Hello and welcome to the Residence Life Resident Assistant Selection Process! We thank you for your interest in the Resident Assistant (RA) position at Boston University and look forward to learning more about you.

RAs are important and dynamic members of our Residence Life team. RAs hold positions throughout our residential neighborhoods where they endeavor to foster positive and healthy environments in which students can live, learn, and thrive. Boston University’s RA Selection Process aims to identify the most qualified student leaders who will commit themselves to their communities, to their residents, and to our University.

In addition to Resident Assistant positions, graduate students are also eligible to apply for Graduate Resident Assistant (GRA) and Graduate Housing Assistant (GHA) positions. GRAs are graduate students with an earned bachelor’s degree who serve in a “senior staff” role. In this position, GRAs assist Residence Hall, Area, or Assistant Directors in the training and supervision of the RA staff, as well as support students in residence, collaborate in managing residential operations, and serve in an on-call rotation. GHAs are graduate students who function similarly to RAs in graduate student communities. To apply, complete the RA application, and indicate your interest in the GRA and/or GHA position(s). Applicants for these positions will be required to submit an additional essay. All graduate students are required to submit the Graduate and Doctoral Student Employment Authorization Form, which needs to be signed by the designated Associate Dean of your school/college and your academic advisor.

All candidates should thoroughly read the RA Selection Guide and Frequently Asked Questions document below, prior to submitting their application and going through the RA selection interview process. Candidates who are interested in being considered for the GHA position should read through the GHA Selection Guide below.

Completing the written application is the first step in our selection process. Once you begin an application, you may save your progress and return later to complete it. Due to the high volume of applications, Residence Life will initially review the first 375 completed submissions. We encourage you to apply as early as possible, but no later than the posted deadline. The final submission deadline is Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 12:00 PM (noon). 

More information https://www.bu.edu/reslife/join-our-team/ra-selection-process/