GRA/GHA/RA Selection Process

2026/2027 Academic Year GRA, GHA, and RA Position Information 

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). 

An application is considered complete once you have submitted all required information and uploaded the following documents as PDFs:  

  • Cover letter  
  • Resume  
  • Required essay 
  • A Boston University School/College acceptance letter (only required if new to the University for Fall 2026).  

Please note:  

  • Graduate and Doctoral Students will be required to submit an Employment Authorization Form which will be sent under separate cover to candidates after the application has been submitted and reviewed by the Residence Life team.  

After the January 7th deadline, the first 375 completed applications will be thoroughly reviewed by a member of the Residence Life team. You will be contacted via email by Monday, February 2, 2026, with information regarding next steps in the process. Candidates selected to be interviewed must hold both  5 PM-8 PM on Friday, February 6, 2026, and 8 AM-6 PM on Saturday, February 7, 2026, for the RA interview process. All interviews will be conducted via Zoom, including those for candidates who are studying abroad. 

CGS students (who begin their Boston University career in January of 2026), newly admitted graduate students, and eligible transfer students should apply to interview during our late spring process. The application for the late spring process will be available by February 4, 2026. Applications for the late spring process are due April 6, 2026, at noon – 12:00 PM. You will be contacted via email by Monday, April 20, 2026, with information regarding next steps in the process. Candidates selected to be interviewed must hold April 25, 2026, for the RA interview process.  

There will be two optional Information Sessions held on Zoom prior to January 7th for prospective applicants to learn more about the G/H/RA jobs and the application process. There will be a panel of current Residence Life professional and student staff available to answer questions. The dates for the information sessions are: 

  1. Monday, November 17, 2025, 5:00-6:00pm
  2. Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 5:00-6:00pm  

    To receive the link to the virtual sessions, please sign up here:  

    https://www.cognitoforms.com/BUResidenceLife/GHRAApplicationVirtualInformationSession20262027 

    All candidates are responsible for reviewing the RA Selection Guide and RA Selection FAQ documents below. Graduate and Doctoral students are also required to review and complete the Graduate Employment Authorization form. 

    RA Selection Guide, GHA Selection Guide, FAQ

    Application Link:  

    26/27 RA Application 

    Should you have any questions, please contact us at reslife@bu.edu.