How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Boston University Academy!


Thank you for your interest in Boston University Academy. We are no longer accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year at this time.

If you are planning to apply for entry in September of 2025 and want to learn more about BUA, we encourage you to complete an online inquiry form below. We look forward to meeting your family in the coming months and welcome you to email us at academyadmission@bu.edu if you have any questions about our academic program or tight-knit community.

 

 

Step 1 – Notify the BUA Admission Office of your interest

Families who wish to receive admission materials, schedule an interview, attend upcoming events, and apply to Boston University Academy should complete an online inquiry form. 

Step 2 – Schedule a Virtual Information Session or In-Person Tour

Our 2023-2024 admission cycle has now closed and we are no longer booking school visits and interviews for families interested in entry in September 2024. We encourage you to check this page later in the summer if you are planning to apply to BUA in future years.

As a part of the application process, we require all prospective families to attend a virtual Information Session OR in-person tour led by BUA’s student Admission Ambassadors between September 27 and January 12. Both options provide the opportunity to learn more about our program of studies, tight-knit community, and Q&A with current students. Once your family has registered for one of these sessions, you will receive a confirmation email that will include a link to schedule your required Zoom Interview with our team, which should be booked for a time after your information session or tour.

Step 3 – Schedule Your Zoom Interview

Our 2023-2024 admission cycle has now closed and we are no longer booking school visits and interviews for families interested in entry in September 2024. We encourage you to check this page later in the summer if you are planning to apply to BUA in future years.

We require all prospective families to attend a virtual information session or in-person tour prior to their interview. Once your family has registered for one of these sessions, you will receive a confirmation email that will include a link to schedule your required Zoom Interview with our team, which should be booked for a time after your information session or tour. Interviews are required of all prospective students applying for entry in September of 2024 and they will run from mid-October 2023 through mid January 2024.

Zoom Interviews will last for 45-60 minutes and interviewers will meet with students and then expect to connect with a parent or guardian. These meetings are an opportunity for us to learn more about our applicants and a time where we encourage them to ask us any questions they may have about being a student at BUA. Interviews are conducted by members of our admission team, which includes BUA admission office staff, teachers, and alumni. 

Step 4 – Create an account in Ravenna, BUA’s online application system

Your family can electronically submit the various components of the application and track the status of your materials through Ravenna. Once you register with Ravenna, you will need to create a basic profile for the applicant and then select ‘Boston University Academy’ from the School Directory to begin the application process.

Step 5 – Complete the Preliminary Application through Ravenna

This portion of the application captures biographical information in addition to an initial student profile and a non-refundable application fee ($60 domestic, $100 international). Our office is happy to waive that cost if the application fee is a hardship for your family. Your family is required to submit the Preliminary Application prior to an admission interview; all families who do so by January 1 will be guaranteed an interview. Preliminary Applications are only available online through Ravenna.

Step 6 – Register to take the necessary standardized test(s)

SSAT scores will be required of all students applying to BUA during the 2024-2025 admission cycle. The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) can be booked online and test results must be sent directly from SSAT (our school code is 1761). Fee waivers are available upon request if the cost of registration is a hardship for your family. 

BUA will be administering the SSAT test during the October, November, December, and January test dates. You can select our test site through the SSAT website, if we are a convenient location for your family.

Students applying to 11th grade should plan to submit PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores.

Step 7 – Submit all additional application materials by January 15

A complete application for admission includes these additional pieces:

Family-Provided Materials

    • Student Questionnaire
    • Graded School Essay (can be uploaded electronically)
    • Parent Questionnaire

School-Provided Materials*

    • School Report/Recommendation
    • Current English Teacher Recommendation
    • Current Math Teacher Recommendation
    • Transcripts (current grades and reports from the previous two years)

* Teacher recommendation requests are sent electronically within Ravenna therefore you will be required to indicate the appropriate person at your student’s school to receive each of these forms. The school will then submit these items directly to BUA.

[OPTIONAL] Video Submission

Although uploading a video is not a required component of our application, we highly encourage students to use this space to help our admission committee get to know them better. Students have most commonly used this opportunity to share more about their extracurricular interests and passions. Video submissions have often included music, dance, or athletic recordings. Students are also welcome to record a short video introducing themselves and sharing more about an academic or extracurricular interest. Videos can be short and informal–we just want to get to know you!

Additional information about how to upload your video and the formats that work best are listed in the step status within your Ravenna account.

 


 

Additional Materials Required of Homeschool Applicants

Detailed Transcript  (in lieu of the School Report): note the total number of years that the student has been homeschooled as well as the names, length, textbook(s), teacher’s names, and an evaluation for each course the student has taken in the last three years; please also provide syllabi, if possible.

Daily Schedule: provide a detailed daily schedule for a typical week of school including any extracurricular involvement with a local school or community.

Teacher Recommendations: at least one recommendation must be written by a non-family member; additional recommendations from teachers who have knowledge of the student’s academic ability are also welcome.

 

 


 

While Boston University Academy is able to accept applications from families living outside of the United States and provide F1 student visas, it is important to clarify that we are not a boarding school and do not allow homestay agreements. International students applying for grades 9, 10 and 11 must meet the following criteria:

1. Admissible candidate based on academic merit and character.

2. Evidence of English proficiency: BUA requires a minimum total score of 100 on the TOEFL; TOEFL and SSAT scores should be submitted prior to scheduling an interview and an official score report needs to be received by January 31.

3. Written explanation of the student’s anticipated living arrangements: unless there is an extenuating circumstance, at least one parent must be planning to move to the Boston area with the student; as a reminder, we are not a boarding school nor do we provide or coordinate homestays.

Students will be asked to sit for a timed-writing assessment on the day of their interview.

Answers to the most frequently-asked questions surrounding international applicants are here. Please read through this section before calling the Admission Office as we will most likely direct you back to this page.

 

Important Admission Dates & Deadlines

Date Deadline
Sep. 1 Online Application Opens and Visit Scheduling Begins
Sep. 1. Financial Aid Application Opens
Sep. 27 Virtual Information Sessions Begin
Sep. 27 In-Person Tours Begin
Oct. 11 Zoom Interviews Begin
Jan. 1 Priority Deadline for Preliminary Applications; guarantees an interview
Jan. 15 Deadline for Admission and Financial Aid Applications
Mar. 10 Admission and Financial Aid Decisions Released
Apr. 10 Deadline for Enrollment Decisions