Massachusetts · 22.0% acceptance · private · Tier 3
Holy Cross weights intellectual curiosity and demonstrated engagement with ideas over flashy extracurriculars—they're explicitly seeking students who thrive in seminars and will leverage their Jesuit education for purpose-driven careers. They're notably stricter on GPA (mid-50s at 3.7-4.0) than peer LACs and favor applicants with genuine interest in pre-law, pre-med, or public service; the "Wall Street pipeline" reputation shouldn't mislead—they recruit analysts who frame finance as a vehicle for impact. Character matters substantively here given the Jesuit mission; they notice students whose essays reveal intellectual integrity or service orientation, not just résumé padding.
Use the supplemental to demonstrate how Holy Cross's *specific* curriculum or community will deepen your intellectual commitments—reference actual Jesuit pedagogy (the emphasis on magis, reflection, leadership development) or concrete program elements like the Fortin Foundation internship network if relevant to your trajectory. Avoid generic "Jesuit values" language; instead, show you've engaged with what makes Holy Cross different from other LACs (e.g., how the required ethics coursework, tight pre-law advising, or their particular approach to service-learning aligns with something you actually care about). A "why us" here should convince the reader you'd use this education intentionally.
If you only have time for one thing this month, do this: