Brief: BU Presidential Scholarship Deadline Is Dec 1

Boston University’s admissions website states that first-year applicants who wish to be considered for the Presidential Scholarship must submit the admission application and all supporting credentials by December 1, 2026; the Regular Decision deadline itself is January 5, 2027. Irvine seniors who have this university on their Regular Decision list therefore need to prepare for December 1, five weeks before the regular deadline.

Who Is Affected by the Boston University Presidential Scholarship Deadline

The Boston University Presidential Scholarship is open to all first-year applicants; U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and international students are all eligible. The key points published by the university are as follows:

The Presidential Scholarship is a merit award and does not consider family income. Families applying for need-based aid still submit the CSS Profile and FAFSA separately; both forms are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

What to Do Now About the Boston University Presidential Scholarship

Treat December 1 as the real deadline. The university requires the admission application and supporting credentials to arrive by that date. The transcript, counselor recommendation, and teacher evaluation are submitted by school staff, so Irvine students should confirm the sending schedule with their counselor before Thanksgiving break.

Finish two essays. Students applying through the Common App submit the Common App personal statement and the Boston University supplemental essay; applicants to Kilachand Honors College write one more. The application fee is $80, and a fee waiver is available. Essay revision planning is available through the EDUBUS College Essay Bootcamp.

Decide whether to submit test scores. Boston University’s test-optional policy applies through fall 2028 and spring 2029 entry and explicitly covers all scholarship programs, so applying without scores does not affect consideration. Students who submit scores may self-report first and provide the official report before enrolling; the university superscores both the SAT and the ACT, with SAT code 3087 and ACT code 1794.

Check math coursework by program. The College of Engineering requires a year of calculus, and the Questrom School of Business requires a year of calculus, or a year of precalculus plus a year of AP Statistics.

Early Decision dates are covered in the October brief Boston University Early Decision Due Nov. 2, and overall college list and scholarship planning is available through EDUBUS University Admissions Planning.

Sources

• Boston University Admissions: Merit Scholarship for First-Year Students (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Boston University Admissions: Presidential Scholarship (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Boston University Admissions: Important Deadlines (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Boston University Admissions: First-Year Applicants (accessed November 10, 2026)