Applying to Boston Bay College Although we weigh a number of factors in the admission decision, the most important is academic ability, as demonstrated by performance in high school. We also consider personal strengths, motivation, and potential as evidenced in essays, recommendations, and out-of-class involvements. Standardized test scores are also reviewed, as an indicator of academic aptitude. While we do not prescribe a specific secondary school program, we expect applicants to have elected the most demanding courses available. Most successful candidates have had four years of English, including both literature and continuous practice in writing; four years of mathematics; at least three years of laboratory science; four years of social science with a minimum of two years of history; and at least three years of one ancient or modern foreign language or two years of one language and two of a second. Additional work should be elected in academic subjects in the humanities, the natural and social sciences, and the arts.