Class of 2026 Already Making Its Mark at BC

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

The 2,335-member Boston College

Class of 2026 reflects encouraging trends for the University’s overall recruitment and admission efforts, as well as its commitment to first-generation students from families with high levels of financial need.

BC achieved yet another admission milestone with this year’s freshman class, receiving 40,494 applications—highest in University history, eclipsing the previous high of 39,877 set only last year—from which 6,748 were accepted, the rate of 16.7 percent the lowest known such figure for BC.

Impressive though the numbers may be, of even greater interest to Enrollment Management and Office of Undergraduate Admission administrators is how they were achieved: in great part because of BC’s Early Decision (ED) program, introduced in 2019 to meet the growing preference of high school students and enroll more applicants for whom BC was a first choice. This year, a majority of applications—51 percent—for the entering class came via ED, notes Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin.

“Early Decision has enabled those high

Continued on page 5