Boston College Experience BCE Honors Six-Week Credit Program

Boston College runs Honors courses mostly asynchronously on Canvas, so there's no Zoom class at a fixed time each day, but you're expected to log in daily and keep up with deadlines. Plan on 2 to 3 hours a day for readings, videos, discussion board posts and assignments, and some courses add group work. Some instructors also hold live Zoom sessions, and you're expected to attend at least two of them, with the times set out in each syllabus.

Boston College says the courses are more demanding than high school classes, and every course ends with a final assessment and its own letter grade. The 2026 list included Entrepreneurship, Principles of Criminal Justice, Survey of Mass Communication, Writing for the Digital Space, Themes of African History, Cybersecurity Fundamentals, Philosophy of Human Sexuality and The Age of Misinformation.

• Optional mentorship

  A faculty advisor offers one-on-one meetings or themed workshops on research skills, time management and college preparation, with schedules shared after course registration.

• Online resources

  You get virtual access to the Boston College library and the IT help desk for Canvas and your Boston College email.

• Quick replies expected

  Boston College asks you to check your Boston College email regularly and answer within 24 hours.

You leave with a letter grade for each course and up to 8 semester hours of college credit, recorded on an official Boston College transcript that you request from its Office of Student Services. Boston College says the credits can transfer, but whether they count is up to the college you attend later, so check that school's transfer policy.

The grade is permanent. Boston College keeps a permanent record of each student's work, so a weak grade stays on that transcript just as a strong one does, and withdrawing from a course leaves a W with no credit. Boston College is also clear that taking part has no influence on an application to its undergraduate program, and acceptance into Honors doesn't guarantee admission to Boston College.

For 2026, Boston College took rising seniors who would start senior year in September 2026, were at least 16 by 29 June 2026 and had a GPA of at least 3.5 out of 4.0. Students who were already seniors couldn't apply. The application is short, but two of its parts depend on other people, so it needs some lead time, and it's up to you to track your status and chase any missing recommendation letters.

Boston College reviews an application only once it's complete and says seats are limited, without saying how many students it admits. Applications made by an educational consultant or other third party aren't considered, and applying to Honors means you can't also apply to or attend the Two-Week Non-Credit Program in the same summer.

• Personal statement

  250 to 500 words on why you want the Honors program and the specific course or courses you picked.

• Two recommendations

  From a teacher, counselor or supervisor, invited through the applicant portal. Homeschooled students are strongly encouraged to add a recommender from outside the family.

• Transcript

  An unofficial high school transcript, translated into English with GPA equivalents if it's from a school abroad. No SAT, ACT or PSAT scores are required.

• English proficiency

  If English is your second language, a minimum 100 TOEFL iBT, 7.5 IELTS or 130 Duolingo English Test score, or a waiver if you've studied for at least two years at a school that teaches in English.

In 2026, one course cost $5,600.96 and two cost $10,201.92, figures Boston College listed as estimates, plus a $70 application fee. The fee covers tuition, course registration, technology fees and select instructional materials, while textbooks and other course-specific resources may cost extra, depending on the course.

Once admitted, you have two weeks to confirm and pay a $1,000 deposit, which counts toward tuition but is never refunded. The rest can be paid in as many installments as you like before the tuition deadline, which was 15 June 2026. In 2026, students who withdrew by 5 July 2026 got a full refund apart from the deposit, and once the add/drop period ends, no tuition is refunded.

Boston College offers no financial aid or discounts for the program, and it doesn't qualify for the childcare tax credit. Honors students do receive a 1098-T tax form, and Boston College suggests asking a tax advisor whether a 529 plan can cover the cost.