• Aid: the international applicants page says Boston College cannot provide need-based financial aid to students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, who should be prepared to finance the full cost. After admission, students complete the Certification of Finances form, and I-20s are not sent until they have verified that they can meet the costs. The early decision page, by contrast, says the University meets the full demonstrated need of every admitted student, so the pages differ; international applicants should rely on the international applicants page and ask the admissions office. The pages read do not say whether international applicants are eligible for the Presidential Scholarship.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: whether Gaokao results are considered or how they are used is not published on the pages read; please contact admission@bc.edu.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: the transcript must be official and sent by the school, and the University says it will not accept academic credentials from students themselves; no China-specific requirements are published.
• InitialView: the page says students attending a national school in China are encouraged to schedule an InitialView video interview (optional; see section 6).
• International curricula: students taking AP, IB or A-Level can use the placement rules in section 3.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Department scholarships and awards: the biology pages read do not state scholarships for incoming students; not published, please ask the department or the admissions office. The research page lists the Balkema Award (see section 1).
• Outcomes (the University’s own wording): the financial aid page says 97% of the Class of 2025 are employed, in graduate school, or engaged in a fellowship or meaningful volunteer experience (University-wide). The biology careers page says Boston College biology and biochemistry alumni have pursued careers in the health professions, science teaching, public health, business, law and graduate school in the sciences; it gives no percentages.

9. Transfer students

• How admission works: the Committee on Transfer Admission reviews each application individually, with primary emphasis on the college record and also considering the high school record, essays, recommendations, activities and work experience. Transfer applicants also choose one of the divisions (the Connell School of Nursing is currently not accepting transfer applications); except for nursing no major is required, but the University strongly encourages applying to your first-choice division because changing later can be difficult.
• Deadlines: fall enrollment 15 March, notification by 20 May; spring enrollment 1 November, notification by 15 December (no year is shown; the application entry on the page is labelled Spring 2027 Transfer Application). The page says first-semester freshmen are typically not allowed to apply for January transfer because official final college grades are not available by 1 November; sophomore and junior transfer candidates are eligible.
• Materials: the Common App transfer application; a personal statement of up to 650 words on your reasons for transferring and for choosing Boston College; the high school transcript (or GED) and official transcripts from every college; one instructor’s recommendation; an Academic and Disciplinary Report from each institution attended full time; a mid-term report (recommended, not required); the $85 application fee, which is waived automatically for Pell-eligible applicants. SAT/ACT are optional, international applicants also submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores, and there are no interviews.
• Credit transfer: courses must be equal in depth and breadth to Boston College courses with a grade of C- or better; at most 60 credits transfer; transfer students must enrol full-time and spend at least four semesters at Boston College. For Morrissey the University recommends taking only three or four courses in the intended major elsewhere, because most departments require most major courses to be taken at Boston College, and about 30 credits after one year or 60 after two years. Prerequisite sequences for transfer biology majors are not stated in the pages read; please ask the biology department and the transfer office (transfer@bc.edu).

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Choose Morrissey; ED I 1 November; ED II and Regular 4 January; $85 fee; Common App, 400-word supplement, two teacher evaluations and a counselor recommendation; testing optional
• Aid documents through IDOC: ED I priority 1 November, ED II 4 January, Regular 1 February

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo results (recommended minimums: IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130, TOEFL iBT 100) unless waived; optional InitialView interview
• No need-based aid; the Certification of Finances must be completed before an I-20 is issued

After entry:

• Choose the B.S. if you want to meet medical school requirements (the department says the B.A. does not); choose a major by the end of sophomore year; research for credit and a senior thesis are available

Transfer students:

• Fall 15 March, spring 1 November; up to 60 credits, grade C- or better, at least four semesters at Boston College; the Connell School of Nursing is not accepting transfer applications

Sources: official website, Biology: undergraduate overview; Biology: majors (including biochemistry); Biology: current students; Biology: research experience; Biology: careers; Admission: application requirements; Admission: early and regular decision; Admission: FAQ; Admission: testing; Admission: international applicants; Admission: transfer applicants; Admission: choosing a division; Admission: advanced placement credit (AP/IB/A-Level); Admission: tuition and financial aid. The admissions pages show no year on their dates, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the University’s website for the latest.