notre dame supplemental essay tips

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Notre Dame Supplemental Essays 2024-25 — Prompts and Tips

August 23, 2024

The University of Notre Dame is a famed Catholic institution located outside the city of South Bend, Indiana. It is a dream college for many brilliant high school students around the globe, across all faiths. For the Class of 2028, the acceptance rate fell to 11%, roughly one-third the figure seen back in the late 1980s. This begs the question—if most of the 30,000 applicants to Notre Dame are academically qualified, how does the school decide which 3,400 to accept? While the answer to that question is, of course, multifaceted, one of the answers is that you need to take advantage of the Notre Dame supplemental essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into the University of Notre Dame? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Notre Dame: Admissions Data and Strategies   for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Your mission is to write compelling, standout compositions that showcase your exceptional writing ability and reveal more about who you are as an individual. There are several parts to Notre Dame’s writing supplement and you must answer a total of five prompts—two short answer (150 words or fewer) and three very short answer (100 words or fewer). Below are Notre Dame’s supplemental prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

Notre Dame Supplemental Essays 2024-25

Briefly share what draws you to the area(s) of study you listed. (100 words).

Note: you can choose up to three areas.

First, consider your academic area of choice, and then, identify interests and experiences that relate to it. What fascinates you about your chosen area(s) of study? Are there certain topics (encountered in or outside of school) that pique your curiosity? What confuses, surprises, or makes you want to learn more? The reader should finish this essay with a clear sense of your current academic motivations and passions.

Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home. (150 words)

If you choose to answer this question, know that you’ll need to think very deeply about your answer. Admissions officers are going to receive scores of responses about aesthetically pleasing campuses and top-ranked sports teams. As such, dig deep into what your non-negotiable factors are, and think about which ones will be genuinely satisfied by attending Notre Dame. The strongest responses here will likely speak to some aspect of Notre Dame’s academic structure, social community, or general ethos . Ideally, the answer will communicate something important about how your academic and extracurricular priorities are a great fit for what Notre Dame has to offer.

Essays #3-5

Please choose three questions from the options below. your response to each short-answer question should be between 50-100 words.  .

1) How does faith influence the decisions you make?

Notre Dame is a Catholic university, and religion will be part of your education and experience. If you do consider yourself to be a religious, spiritual, and/or faithful person, how does that inform the way you move through life and make decisions?

If you’re not a religious or spiritual person and do not feel that faith has any impact on your decisions, you’ll likely want to avoid answering this one.

2) What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community, etc)? Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?

Some students may have a powerful and deeply personal story to tell about their racial/ethnic identity, sexual/gender identity, family background, cultural background, or religious identity, among others; others may feel that there isn’t anything particularly compelling about their own identity in any one of those categories. Alternatively, you could also talk about your place in an affinity group, such as Dungeons & Dragons, anime, volleyball, chess, painting, film, or any other interest one can fathom that is a core, essential, can’t-imagine-life-without-it component of your identity. If so, this essay will likely be a perfect fit for you.

Notre Dame Supplemental Essays (Continued)

Although this prompt’s open floor plan may feel daunting, a good tactic is to first consider what has already been communicated within your Common App personal statement and activities list. What important aspect(s) of yourself have not been shared (or sufficiently discussed)? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned, how you grew, and how you hope to impact the Notre Dame community as a result.

3) Notre Dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person.  How do you foster service to others in your community?

To truly understand where Notre Dame is coming from with this question, one needs to look no further than the school’s own mission statement: “Notre Dame wants to educate and inspire its students to be moral citizens within their communities and the larger world, to use their talents to the best of their ability, and to develop the generous sensibilities needed to relieve injustice, oppression, and poverty in all of their manifestations.”

If you have been involved in some type of charitable/community service endeavor throughout your high school years, this is a great opportunity to speak about that venture in more detail. Looking forward, how might you continue the work you’ve been doing? You can also connect your aspirations in this realm to specific service opportunities that are available at Notre Dame.

4) What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

If you choose to write this essay, strive to be as humble as possible. The compliment you received should simply be a conduit for you to discuss the significance of one of your values, a quality you’ve developed, or a lesson learned.

For example, perhaps the compliment you’ll be writing about is when your principal pulled you aside to tell you that the Diversity Night you organized was one of the most seamless events he had ever seen. Avoid reiterating how great the event was and how everyone had a wonderful time. Instead, reflect on why this compliment was so meaningful. Is it because you were worried about how other students would react to the event? Or because it took you & your leadership team major blood, sweat, and tears to pull it off? Alternatively, are you hopeful that the success of the event will improve inclusivity at your school?

5) What would you fight for?

Out of everything on this Earth, what makes you tick? What keeps you up at night? What issue could you talk about or debate for hours? If you could address one problem in the world, large or small, what would it be? What values do you hold most dear? If you are answering at least one of these questions, you are on the right track with this essay. All the better if you have a truly dynamic and personal story to tell in this realm.

At its core, this essay is a chance to illustrate that you are a mature leader who follows their conscience. After all, this kind of young person would be a welcome addition to the Notre Dame community.

How important are the essays at the University of Notre Dame?

There are only two factors that Notre Dame considers to be “very important” to their evaluation process. They are: rigor of secondary school record and character/personal qualities. The next tier of “important” admissions factors includes class rank, GPA, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and the essays. Without question, the essays play a sizable role in the admissions process at Notre Dame. They can help the committee decide who to admit when choosing between similarly credentialed (GPA, test scores, etc.) applicants.

Want personalized assistance with your Notre Dame supplemental essays?

If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Notre Dame supplemental essays, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

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How to Write the Notre Dame Supplemental Essays 2024–2025

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The University of Notre Dame , consistently ranked the #1 university in Indiana , is a private Catholic research institution open to applicants of all faiths. Their academics , commitment to service , and inclusive student community all attract nearly 30,000 applicants yearly, only 12% of whom are admitted. Notre Dame’s accomplished alumni include Condoleezza Rice, Nicholas Sparks, Regis Philbin, and Orson Scott Card, among others. Hoping to join their ranks? First, you’ll need to nail your Notre Dame supplemental essays. Let’s dive in.

Notre Dame’s 2024-2025 Prompts

All applicants must write four supplemental essays as part of their Notre Dame application. The first prompt is required for all applicants. The other three essay prompts must be selected from a list of five prompts.

Required Essay Question

This essay question is required for all applicants to Notre Dame.

Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home. (150 words or fewer)

Choose three: short essay questions.

All applicants must choose three of the following prompts to respond to.

How does faith influence the decisions you make? (50-100 words)

• What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community)?  Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community? (50-100 words)
• Notre Dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person.  How do you foster service to others in your community? (50-100 words)

What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you? (50-100 words)

What would you fight for (50-100 words).

General Tips

In different ways, each of the Notre Dame supplemental essays ask you to explore your values. As a result, you may find it beneficial to explore what your values are before you begin writing these essays. What is important to you, and why? How do your values differ from those of your family, community, or culture? And how have your values emerged from your family, community, or culture?

Answering these questions for yourself is not only a valuable philosophical exercise but may be helpful in getting you into the right mindset for answering these essay prompts. Notre Dame is evidently looking for thoughtful, introspective applicants who can compose considerate responses to complex questions. Cultivating self-awareness in yourself, as well as a personal set of values, will help you become the student the Notre Dame admissions team is seeking.

Of course, your personal set of values is likely evolving and will continue to evolve. Whatever values and personal philosophy you hold now won’t necessarily be the same after you graduate from Notre Dame. Thus, as you engage in this self-reflective activity and compose your Notre Dame supplemental essays, keep an open mind. Write about your own perspective, in this moment, versus about what values you believe everyone should hold or about the human experience in general.

This essay prompt is a roundabout way of confirming that Notre Dame is the right school for you. The admissions team will review your “non-negotiable” factor(s) and evaluate whether you could be satisfied at Notre Dame. Thus, it’s important that you research whether Notre Dame will fulfill your “non-negotiable” factor(s) before writing this essay.

The factor(s) you choose to write about can be academic, non-academic, or both. For instance, if you wish to study engineering, then whether or not the school you’re applying to has an engineering program would be a non-negotiable factor for you. Thankfully, Notre Dame does have engineering program! Alternatively, if your proximity to family is a non-negotiable factor for you, consider what the outer limits of your proximity to family are permissible to you, and whether Notre Dame would fit within those limits. If so, then it’s still a school worth applying to for you, and you should bring up that factor in your essay.

Remember to use specificity when writing about your non-negotiable factor(s), and elaborate upon why they are important to you. That way, the reader will understand exactly what is non-negotiable to you, and they will be able to empathize with your reasoning.

This prompt is appropriate for an applicant whose faith is a significant part of their life. If faith doesn’t serve a meaningful role in your life, then you may want to select a different prompt to answer. That way, you can ensure that all of your Notre Dame supplemental essays are imbued with meaning and show the reader who you really are.

Before embarking on writing your response to this question, your time would be well-spent researching faith at Notre Dame . Understanding Notre Dame’s history as a Catholic institution that welcomes all faiths will inform your response. After all, one of the decisions you’re making that could be discussed in this essay is your decision to apply to Notre Dame, even choosing to answer this prompt among the other Notre Dame supplemental essays.

What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community)?  Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community? (50-100 words)

This is a multi-part question in which each part deserves a full and thoughtful response. Because you only have 50-100 words in which to compose your response, you may want to outline your essay before you begin to ensure that you respond to each part of the prompt. Let’s break down what you need to bring up in this essay:

• family support
• personal background
• The significance to you of those distinctive qualities of your personal experiences and development
• and to be specific, how they will lead you to serve or contribute to the Notre Dame community

Consider limiting the scope of your response to just one or two distinctive and specific qualities of your personal experiences and development. This prompt can truly be answered by any applicant; everyone has unique stories to tell. Your story doesn’t look exactly like anyone else’s. Identify one or two things that make you unique, and provide the requisite nuance and details about them in this essay. Then, share their significance to you and your development. Lastly, express how these factors that have transformed and influenced you as a person will impact or inspire your contributions to the Notre Dame community.

Notre Dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person.  How do you foster service to others in your community? (50-100 words)

Whether you have extensive community service experience or not, this essay is a great place for you to share the ways you have served others in your life. This could be through providing childcare in your own family, volunteering locally, mentoring younger students at your school, or any other activity you regularly engage in that involves serving others.

Remember, you can understand the word “community” expansively. Perhaps you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and you have served other members of the community, even if they are not geographically near you. Or perhaps you are involved in a sport and have served others who play this sport, not just in your hometown or on your team. In other words, “community” is not bound by geography, but by one or more shared qualities.

What values drive you to serve others? How do you feel when you serve others? What have been the long-term or large-scale impacts of your service? Start by answering these questions for yourself and let your responses guide your essay.

There are a few explicit and implicit parts to this essay prompt. Let’s break it down:

• Who complimented you?
• What exactly was the compliment?
• When and where did you receive this compliment?
• Why was this person compelled to compliment you? Alternatively, what were the circumstances under which you received this compliment?
• How did receiving this compliment make you feel?
• Did your feelings around receiving this compliment change over time? If so, how and why?
• Why did this compliment make you feel proud?
• Why was this compliment especially important to you?
• Bonus question: How does this compliment continue to impact you to this day?

Before writing your essay, try answering each of the above questions. Then, do your best to frame your essay around those answers. Focus on providing the necessary contextual details. Be as specific as you can within the limited words you have, and emphasize the significance of the compliment without engaging in false modesty.

This prompt is broad and flexible: truly, you can write about anything that is important to you. You can go abstract with your response, writing about freedom or safety or love, for instance. Alternatively, you can write a more concrete response about how you’d fight for your family or something you’ve created, like an artwork or community.

The challenging part of this essay, for most applicants, will not be coming up with things you’d fight for, but rather narrowing your list down so that you can write a specific and nuanced response. Of course, you can also take the approach of writing as long a list of things you’d fight for as can fit in 50-100 words. If you write a diverse list without explaining any of the items, so as to create a multidimensional portrait of what is important to you, you’ll need to make sure each item is specific and doesn’t require a lot of context to understand. If you choose to focus on just one or two things you’d fight for, you’ll want to explain their significance to you, how you’d fight for them, and what fighting for them might look like

If you need help polishing up your Notre Dame supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.

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4 Tips for Writing Amazing Notre Dame Essays

College Essays

The University of Notre Dame is one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. It attracts the best and brightest students from around the country, and its acceptance rate shows that. For the 2021-2022 school year, they admitted only 15% of applicants . Because most applicants have amazing grades and transcripts, your Notre Dame application essays will be one of the most important ways for you to stand out from the crowd!

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about writing Notre Dame's application essays. First, we'll give you an overview of the Notre Dame supplement. Then we'll walk you through each essay individually and answer the following questions:

• What is the essay asking you to do?
• What makes for a good answer?
• What are some potential essay topics?
• Are there pitfalls you should avoid?

And finally, we'll give you four top tips for taking your Notre Dame essays to the next level. So let's get started!

Why Are the Notre Dame Application Essays Important?

The hard truth is that getting into Notre Dame is tough. Only 15% of applicants in 2020/2021 were accepted, which makes Notre Dame even harder to get into than schools like Georgia Tech and Vassar !

And because Notre Dame attracts top talent, admitted students also boast excellent standardized test scores. In fact, the average Notre Dame student scored between a 1460–1540 on their SAT or a 33–35 on their ACT.

So what kind of applicants get admitted? According to the Notre Dame Office of Undergraduate Admissions , Notre Dame is looking for well-rounded, passionate students who excel in the classroom and are involved in the community. Here's how Notre Dame sums up the importance of the essay portion of your application:

"The writing supplement gives us an opportunity to get to know you in a more personal way outside of your stats. So, let your personality shine, take risks, and remember that there is no right answer."

In other words, admissions counselors want to know the  real  you. These essays are your chance to show admissions counselors that you're the whole package, especially since Notre Dame does not conduct admissions interviews.

That means your essay responses will be one of your only opportunities to show admissions counselors that you're an excellent fit for their university .

Let's take a closer look at the Notre Dame supplement, which you'll have to fill out as part of your overall application.

An Overview of the Notre Dame Supplement

The Notre Dame supplement is available through either the Common App or the Coalition App websites. The Common App and the Coalition App are online platforms that let you apply to multiple colleges at once. If you aren't sure what they are or how to use them, check out our guides to filling out the Common App and the Coalition App , which include tips for tackling the personal essays!

Here's where things get a little bit tricky: the Notre Dame supplement is submitted in addition to the application you have already filled out. That means you will be submitting additional essays specific to Notre Dame on top of the essays you've written for your universal application package. That's why it's called the Notre Dame supplement!

The 2 Parts of the Notre Dame Writing Supplement

The supplement itself asks you to write and submit two additional essays, which are split into two groups:

• First, there's the mandatory essay . This is the prompt that everyone who applies to Notre Dame must answer.
• For your other essay, you're given a choice between four prompts and must answer one.

The online portals give you a maximum of 200 words to respond to each prompt. That's not very much space! But remember: your admissions essays are about quality, not quantity.

Now that you have a general sense of the Notre Dame supplement, let's take a closer look at each essay topic.

Essay 1: "Why Notre Dame?"

Notre Dame is a Catholic university, founded by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, with a mission to educate the hearts and minds of students. What excites you about attending Notre Dame?

Remember: this essay topic is mandatory, which means you must answer it to complete the supplement. But don't worry...we're going to walk you through the process!

What Is the Essay Asking You to Do?

This prompt is essentially the "Why This College?" question. This is a common supplemental essay question designed to help admissions counselors understand why Notre Dame—and literally no other university!—is the perfect school for you. The "Why Notre Dame" prompt also serves another purpose: it helps them get a sense of how you, as both a student and as a person, will contribute to the Notre Dame community.

Y our job is to show admissions counselors that you're the perfect fit for Notre Dame, and vise versa.

What Makes for a Good Answer?

If you want to knock this essay out of the park, here's what you should do.

#1: Do your homework.

The key to writing an amazing "Why Notre Dame?" essay is showing admissions counselors that you've really dug into the resources and opportunities available at the school. Doing this proves you're more than interested—it shows you're passionate and motivated, too.

As you research, look at specific classes you might be interested in taking and/or professors you might want to research under. ( Here's a list of all the colleges and departments at Notre Dame to get you started !) For example, if you want to program the next Alexa, you'll want to mention taking classes like Artificial Intelligence and Software Development Practices. Or if curing cancer is more your thing, you can mention working with Dr. Jessica Brown , who is researching RNA to better understand how cancer works.

#2: Not sure what you want to major in yet? No problem.

This is a common question we get when it comes to the "Why This College?" essay. The simple answer is: it's okay to not know! Admissions counselors know that your major isn't set in stone, but they do want to see that you're thinking about the future. Even if you're not 100% certain about what you want to do in the future, pick a potential academic field for the sake of writing this prompt.

#3: Plan to address the "mind" and the "heart."

You probably already noticed that the application prompt very specifically mentions two concepts: the "mind" and the "heart." Notre Dame is a religiously affiliated institution, and while they don't require all students to be religious, part of their core mission is to foster "the development...of those disciplined habits of mind, body, and spirit."

So in your response, you need to make sure you're doing more than just talking about how Notre Dame will shape you academically. Admissions counselors also want to see how the school will shape you as a person. You'll have to address both of these things in order to accurately answer the prompt!

#4: Don't overlook the Notre Dame community, either.

The prompt specifically asks you about how the Notre Dame experience will impact you, which means admissions counselors want to know more about how you'll fit into the Notre Dame community.

For instance, if you were in theatre in high school, you might want to participate in Shakespeare at Notre Dame ! Also, many departments have their own student organizations (like the American Studies Club or Beta Gamma Sigma , a business honors society). Make sure you check departmental pages for this information.

One quick note about religion: Notre Dame is a Catholic university, so many of i ts community programs are religiously affiliated . Unless you're serious about becoming a member of one of these groups, don't mention it in your essay. Admissions counselors read thousands of applications every year, and they will know if you're being sincere!

#5: Start narrowing things down.

Now that you've done your research and have a list of classes, professors, programs, and extracurriculars, choose the two or three things that stand out most. You only have 200 words, so you need to give yourself space to talk about the items you've chosen!

#6: Relate your topics to your goals .

Remember, your job is to show admissions counselors that Notre Dame is the only school for you. Explain how the classes, programs, and activities you've mentioned will put you on the path to achieve your goals while growing as a person.

For example, if you want to study adolescent psychology, explain how your coursework and experience at Notre Dame will help you go on to research how social media affects adolescents' brain development. By making it personal, you'll be able to emphasize how Notre Dame is the only place that can set you on the path to success.

What Are Some Potential Essay Topics?

Along with the examples we mention earlier in this section, here are a few other topics you might consider for this essay:

• Talk about how you hope to contribute to a specific ongoing research project with professor in your department.
• Explain your future career goals and mention how joining specific campus organizations will help put you on the path to success.
• Discuss how you want to take classes in two departments in order to think about a problem in your future profession in new ways.

Are There Pitfalls You Should Avoid?

Avoid these mistakes so you don't leave the wrong impression with admissions counselors.

#1: Avoid generalities

Make sure you're being as specific as possible about what makes Notre Dame special. Don't just say you're excited to attend because of the school's study abroad programs—most, if not all, major colleges in the United States offer study abroad. What specific programs does Notre Dame offer that you can't find anywhere else?

The same goes for talking about your career interests. Don't say that you want to stop climate change. How do you want to do that? How will specific classes, professors, and research opportunities at Notre Dame help you save the world?

#2: Leave sports out of it

We know, we know: part of the appeal of Notre Dame is joining the legion of Fighting Irish. But unless you're joining one of the athletic teams, focus on academics, career, and service opportunities instead.

#3: Don't sound bored

The question asks about what makes you excited to attend Notre Dame, so let your passion show through in your writing.

Essay 2: Choose Your Prompt

For this section of the Notre Dame essay supplement, you're given three essay prompts, and you'll choose one to answer. Again, you'll have a 200 word limit. 

How to Choose Your Prompt

For some people, choosing the prompt is the hardest part! There are a few things you can do to make this easier.

#1: Choose the prompt that lets you share new information

Go through the list and rule out any prompts that you've already discussed as part of your Common App or Coalition App. Some of the Notre Dame supplement essays involve talking about similar topics to the Common App and Coalition App essay prompts. Make sure you choose a Notre Dame essay prompt that lets you talk about something fresh and new!

#2: Brainstorm every prompt

Take an afternoon and write down potential ideas for every prompt below. Don't worry about whether the ideas are good or not—just write them down! Once you're done, take a look at which prompts give you the opportunity to share something new that you haven't already mentioned in your application.

#3: Read ahead

Take a minute to read through the Notre Dame essay example topics below. See if any of the ideas or strategies jump out to you!

Now let's take a closer look at each prompt and how to answer them.

People in the Notre Dame community come from many different places, backgrounds, and walks of life. How is where you’re from a part of who you are?

What Is This Essay Asking You to Do?

The purpose of this essay prompt is to learn more about what makes you who you are. This is your change to (briefly!) show how your background, be it cultural or geographical or anything else, has shaped you into the person you are now. You don't have a lot of room, but try to be as specific as possible.

A major part of this essay is explaining how it relates to who you are as a person, so be sure to choose a topic that you feel will give readers a bit of a better insight into who you are.

What Makes a Good Answer?

#1: Be honest. Don't be tempted to choose a topic that you really don't care that much about but feel will "impress" Notre Dame. It'll result in a weak essay they'll see right through. 

#2: Explain why your background is important to you. This probably the most important part of your response since it shows readers what makes you tick.

#3: Give examples. Give specific examples of how your background has shaped you. Do you have certain family or cultural traditions? Places you visit? Holidays? Go into detail!

#1: Lying . As we mentioned above, don't make up an interest to try to impress the admissions team. Faking your background is a very bad idea, and won't help your application. Notre Dame wants to get to know the real you. Show them.

#2: Forgetting to tie it back to yourself. So your town has an annual rubber duckie festival? Great! But how does that relate back to you? Notre Dame didn't ask this question to learn more about your home; they want to know about you!.

Tell us about a time when you advocated for something you believe in.

In this essay, you get the chance to not only show what you believe in, but what you're willing to do in order to defend it. In short, it's a great way to show off your character, something Notre Dame cares a lot about. The causes closest to you offer great insight into who you are and what you value.

#1: Choosing an appropriate topic. You may care very, very much about which order the S tar Wars movies should be viewed in, but try to pick something that shows your character and beliefs.

#2: Reflecting on your actions. Remember to say why you felt compelled to advocate for what you believed in. What were the stakes? What did it mean to you? And how did you feel after?

#1: Spending too long setting the scene. You only have 200 words, so you'll need to establish the setting as quickly as possible.

#2: Being vague. Another major pitfall in answering this question is being too vague and general. For example, stating something like, "After I told the school board we needed to focus more on sustainability in our school and lunch supplies, it felt good" isn't quite enough. Why did you feel good? What else did you feel? And what happened afterward?

If you were given unlimited resources to help solve one problem in your community, what would it be and how would you accomplish it?

This essay prompt asks you to choose something in your community that you want to fix. This works in two parts: first, you get to show what you care about in your community. Are you focused on environmental justice? A specific neighborhood? A school? A group of people?

Second, you get to dream big and solve the problem yourself , which shows off your creativity and dedication.

#1: Explaining the problem. You'll need to begin by describing the problem, and stating clearly why it's so important to you to solve. Why this specific issue? Why does it matter, and what are potential consequences? How would it help your community?

#2: Describing the solution . In order to show how much thought you've given to this problem, you'll need to take care in providing the solution. You have unlimited funds to solve it, but this isn't the time to get goofy. Instead, think forward to the future: make sure your solution isn't a quick fix, but something more long term.

#1: Not taking the prompt seriously. Make sure you choose a real problem in your community. You may personally find it terrible that there's no frozen yogurt place in town, but try to dream a little bigger. Notre Dame takes their prompts fairly seriously, and they want to know what you value.

#2: Being too general. You only have 200 words, but try to get as specific as possible. If you're advocating for a community skate park, for example, say precisely how that will help the area, who will be positively impacted, and what your unlimited funds will go toward.

What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?

This essay prompt wants you to think about how you see yourself, and why . There are many types of compliments you can choose from, but try to choose one that reflects your values. Perhaps someone pointed out your helpfulness, which made you realize how much you value service. Or maybe you were praised for a talent or skill you've worked very hard on.

#1: Sincerity. This is a tricky prompt. It can be really hard to talk yourself up, and that's precisely what they're asking you to do. Be your truest self, and make sure you do a lot of inner reflection about which topic you choose.  

#2: The right topic . There are many different types of compliments, and they all feel great! But not all of them will reveal what Notre Dame wants from you. It feels wonderful when someone compliments your eyes, but that could be a little tricky to translate into a short essay.

#1: Humblebragging. It's hard! In a lot of ways, this essay is asking you to brag about how awesome other people think you are. But remember to focus this essay on how you accepted the compliment, and what happened to you internally. 

#2: Not reflecting enough. Remember the last part of the prompt: you need to say why this compliment was meaningful to you. Really think about this part. Did it give you confidence that you needed? Did it make you see yourself in a new light? Did it change the way you acted?

4 Tips for Writing a Killer Notre Dame Essay

Follow these four tips to write a great Notre Dame essay that'll show the school who you are and why they want to admit you.

#1: Be Authentic

You're unique, with your own passions, experiences, and beliefs. Admissions counselors want to try to learn more about the "you" behind the transcript, so don't be afraid to let your personality shine through in your essays. Even more importantly, don't try to fabricate stories about yourself that you think will impress the admissions board. We guarantee that there are plenty of compelling things about you! Besides, admissions counselors have a finely tuned lie detector; they'll know if you're making things up.

Admissions counselors look to your essays to learn more about you. That's why it's important to be yourself! Here's what the Notre Dame Admissions website has to say about being authentic: "Your essays are the most enjoyable part of the application reading process. Why? Because we learn about important decisions you've made, adventures you've survived, lessons you've learned, family traditions you've experienced, challenges you've faced, embarrassing moments you've overcome."

#2: Deal With the Religion Question

Not everyone who gets into Notre Dame is religious, but it's important to know that some older demographic surveys show that the student body is up to 85% Catholic . Likewise, institutionally reported data indicates that a student's religious affiliation and/or commitment is considered in the admissions process . So if you are religious and haven't already mentioned that elsewhere, you might consider discussing it in your Notre Dame application essays.

But be careful! Make sure you review Notre Dame's mission and commitments to make sure your answers align with the university's beliefs. Additionally, don't beat a dead horse. Every response shouldn't revolve around religion—Notre Dame is looking for well-rounded students with a variety of interests and passions.

And if you're not religious, don't lie to try and make yourself a more appealing candidate. Like we mentioned earlier, admissions counselors read thousands of applications every year. They'll be able to tell if you're being honest or not.

#3: Jump Right In

Abandon the long-winded introduction! You only have 200 words, so make every one count. To do that, get right into your topic from the very first sentence. If that feels weird, don't worry: you can write a sentence or two of introduction to get you started, then delete it when you start revisions.

#4: Show, Don't Tell

Use descriptive words to paint a picture for your reader. Don't say "I was so nervous to sing in the talent show." Instead, say something like, "My palms were sweaty and I thought I might faint, but I walked on stage and sang anyway." One tells the reader what you did, and the other gives the reader a glimpse at your experience.

What's Next?

Notre Dame is one of the top 20 colleges in the US , so you know admission is competitive. Using an acceptance calculator can help you better understand your chances of getting in .

Notre Dame accepts both the Common App and the Coalition App. Not sure which one you should use? Don't worry: we've got a handy-dandy guide to make your decision a breeze .

Both the Common App and the Coalition App require additional essays beyond the ones we discussed in this post. (Yep, that means even more writing! Yay!) Thankfully, we have in-depth guides for both the Common App essays and the Coalition App essays .

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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University of Notre Dame 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 3

University of Notre Dame 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 Short answer of 100 words; 1 Short Essay of 150 words; 3 Short Answers of 50-100 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Oddball , Community , Short Answer

Briefly share what draws you to the area(s) of study you listed. (100 words)

For this essay, let’s go beyond the obvious, “I love war documentaries, so majoring in History will be a great fit for me.” We get it, Ken Burns is your LeBron. But how might Notre Dame’s courses and professors shape you and teach you something new? 100 words isn’t a lot of space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t provide a detailed response. What do you absolutely love about your intended major? Bonus points if you can include what excites you about the department at Notre Dame—professors, classes, guest speakers, alumni—to show how their program and offerings will help you achieve your goals.

Please provide a response to the following question. The word count is a maximum of 150 words. 

Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home..

Notre Dame knows you have a lot of colleges to choose from, so they want to know that you have thought carefully about why you are applying to their school. Think about what factors unify all of the schools on your list: Are they all faith-based? Do they have D-1 sports teams? Are they all in a specific region? Are they all a certain size? Do they all offer an Organ or Sacred Music major? Once you’ve identified your “non-negotiables,” describe how Notre Dame fits the bill. The more specific and personal you can be, the more your answer will stand out, showing admissions that you have deeply considered what Notre Dame has to offer and how that matches what you’re looking for in an undergraduate program. 

Please choose three questions from the options below. Your response to each short-answer question should be between 50-100 words. 

1) how does faith influence the decisions you make, 2) what is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community)  why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the notre dame community, 3) notre dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person.  how do you foster service to others in your community, 4) what compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you, 5) what would you fight for.

Do not overthink your responses to these questions. Instead, identify the three that call to you and trust your instincts. Perhaps to answer #4, you want to tell admissions that the look on your sister’s face after you do her makeup means more to you than any verbal compliment could. Maybe you’ve been hoping for the opportunity to speak about the role religion plays in your life. #5 is perfect for the social justice advocates among you or those with strong convictions. If you opt to respond to prompt #2, focus on an experience or aspect of your background that has influenced who you are today and how that would help you make meaningful contributions to the Notre Dame community. For #3, you may be able to recycle a prior Community Essay sharing what you have done to support one of your communities. Just because these short answers are brief doesn’t mean you can rush through them. Leave yourself enough time to think through your responses and don’t forget to proofread!

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August 8, 2024

The University of Notre Dame Supplemental Essay Prompts: 2024-2025

The University of Notre Dame has published its 2024-2025 supplemental admissions essays for applicants to the Class of 2029. This year, in addition to the Personal Statement on The Common Application , Notre Dame applicants are asked to respond to two of three essay questions in a maximum of 150 words and three of five short-answer prompts in 50 words or fewer.

2024-2025 Notre Dame Essay Topic and Short Answers

Short essay prompt.

Applicants are asked to respond to the following essay question in 150 words or fewer:

Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home.

Students will ideally pick something that sings Notre Dame! Because the admissions committee isn’t asking, “ Why Notre Dame ,” students do not need to include a specific reference to a Notre Dame program, institute, activity, or tradition. But they should choose something that Notre Dame either does extraordinarily well or one can’t find at most other top universities.

Short Answer Questions

Students are asked to respond to three of the following five short-answer essay prompts in 50-100 words.

1. How does faith influence the decisions you make?

As a Catholic university, Notre Dame wants to understand how an applicant’s faith drives how they live their life. Students need not be religious to earn admission to Notre Dame. In fact, students need not even be Catholic. But Notre Dame’s admissions committee wants to feel that you appreciate the role faith can play in the lives of your peers and that you’re open to believing in  something  bigger than yourself.

2. What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community)?  Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?

In the wake of the  Supreme Court outlawing the practice of Affirmative Action , many highly selective universities like Notre Dame have included this sort of community question in their supplements. To answer this essay question powerfully, students need not be underrepresented minorities to write a powerful response. The question is intentionally open-ended. If a student wishes to write about their faith and how they’ll bring their spiritual beliefs to Notre Dame, that works! If a student wishes to write about their disability and how they’ll bring a sense of activism for people with disabilities to Notre Dame’s community, that works too!

3. Notre Dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person.  How do you foster service to others in your community?

Notre Dame, as a Catholic university, wants to see how you serve humanity. Ideally, applicants will showcase how they serve their community through their singular hook.

If their hook is applied mathematics, it would behoove an applicant to highlight how they’re addressing a community issue — like recycling or the school budget. If their hook is political science, they should write about how they’re agitating for change from a political standpoint with their town or city board (or its equivalent).

4. What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

Applicants should avoid giving themselves a big pat on the back in their responses. The compliment should not relate to a significant accomplishment or be superficial. Instead, through brief storytelling, it should reflect their open-heartedness or depth of thought.

5. What would you fight for?

Notre Dame’s admissions committee wants to understand what matters to a student, what makes them tick, and how they’ll go about agitating for the change they wish to see in the world — starting on Notre Dame’s campus. In order to get a sense of the change they’ll fight for each day, the best predictor is the change they’ve fought for to date.

So Notre Dame applicants will ideally zero in on one specific story — one that hopefully ties into the singular hook they present to Notre Dame ( rather than well-roundedness ) — and, through that story, make it clear what matters to them and why.

Also, it’s important to note that students do not need to have successfully swayed others to take action. Maybe they failed to persuade their peers. That’s ok! The mere act of trying to agitate for change in a specific area, ideally related to the student’s hook, will present the applicant in a good light — even if they’re ultimately unsuccessful. In fact, their failure will only make them more human and more likable to the admissions committee.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Notre Dame Essays

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Notre Dame Essay Guide: 2022-2023

Notre dame essay guide quick facts: .

• University of Notre Dame acceptance rate: 19% — U.S. News ranks Notre Dame as a highly competitive school. 
• Notre Dame application: Notre Dame accepts the Common Application, the Coalition Application on Scoir, and the Questbridge Application. 
• Common App or Coalition Application essay
• 1 (200-word) required Notre Dame essay question
• 1 (200-word) additional essay: applicants must respond to 1 of 4 prompts
• Notre Dame is a Catholic university located in suburban Notre Dame, Indiana.
• #1 Notre Dame Essay Tip: Start early so you have enough time to focus on the Notre Dame essays. Supplements are just as important as your Common App essay, so don’t leave them to the last minute.

Not sure how to approach the Notre Dame essay prompts? Our guide to the Notre Dame essay supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging Notre Dame essays and maximize your admissions odds. If you need help responding to the Notre Dame essay prompts, create your free account or schedule a complimentary advising consultation o n line .

Does Notre Dame have supplemental essays? 

Yes, Notre Dame requires all applicants to complete Notre Dame supplements. You will submit your Notre Dame supplemental essays in addition to your personal statement on the Common App or Coalition App.  

Need some help writing your Common App essay? Get great tips from our Common App essay guide .  A strong Common App essay, in addition to well-written University of Notre Dame supplemental essays, will only bolster your application. 

Notre Dame essay requirements:

There are two Notre Dame supplemental essays. Both of the Notre Dame supplemental essays are required for all applicants. 

The first Notre Dame essay prompt essentially asks, “Why Notre Dame?” The second of the required Notre Dame essays, however, is more open-ended. For the second essay, each applicant must choose one of four additional Notre Dame supplemental essay prompts to answer.

Keep reading this guide for a breakdown of each of the Notre Dame essay prompts. Every Notre Dame application essay has a limit of 200 words. So, you don’t have many words to impress Notre Dame admissions with your Notre Dame essays.

What are the Notre Dame supplemental essays?

The Notre Dame supplemental essays are on the Common App site . You can also visit the Notre Dame Admissions site for details about each of the Notre Dame essay prompts. The Notre Dame website also offers a full list of their evaluation criteria beyond the Notre Dame supplemental essays.

In your Notre Dame supplemental essays, you will discuss your motivations for applying to the school as well as your background and experiences . As you write, remember the purpose of the Notre Dame essay prompts—to help the Notre Dame admissions committee get to know you. 

Don’t view the Notre Dame essays as just another part of the Notre Dame requirements. Instead, think of the Notre Dame supplemental essays as opportunities to tell your story and persuade the reader that you will contribute to and benefit from the Notre Dame community. 

Notre Dame Essay — Prompt 1 ( Required ):

Notre dame is a catholic university, founded by members of the congregation of holy cross, with a mission to educate the hearts and minds of students. what excites you about attending notre dame (200 words)..

This Notre Dame application essay essentially asks you, “Why Notre Dame?” 

While you’ve likely seen this sort of “why school” essay prompt, the best Notre Dame supplements will specifically address specific details. Your Notre Dame essays should go beyond your in-class education to discuss your growth as an individual and community member. How will Notre Dame help you achieve your academic, personal, and life goals?

In this Notre Dame application essay, think about reasons why Notre Dame specifically will help you achieve your ambitions. As you write your Notre Dame supplements, try to be personal and specific. You may want to use this first required Notre Dame essay to write about particular moments or people that have shaped your decision to apply. Additionally, in your Notre Dame essays, include the programs, organizations, and groups that you plan to join. Why do these programs excite you? How will you grow and learn? 

Mention your intended majors and minors

If you are applying to a specific major and/or minor , mention it in your Notre Dame application essay. Are there classes that interest you? Professors you would like to do research with? Your Notre Dame essays also might discuss a unique intersection of fields you would like to study. Try to seamlessly infuse your Notre Dame supplemental essays with details specific to you. A successful response to the Notre Dame essay prompts will be a cohesive narrative that shows the reader that you will succeed at Notre Dame.

In your Notre Dame supplements, include opportunities that are less academic in nature. Perhaps you want to get involved with Campus Ministry or the Center for Social Concerns. Do you want to play intramural sports ? Study abroad? By integrating these elements into your Notre Dame essays, you will show the admissions team how you will contribute to the Notre Dame community. 

Make every word count

You only have 200 words to write this Notre Dame essay, so make sure every word counts. In your Notre Dame supplements, don’t paint your undergraduate years as a means to an end. Notre Dame is a vibrant community where you will inevitably grow and change. Yes, you will be prepared for the “real world” and gain an immense network of alumni resources. However, that’s not what the admissions team wants to see in your Notre Dame essays. 

In your Notre Dame application essay, don’t just write about common traditions, emotional connections, or your attachment to Notre Dame’s Catholic theology. Instead, in your Notre Dame essay, focus on the specific parts of Notre Dame that interest you. 

Notre Dame Essay Reflection Questions: 

• Is your Notre Dame essay response both specific and personal?
• Do you address why this school attracts you in this Notre Dame essay?
• Does your Notre Dame application essay discuss your identity as it relates to Notre Dame?

Notre Dame Essay — Additional Questions:

Choose one of the following options (200 words), #1 – people in the notre dame community come from many different places, backgrounds, and walks of life. how is where you’re from a part of who you are.

With the first prompt, Notre Dame admissions wants to see how your background has shaped who you are today.  Strong Notre Dame supplemental essays will not only show how applicants’ backgrounds have formed their identities, but also how they will bring that diversity to Notre Dame’s campus . 

You can respond to the first of the four Notre Dame supplemental essays in many ways. Perhaps you’re a first or second generation immigrant, and a certain culture has played a large part in your upbringing. Or, perhaps you’re the first born sibling of eight and have teetered the line between older sibling and extra parent. Or, maybe you just live in a small town that has its own traditions that have shaped your childhood. Anything that has played a role in who you are today is fair game in this Notre Dame application essay. 

If responding to this prompt, make sure you choose something that you can write passionately about. Remember, Notre Dame admissions needs to see what you will bring to campus in these Notre Dame supplemental essays. How has your community shaped you, and how will you share that with the Notre Dame community? Strong responses to the University of Notre Dame supplemental essays will not only show who you are, but what you will be able to share with the Notre Dame community during your time on campus. 

#2 – Tell us about a time when you advocated for something you believe in.

The second of the Notre Dame Supplemental essays is all about passion for a cause. Notre Dame admissions looks for students who actively pursue their values. So, this Notre Dame application essay should show how you publicly supported a cause that you believe in.

For this Notre Dame essay, “advocacy” can mean a variety of things. A moving response to this Notre Dame application essay could be something as simple as writing about a time when you spoke up and helped someone to understand a different perspective. When writing this Notre Dame essay, think about how you have created some sort of change or made an impact by speaking up about something you value.

Respond to this prompt, like the other Notre Dame supplemental essays, with as much detail as possible. In this Notre Dame application essay, talk about why you advocated something and how it made a change. How did the experience with advocacy affect you? How might it affect your future?

#3 – If you were given unlimited resources to help solve one problem in your community, what would it be and how would you accomplish it?

Choose the third of the Notre Dame supplemental essays if you think of yourself as a passionate problem-solver. The solution to the problem you tackle in this Notre Dame essay doesn’t need to “save the world.” You don’t have to write about solving something as grandiose as climate change in your Notre Dame application essay. In fact, successful Notre Dame supplemental essays will speak on a solution to a problem that is meaningful to you. 

In your Notre Dame application essay, you may even choose to address a problem that you’ve started working towards already. What else could be done to solve the issue? How would it create change? Strong Notre Dame essays will revolve around impact.

Don’t forget the “why”

In your response to this Notre Dame application essay prompt, you should include how and why you would want to tackle this particular issue affecting your community. Your Notre Dame essay should teach your reader something about you—not just about your topic. Be sure to articulate why you have chosen to help solve this problem in this Notre Dame essay. What does your Notre Dame application essay show about your identity and values?

Students may choose to write about something related to their intended area of study in the third of the four Notre Dame supplements. However, don’t feel limited to make the problem and your solution relate to academics in this Notre Dame essay. Remember that in all of the Notre Dame supplemental essays, Notre Dame admissions wants to learn more about you. You certainly have interests outside of academics; talk about them in this Notre Dame application essay. 

Dreamers may be inclined to respond to this Notre Dame application essay. Get creative with your solution. Just make sure that your passion for solving this particular problem shows in this Notre Dame essay. 

#4 – What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?

The last of the Notre Dame supplemental essays asks applicants to think about the best compliment they have ever been given. When writing this Notre Dame application essay, try not to get too caught up in the actual compliment. This Notre Dame essay, similar to the other Notre Dame supplemental essays, is all about how it relates back to you. Strong Notre Dame essays will show the impact that compliment had on you. Out of all the compliments you’ve ever received, why did that particular one get logged in your memory?

When responding to this Notre Dame essay, show why the compliment was so meaningful. In this Notre Dame application essay, the compliment itself doesn’t matter; its importance to you does. Does the compliment speak to who you inherently are? Or was it from someone that you particularly admire? This Notre Dame application essay is all about the depth behind the compliment. 

Successful University of Notre Dame supplemental essays will not brag. A strong response to the last of the Notre Dame essay prompts will focus on the impact the receiving that compliment had on you.

Which Notre Dame essay prompt should I choose?

Each of the Notre Dame essay prompts allows you to discuss something different. There’s no right or wrong topic to choose when it comes to the Notre Dame essays. Instead, choose the prompt that speaks to you most. 

The best strategy to choose your Notre Dame application essay is to brainstorm a topic or two for each. Think about how you might respond to these Notre Dame essay prompts by writing a few bullet points for what you would include in your Notre Dame essays. Then, choose the Notre Dame application essay that best lets you showcase your identity. 

• Does your choice of the Notre Dame essay prompts allow you to best show who you are?
• In your Notre Dame application essay, do you avoid repeating content from elsewhere on your application?
• Is your Notre Dame essay clear and concise?

How do I write Notre Dame’s supplemental essays?

How do you write strong Notre Dame supplements that will enhance your Notre Dame application? Let’s discuss some strategies for responding to the Notre Dame essay prompts. 

The most successful Notre Dame supplemental essays will be genuine, personal, and specific. You should choose engaging and authentic topics for your Notre Dame essays. Remember, your readers evaluate your Notre Dame supplemental essays for both content and writing ability. It’s not only about what you say in your Notre Dame essays, but also how you say it.

It may feel daunting to fit everything you want to say in two 200-word Notre Dame application essays. Approach each of your Notre Dame essays with a plan. Brainstorm first, then make a detailed outline for each Notre Dame application essay. Once you have an outline, write and revise. Clear and concise writing will help you maximize your space. Every word matters in the University of Notre Dame supplemental essays. 

The “so what?”

Most importantly, include the “so what?” in your Notre Dame supplemental essays, particularly when describing your own experiences. You should provide enough context that your reader understands your narrative , but your Notre Dame essays should ultimately answer why this story matters. What skills can you highlight in each Notre Dame application essay? How did your mindset shift? What values does your story reveal about who you are? Why did you choose to tell this story?

Leave yourself time to proofread and polish your Notre Dame supplemental essays. Remember, your Notre Dame essays help the admissions team understand who you are beyond your grades and test scores. So, don’t underestimate their importance. These Notre Dame essays are much more than mere Notre Dame requirements. Think of each Notre Dame application essay as a chance to at depth to your Notre Dame application narrative.  

How important are Notre Dame’s supplemental essays?

Well, how important are Notre Dame essays to the Admissions Committee? 

The University spends time each year determining their Notre Dame essay prompts. The admissions team changes the prompts at least slightly each year, and they sometimes unveil entirely new questions. This year’s Notre Dame essay prompts are significantly different from last year’s. This year’s Notre Dame requirements also signify a shift toward quality over quantity—in the second Notre Dame application essay, students used to choose two prompts rather than just one. 

Ultimately, what does Notre Dame look for in essays? Authentic and well-written stories about what makes you who you are. Use this essay guide to write Notre Dame supplemental essays that stand out. Engage your reader through interesting stories, vivid descriptions, and an actionable plan for your time on campus. These details will make your Notre Dame essays stand out.

5 Tips for Writing the Best Notre Dame Supplemental Essays: 

Successful Notre Dame supplemental essays will vary based on an applicant’s personal experiences and future goals. However, there are certain things that will help when taking on any of the University of Notre Dame supplemental essays. 

How to write stand out Notre Dame essay responses:

#1 – start early.

Give yourself time to edit and revise each of your Notre Dame supplemental essays! Notre Dame has two deadlines : Restrictive Early Action on November 1, 2021 and Regular Decision on January 1, 2022. Give yourself plenty of time to complete the Notre Dame requirements.

#2 – Ignore the stats

Don’t worry about things like the Notre Dame acceptance rate when you are working on each Notre Dame application essay. Instead, try to write the best Notre Dame essays possible. Forget all of the Notre Dame requirements and just focus on the Notre Dame supplements when writing. 

#3 – Opt for passion

You have full control over your Notre Dame essays. Choose a topic that you can write passionately about and pay close attention to the message that your Notre Dame supplements send. Each Notre Dame application essay serves as your introduction to the admissions committee. 

#4 – Look at the big picture

Consider the entirety of your application before submitting. Make sure that each essay says something new. No two successful Notre Dame essays are the same, just like no two Notre Dame students are the same.

#5 – Be yourself

The Notre Dame supplements really are the best opportunity to just be you. Don’t focus on what you think admissions wants to hear in each Notre Dame application essay. Let your experiences, passions, and goals leap off the page and impress Notre Dame admissions. Successful Notre Dame supplemental essays will show who you are and what’s important to you. 

Notre Dame Supplemental Essays — Final Thoughts

Notre Dame is an undoubtedly special university to attend. Don’t try to tell the admissions team what you think they want to hear in each Notre Dame application essay. Be yourself and tell your story . Do your research to make sure each of your Notre Dame supplemental essays shows why you belong at Notre Dame. Remember that passion is key, so get excited about your responses to each Notre Dame application essay. Good luck!

Want to learn more about the Notre Dame admissions process? Check out this Snapchat take over from a current Notre Dame admissions counselor for tips on essays and insight into the university’s holistic application review process.

Notre Dame is an undoubtedly special university to attend. Don’t try to tell the admissions committee what you think they want to hear. Instead, be yourself and tell your story. Finally, do your research to make sure each of your Notre Dame supplemental essays shows why you belong at Notre Dame. Good luck!

For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources on Notre Dame, including stories from CollegeAdvisor students who were accepted to Notre Dame , click here . Want help crafting your Notre Dame supplemental essays? Create your free account or schedule a no-cost advising consultation online .

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3 University of Notre Dame Essay Examples by Accepted Students

The University of Notre Dame is a highly selective school, so it’s important to write strong essays to help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share essays real students have submitted to the University of Notre Dame. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our University of Notre Dame es say breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Prompt: A Notre Dame education is not just for you, but also for those who will benefit from the impact you make. Who do you aspire to serve after you graduate? (200 words)

I was ten years old when I first heard the word Alzheimer’s. While my Mom explained that Grammy would progressively lose several of her mental functions, my head spun as I tried to process my new reality. I grew up 2,000 miles apart from Grammy, and after her diagnosis, our lengthy phone calls turned into meaningless exchanges as she forgot who I was. I was fifteen when Grammy passed away, but my heart mourned the person I lost five years earlier, the side of my grandmother that disease had stripped away.

I aspire to honor Grammy’s legacy by serving elderly patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. At Notre Dame, I would like to work under Dr. Suhail Alam to develop therapies for treating neurodegenerative disease using epigenetic pathways. In this role, I will tie my personal connection with neurodegenerative disease to my research skills from the USC Biomechanics Research Lab, working towards a cure to serve both current and future Alzheimer’s patients. Once I graduate, I hope to build on this foundation as a physician. By working directly to treat Alzheimer’s patients and continuing with medical research, I will serve all those who have been personally affected by neurodegenerative disease.

What the Essay Did Well

This is a great response that answers the prompt, has a strong emotional connection, and even ties in why this student wants to attend Notre Dame. The essay goes above and beyond what the prompt asks for without losing any of the important details and explanation needed to answer the prompt.

We learn that this student wants to serve people who have been affected by neurodegenerative diseases and their families by becoming a physician for Alzheimer’s patients. It’s very clear who they intend to serve after graduation. We also get emotional reflection in the anecdote at the beginning the student used to explain their motivation for focusing on neurodegenerative diseases. This essay does a really good job of establishing emotion and pathos in a story that fits with the rest of the essay. It wasn’t super detailed, but we learned how hopeless this student felt and how that translated into a need to dedicate their life to serving Alzheimer’s patients.

Another great aspect of this essay is how it mentioned specific resources at Notre Dame that will help them accomplish their goal of becoming a physician post-grad. The prompt didn’t specifically ask for the student to discuss offerings they want to take advantage of, but including it shows that this student feels Notre Dame will play an integral part in their future success. Mentioning Dr. Alam and the specific research this student wants to participate in is a clear sign that this student has done their research and knows exactly what they want out of Notre Dame.

In general, this was a great response to the prompt because it walked the reader through this student’s life. Starting with this student’s reasoning for pursuing this path when they were a child, the essay then discusses how they will develop their interest and skills in college to ultimately be able to practice as a physician as an adult. This roadmap the essay follows makes the essay very easy to follow so they reader walks away knowing exactly who this student wants to serve and how they intend to get there. 

What Could Be Improved

One way this essay could be strengthened would be to employ more showing and less telling in the anecdote at the beginning. Right now, the student tells us what happened retrospectively: “I was ten years old when I first heard the word Alzheimer’s.” Rather than explaining what happened as the current senior writing the essay, the student should have put themselves back in the moment as a ten year old kid to make the story more engaging.

If the essay showed the anecdote instead of telling it, it could look something like this: “‘Alzheimer’s?’ I could barely figure out how to spell the word, let alone comprehend what it meant for Grammy. ‘So Grammy isn’t going to remember me anymore?’ There must be a mistake.” Putting the student into the moment when they first heard about their grandma’s Alzheimer’s allows them to use dialogue and real-time emotions to deliver an even bigger emotional connection in the hook.

I could sense my student—Aanya’s—interest evaporate as I stumbled. My virtual whiteboard was filled with abstract art, trying to pass off as math notations. Although I was initially reluctant to let her use Khan Academy, its quality and technical sophistication blew me away. Moreover, after Aanya mastered the basics online, we explored exciting higher-order problems and she developed enduring insights.

The economist in me spotted the opportunity to divide labor. Imagine the power of a great teacher reaching millions of students across the world through a single video. This allows physical teachers to support students who need more help individually. Especially in underfunded schools with teacher shortages, pre-recorded lessons would be a cost-effective solution.

However, implementing blended pedagogy is impossible through one discipline. The pandemic exposed an alarming digital divide, and there’s a desperate need to procure laptops and provide internet access. To raise capital and gain expertise to execute these projects, I’d use resources at Mendoza for nonprofit management. I want to take political science classes because without understanding political hurdles, these grand dreams would be stillborn. 

After I graduate, my most far-flung-dream is to start a school, innovative in pedagogy and audacious in striving to improve social mobility.

This essay did a good job of presenting the student’s knowledge about education and the nuances in providing a good education. Through their discussion of tutoring a student, pre-recorded lessons, and disparities in Internet access, this student establishes that they have hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge about how to best provide education. Providing these details helps display the student’s passion for teaching. By making the student’s passion clear, the admissions officers reading this essay know that this student will be an engaged student who will one day accomplish something great.

The essay also did a nice job of connecting the student’s future dream to what they discussed during the essay. In the last sentence we learn that this student wants to open a school that combines innovative teaching methods, they mentioned in the second paragraph, with the possibility for social mobility, that they recognized was an issue in the current education system in the third paragraph. Having this overarching idea was helpful to understand how everything they mentioned would fit together in their future.

This essay really struggled with clarity. It wasn’t clear until the last sentence what this student actually wanted to do after graduating. The initial story of tutoring Aanya didn’t really connect to the rest of the essay and left the reader trying to find a connection in the first few paragraphs. The student’s ambition to open up a school with innovative teaching methods to overcome social mobility should have been upfront so the reader would understand how each paragraph fit into answering the prompt.

The transitions from ideas were also disjointed which added to some of the confusion. The student goes from talking about tutoring a student, to Khan Academy, to economics, to unequal Internet access without providing a clear roadmap of where they are heading next. These transitions could have been made clearer with the inclusion of transition words to segway from one topic to the next. 

It was also unclear what this student’s connection to this issue was besides tutoring Aanya. They seemed to be informed about providing education, but there was a lack of personal reflection on what inspired them to start teaching in the first place or when they realized disparities in Internet access was an issue they wanted to address. By the end of the essay, the reader knows what the student wants to do (open a school that addresses the online learning and social mobility problems addressed in the essay), but we don’t know why . The why is the most important part, so this essay needs to address that. 

Prompt: Notre Dame has a rich history deeply rooted in tradition. Share how a favorite tradition from your life has impacted who you are today.

Although I despised them at the time, technology restrictions in Boarding school gave birth to a tradition close to my heart. With nothing else to do, our suitemates would gather together after “lights-out” and just talk. Sometimes it’d be consoling a friend over a bad break-up or a serious debate on the merits of Latin honors. Whatever the topic, these conversations were always compassionate, spirited, and a source of familial support.

This camaraderie also made studying profoundly different, as learning and fun stopped being antithetical ideas. Nights reserved for calculus were always punctuated by ping-pong sessions, but we never sabotaged each other in a futile race to the top. We were a collaborative family, where instead of selfish opportunity costs, we were driven by brotherly love. No accolade could beat this feeling of finding home, away from home. 

At Notre Dame, to build that sense of family, I want to create a discussion group—Night Owls—to gather at night and ponder both the grandiose and whimsical philosophical questions over hot chocolate. Think of these events as modern versions of the infamous Greek Symposia, just without the booze. This combination of conversation, family, and intellectual inquiry is what I want from college. It doesn’t sound very prudential, but it’s surely poetic.

The student who wrote this essay did a good job of tying their previous experience with a tradition to a tradition they want to bring to the Notre Dame community. This student pinpointed exactly what they loved so much about living in a community with their peers and how they planned to recreate that experience in college. The descriptions about the types of debates or ping-pong tournaments the student engaged in create an image of an intellectual and supportive environment admissions officers want to see at their college.

Additionally, by coming up with a name and a plan for the discussion group, the student’s interest is evident and it shows that they took time to consider genuinely starting this group at college. In general, the student’s writing created a warm sense of family and bonding that displayed some of the student’s key values. This leaves the reader with a positive impression of the type of person this student is outside of the classroom, which was exactly what the prompt was looking to achieve.

One way this essay could be improved would be to include concrete examples of the types of discussions the student had at boarding school or want to have at Notre Dame. Although the essay mentions discussing bad break-ups and Latin honors, adding more detail like a quote said by one of the student’s friends or an idea they discussed that made them reflect on the world would help put the reader in the room with the student. The admissions officers should have a full grasp on the impact these late-night discussions had on the student. The more details and reflections to show what memorable things were said, the better the readers will understand why this is such an important tradition to this student. 

Where to Get Your Notre Dame  Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Notre Dame essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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How to Write the Notre Dame Supplemental Essays 2020-2021

Padya Paramita

August 28, 2020

The University of Notre Dame prides itself on its close-knit community and strong alumni network. It says a lot about a school when the biggest stereotype surrounding it is that the people are exceptionally friendly. But simply being a nice person will not help you stand out in your college application! If you want to get into this Indiana college , you must take advantage of the Notre Dame supplemental essays 2020-2021 to convey how you would fit in with this lively community. . 

At Notre Dame, students can major in one of the 75 programs available across the School of Architecture, School of Business, College of Arts and Letters, College of Engineering, School of Global Affairs, and School of Science. No matter the field, this Indiana university has a program to suit your academic interests. So let the college know who you are and what you can bring to your chosen program by presenting informative and well-written essays. To guide you through the Notre Dame supplemental essays 2020-2021 , I’ve outlined the prompts, the dos and don'ts of your response, and more tips to provide you with a smooth-sailing process.

Prompts for the Notre Dame Supplemental Essays 2020-2021

The University of Notre Dame Writing Supplement consists of one (1) essay response to a required question and two (2) essay responses to questions you select from the options provided. In total, you will write three (3) essay responses. The word count is a maximum of 200 words per essay. 

Required Question

Please provide a response to the following question:

The founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau, wrote, “We shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.”  How do you hope a Notre Dame education and experience will transform your mind and heart?

The first and only required prompt among the Notre Dame supplemental essays 2020-2021 asks the classic “why this school” question. Admissions officers want to know which features of the college appeal to you the most and how the resources at Notre Dame can benefit you compared to those at other schools. The key to writing this essay lies in going beyond a listing of things that make Notre Dame an exceptional school. Since these essays are for your college application, your answer should be geared as specifically to you as possible, especially because the word limit is so restricted.

You need to spend a considerable amount of time digging into the university’s website, taking note of which opportunities support your aspirations the most, and letting your knowledge of Notre Dame shine through in your essay. Because your word limit is so tight, you don’t have space to wander all over the place.. Pick one or two criteria that are important to you. Look through academic programs, research opportunities, and extracurricular offerings. How does the particular college within Notre Dame that you’re applying to stand out over other similar undergraduate programs? Are there any particular courses that the university offers in your field that you can’t find elsewhere? Is there a student organization that perfectly aligns with a current club you enjoy? Highlight how you will grow. Make sure your essay can’t be applied to any other college on your list, and convince the admissions officers that Notre Dame is the school for you.

Download Every Supplemental Prompt Here!

Optional questions.

Please provide responses to TWO (2) of the following questions:

A Notre Dame education is not just for you, but also for those who will benefit from the impact you make. Who do you aspire to serve after you graduate?

On its website, Notre Dame states that it looks for students “who are involved—in the classroom, in the community, and in the relentless pursuit of truth.” Part of this means showcasing that you’re a driven individual who has goals that centre around making an impact, and helping others. 

You can tie your aspirations to your academic interests. If you’re a prospective biology major and wish to pursue medicine eventually, what kind of patients do you want to help out when you’ve become a full-fledged MD? If your goals revolve more around architecture, who do you hope will benefit from your designs. Don’t spend too much time describing what your aspirations are. Focus more on why you’ve chosen a particular group of people. Does it connect with the way you grew up? Is there something you’ve always wished to help people who come from the same ethnic background as you with? You should also talk about how those you wish to serve would benefit from what you may have to offer? Why is it crucial that you serve this particular group of people? Finally, if you have space, outline how a Notre Dame education can help you get there.

In response to the rising momentum behind the Black Lives Matter movement during June 2020, G. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean of the Notre Dame Law School, penned an open letter entitled, “I am George Floyd. Except I can breathe. And I can do something.” He issues a call to the Notre Dame community saying, “Each of us must do what we can, wherever we are.” What is one action you are taking “to change this world for the better?” 

Choosing to tackle this second optional prompt within the Notre Dame supplemental essays 2020-2021 is a good way to inform the university about your role as an impactful leader and change maker. Admissions officers don’t want a detailed description of the logistics of the action. Within the given 200 words you must focus on how you are taking efforts to make a difference in your community - so you should take a more reflective approach. Think about your most significant involvement, but stay wary of commonly cited activities such as service trips. Remember that “change the world” doesn’t have to signify a large-scale activity. You could have helped your entire neighborhood or school, or you might have helped one or two individuals who belong to it, and still made a difference. Because the prompt specifically mentions the George Floyd story, your story could revolve around social justice.

Use a short anecdote to highlight the role you played in the activity. What were some of your tangible achievements? How did you involve the rest of the community? How would the result have been different if you weren’t present? What have you learned in the process? While you definitely don’t want to undermine your role in the activity, remember that you shouldn’t sound arrogant either. Talk about your achievements in a way that still conveys humility and portrays you as both a team player and respected leader. And of course, make sure your account is truthful and not overly exaggerated. Don’t write about an initiative your brother has really spearheaded and try to pass it off as your own story.

God and the Good Life is an interdisciplinary course created by the departments of Philosophy and Film, Television, and Theatre that asks students to consider moral questions about what they believe and how they want to live their lives. What do God and a good life mean to you?

This is an essay option that can appeal to students with various interests — philosophy, religion, or applicants who are interested in media studies. First and foremost, you should visit the God and the Good life website and learn as much about the course as possible. It’s crucial that you have a baseline understanding of what the class offers before sitting down to write an essay about why you would be interested in exploring the topics within the class. Watch the course trailer, look at the upcoming topics, and skim through the readings for the next lesson. If you believe that you’d want to take this class and are keen on learning more about the lesson materials, this option is a good one for you.

Now we come to the two parts of the actual essay. First, consider the moral questions about what you believe in and how you want to live your life. Is there a unique outlook you have on morals and ethics that have always guided you? Second, what kind of role has God played in your journey and how would you define a good life? Notre Dame may be founded on a Catholic principle, but it welcomes students from all backgrounds. This essay has a lot of nuance and hidden layers, so be very careful about how you tread the waters. Allow admissions officers to learn more about you through this essay, and make sure you haven’t written anything that can offend or harm any individual or group of people. If your view on what God is or what a good life means is unpopular, you may need to be especially sensitive about how you are writing about it. You never know who could be on the other side reading your application.  

Notre Dame has a rich history deeply rooted in tradition. Share how a favorite tradition from your life has impacted who you are today.

Pay attention to the words “impacted who you are today.” A good way to start your brainstorming process would be to think about your background and experiences. Is there a part of your identity that you feel adds a unique element to your story? Does your favorite club, neighborhood, or family background allow you to celebrate a particular tradition that has shaped you? Notre Dame prides itself on its diverse student body - how do you feel you can add to it? The word “diverse,” while a buzzword, can help you try and figure out the focus of your essay. While it may definitely evoke your cultural identity, sexual orientation or religious views, you can also think out of the box when it comes to tradition. You could talk about nearly anything, from what the preparation of food from your family’s culture has taught you about community to how your tradition of annual hikes with your friend group has changed your worldview.

Because this is part of your college application, you should also look to answer the question of how the perspective from your experiences would help you contribute to Notre Dame if you have space. Similar to the other essays, don’t talk about what you think admissions officers want to hear. What are you genuinely excited about participating in at Notre Dame? What kinds of activities have you led in high school that you believe have prepared you to continue to make an impact in while at Notre Dame? 

What brings you joy?

This is the most open-ended question among the Notre Dame supplemental essays 2020-2021 . The school values students who are particularly invested in activities and topics that are meaningful to them, no matter what the scale. If you have a meaningful hobby that isn’t a conventional extracurricular per se, or you have a favorite movie that you watch over and over again, Notre Dame is telling you to write about it. Just the introductory paragraph to most essays requires over 200 words - you might find it difficult to restrain yourself while talking about your favorite pastime. In order to get your point across, you need to put less emphasis on describing the activity or object - limit it to one or two sentences - and more on what about it brings you joy. Why is it your favorite? How does it recharge you in a way others may not? Has it shaped your perspective in a significant way?

Since admissions officers will see your activities list through the Common App, you should find ways to include anecdotes which will convey additional information about yourself. While you should not pick a purely academic activity or something that you think Notre Dame wants to hear, you also should think of something beyond sleeping, eating, or hanging out with friends. Your outlook on the activity or subject should be unique, and help you stand out among your peers.

Additional Tips for the Notre Dame Supplemental Essays 2020-2021

• Choose Your Optional Prompts Wisely - Since the Notre Dame supplemental essays 2020-2021 have provided you the liberty of picking only two of the four optional essays, you must take advantage of this circumstance. Go through all of the prompts carefully and decide which ones can inspire the most powerful essays from your perspective. You could begin by eliminating prompts that might be too risky, for example, if you feel like your view on God might lead to red flags from admissions officers, it’s better not to write that essay.
• Don’t Repeat the Personal Statement - Choose a topic where you don’t have to repeat information that’s already included in the rest of your application. If your personal statement highlights the people you wish to help out later in your career, choose essay prompts from the four other options. Your Notre Dame supplemental essays 2020-2021 are designed to provide new information about you. Narrating the same story won’t work in your favor, as admissions officers might think it’s a waste of their time.
• Be as Specific to Yourself As Possible - Remember these are your supplemental essays. In all of the responses, it’s easy to be tempted to elaborate more generally on the topics - whether it’s Notre Dame’s resources or your most meaningful activity. But resist that urge! You’re under a very strict limit. Use it wisely - connect the majority of your points to yourself. Why does it matter to you if Notre Dame has particularly good resources? What is your personal connection to an unpopular opinion? Avoid generic responses at all costs. 

The Notre Dame supplemental essays 2020-2021 ask questions which provide admissions officers with the chance to get to know you in order to gauge how you would fit into the community. Don’t miss this chance to show your perspective and convey what makes you a unique and memorable candidate. You got this!

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Notre Dame Supplemental Essay Examples

Taking a look at Notre Dame supplemental essay examples is a top-notch method for learning how to write your own responses to the essay prompts.

Supplemental college application essays are one of the best ways to stand out and show your top-choice school why you are a perfect applicant for their program. They allow you to showcase your personal self, and that is the best way to stay in the minds of the admissions committee and go from an applicant to a student.

How to write a college essay can be tricky; there is a lot to say within a word count that might seem big, but gets eaten up quickly. Studying sample college essays will illustrate writing methods and give you tremendous insight into how to go about creating your own essay.

This article will provide samples to the Notre Dame supplemental essays.

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Article Contents 11 min read

Please note that all Notre Dame supplemental essays have a maximum word count of 200 words.

Applicants are required to answer two prompts in total. All applicants must use the first prompt, but may choose from three additional prompts for their second essay.

Need more tips for writing?

The founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau, wrote, “We shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.” How do you hope a Notre Dame education and experience will transform your mind and heart?

Sample Essay #1:

These days we see science and religion as enemies, fighting with one another.

Born Catholic I started my life unquestioning my religion. When I was in high school, I began walking two paths: one towards science, the other away from faith.

I was frustrated with the Church, avowed there was no God and picked fights with family and friends about it.

My studies gave me the opportunity to visit a particle accelerator. One of the scientists who gave us the tour was, as I found out, religious. I stayed behind, grilling him about how he reconciled faith and science, and he talked about the mystery of the universe. His pursuit for Truth in science was because he loved the profound expanse of nature. His love of God came from the same place.

Notre Dame prides itself on its religious origins and its Catholicism. I have come to a place where I want to explore the universe in an institution that advances science, but remains humbled by the profundity of Creation. I think that these qualities of Notre Dame’s will help me to reconcile the struggle my values and find my place in the universe.

During the spring semester, Notre Dame faculty gave 3-Minute Lightning Talks on exciting topics within their fields of expertise. While you don\u2019t have a Ph.D. yet, we bet you\u2019re developing an expertise in something. If you were giving a Lightning Talk, what topic (academic or not) would you choose? ","label":"1st prompt (of 3)","title":"1st prompt (of 3)"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

I spent a lot of my recent years trying to read as many important books as I can, tracking down lists of books everybody “should” read, mostly composed of classics, academically-sanctioned works of genius, and the most seminal benchmarks of literature throughout the ages. All of this has made reading a chore – a list that I check off. I’m not saying they aren’t great works, just that I put the canons of others ahead of my own enjoyment.

My Lightning Talk would be on literary enjoyment – reading for pleasure – and how this act opens up the mind and the imagination. When I was a boy, I read tirelessly, mostly seeking out the sort of science-fiction and fantasy novels that were likely to have a Frank Frazetta painting for a cover. They were pulpy explorations of pretend worlds that fueled my mind and let me push my imagination to its limits.

I would like to unpack the idea that literature can be fun and still beneficial. I would talk about those pulp-fantasy novels and how they have opened my mind to new worlds.

Sample Essay #2:

Jumping out of a plane is safe enough that they’ll let untrained members of the public go skydiving. But if it’s so safe, why do people get a thrill out of it? Shouldn’t we relax up there?

I’m a bit of a thrill-seeker, spending hours at skateparks, trying to learn parkour, and driving a little faster than I’m supposed to. Recently, I’ve started to wonder “Why?”

I’ve been reading a lot of articles and books about adrenaline and people who go looking for that rush. Freud posited the death wish. Psychologists call it “sensation seeking”. Some people claim it’s for fun, others for a challenge. Adrenaline junkies get worse and worse, needing more of a “hit” as though these heightened brain chemical reactions are the same as a drug.

My talk would be about the reasons why we go looking for thrills and about how it affects our minds and bodies. Knowing why people seek out adrenaline-inducing experiences would help us master our habits and pursue our passions.

Sample Essay #3:

I was listening to the Howard Stern Show, and two of the guys on the show were really yelling at each other. Howard’s program is filled with these moments and it’s one of the most popular shows of all time.

Contentious posts rate higher on social media. Youtube videos with titles like, “So-and-so DESTROYS Somebody” gain millions of views. Why do we fight? Is there a value?

I’ve begun to research why we argue and if there are benefits to it. There are! We work out ideas together as a group that way, we engage with each other, and we can either work out problems or discover who is problematic.

There is a strong movement for social media companies to take responsibility for their users’ speech and shut it down if it gets out of hand. Ironically, the discussions on this topic – free speech and censorship – are as divisive as the speech itself.

My Lightning Talk would be about our fascination with, and the uses for, argumentative behaviors, and about whether or not we should be allowed to say anything we want.

There is a story or meaning behind every name or nickname \u2013 both those we\u2019re given and those that we choose. What is meaningful to you about your name? ","label":"2nd prompt (of 3)","title":"2nd prompt (of 3)"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

My name, Dipti, has been a source of relentless pain and teasing, bringing me down constantly, and I hated it.

When we moved to the US, nobody said anything mean to the three-year-old me, but as soon as I went to school, I was bullied. It was my clothes, so I stopped wearing “weird” clothes. It was my food, so I got mom to pack “normal” lunches. It was my name, and I couldn’t escape.

I tried to be called “Dee”, but I was “Dipti” in roll-call.

Dipti means “light”, but it felt heavy. It’s my grandmother’s name, but I didn’t remember her. I had to meet her again when we got enough money to bring her over to stay with us.

Grandma Dipti was Light. I barely understood her words, but I understood her love, and felt shame for trying to abandon her name, like I was abandoning her beautiful spirit.

Now I don’t care who dislikes my name. Embracing who I am found me friends who love me for me. I am working on a family tree, plunging into my personal history, and I love knowing where I come from.

Now my name is a joy and a light in my life.

I share my name with a month of the year and with a general; my name is Julian.

First, I learned of Caesar’s conquests and power. It set a high standard to strive for, and led me to run for student council – Julian the Senator. My connection to a famous historical figure also gave me a love of history; I study it, love it, and hope to become a history professor.

But, in my studies, I also discovered Gaius Julius Caesar’s abuses of his power, precipitating the fall of the Roman republic and the rise of the Roman empire. This is a cautionary tale: use power for good.

Some people nickname me Jules or Julie. “Girls’ names!” That used to annoy me a lot, but I have gained two perspectives in consequence of these labels: the first is that I need a thicker skin; little things shouldn’t bother me. The second is that teasing might sting a bit, but others have it worse with aggressive misgendering, or severe bullying.

I know that I have certain powers on student senate and if I ever cross the Rubicon, it will be for the rights of the bullied, not to become a tyrant.

My parents just liked the sound of the name “Alan”, so that’s my name. I have no relatives named Alan, they didn’t have any close friends named Alan, and Alan doesn’t even mean anything. Some people speculate that it means “deer”, but there are others who think it means, “little rock”, or “handsome”, so it could mean anything.

I gave this very little heed growing up, although I did get annoyed once when my siblings and I were all looking up our names and they had substantive meanings but mine just means nothing.

Some people have names they have to live up to. Their names are grand. Mine is plain. But I like that. I like that, with my name, I don’t have to live up to my name, but I can fill it.

I wasn’t captain of the debate team because I had something to prove, no; it was because I loved debating. My passion led me forward, not some silly high bar set by a name.

This lack of meaning in my main moniker taught me to strive for individuality.

While your essays will be personal, you should use the academic essay structure to make your story flow.

No. You have some choice, but you must complete two essays.

All applicants complete the first essay prompt (Prompt #1), and then choose one from the three other sub-prompts (three entries in Prompt #2).

Generally-speaking, any time you are given the option to submit an essay, test, or short answer, take advantage of the opportunity to showcase your application and make it more memorable.

Essentially, consider everything mandatory, because good quality submissions will all help your application.

Consider them strict, yes.

Keep to the directions you are given, find your creative voice within those boundaries.

Colleges look for people who think outside the box, not those who color outside the lines.

Notre Dame doesn’t use interviews in its admissions process, so the essays are the best way that the admissions committee has of seeing the “you” beyond pure numbers and data. While you can give a picture of yourself through extracurriculars, the essays allow you to speak directly to the committee and show your passion and your journey that is taking you to your top-choice school.

You will be talking about yourself, but specifically highlighting experiences you’ve had, knowledge you’ve gained, and traits and abilities you’ve acquired that will appeal to the school you’re applying to (in this case, Notre Dame).

Try to highlight courses, research, or values that the school has, even if only in oblique ways.

Valuable qualities to show are leadership, curiosity, perseverance, dedication, problem-solving, studiousness, and creative thinking.

If you can showcase that you learn from failure, that can also be beneficial.

Your goal is to say something meaningful about yourself, something memorable that will stick with the admissions committee, and something that will make you connect with the college you’re applying to. If you’ve done that with fifty words to spare, there’s nothing wrong with coming in under the word count.

On the other hand, if you’ve only written fifty words out of two-hundred, it’s likely that you haven’t said enough.

Avail yourself of college essay advisors so you know when you’ve said what you’re trying to say.

Notre Dame is open to all denominations, faiths, and persons from non-religious backgrounds. No matter who you are, you are welcomed into Notre Dame’s studies, and your application is not contingent on your spirituality or lack thereof.

Many universities and colleges in the US were founded by religious institutions or religious persons, but none of those schools will penalize a non-religious applicant or make them feel unwelcome on campus or in class.

When you’re applying to a variety of schools, and we do recommend you apply to 8-10, there may be some overlap in college essay topics . As always, do your research. Before writing all of your essays, take a look at the different topics, and if you find areas of overlap, you can certainly reuse writing.

With that said, colleges are looking for values in line with theirs, so you may need to make sure that your essays align with multiple colleges in every way, not just the specific prompts.

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How To Write The University of Notre Dame Supplemental Essays (2019-2020)

Pierre is a leading college and graduate admissions consultant with extensive experience in education and entrepreneurship. His advice has been featured on Forbes.com, U.S. News, CNN Business, the Washington Post, ABC News, Business Insider, and more.

***Interested in reading our Harvard supplemental essay guide for the 2020-2021 application cycle? Click here! https://www.hceducationconsulting.com/post/how-to-write-the-university-of-notre-dame-supplemental-essays ***

You’ve got three essays to write for Notre Dame. Everyone must answer the first question (“Why This College?”). Then you get to choose two prompts from a list of four. For each essay, Notre Dame recommends a 200-word limit.

Here’s how Notre Dame phrases the “Why Us?” prompt:

What excites you about the University of Notre Dame that makes it stand out from other institutions?

Pretty straightforward. Although I like the use of the verb “excite” here—it’s a nice reminder that choosing a college isn’t just about boring data like U.S. News rankings and average salaries six months after graduation. What excites you about Notre Dame?

What excites you, but also what excites you ? See the difference? Part of this question is about Notre Dame, but part of it is about you and your excitement. You need to show Notre Dame that you know a great deal about the school, and have good reasons for applying there (rather than just anywhere), but you also need to provide them with enough information about yourself and your achievements to show that you’re a good fit.

Your task here is to show Notre Dame that:

You know what you want to study (make a major up if you’re actually undecided—just choose what makes most sense based on your past experiences);

You can talk about some upper-level classes you’d like to take at Notre Dame (in line with your academic direction. Don’t mention anything that’s readily available at other universities—pick something interesting and unusual);

You can mention a few professors you’d be interested in working with (again, who teach in a subject related to your academic path. These should be tenured professors, or at least professors you suspect will be around for the next four years. Not sure how the vicious academic hierarchy works? Ask us );

You have a sense of which extracurricular clubs and organizations you’d like to be a part of (do your research—the clubs you choose to discuss should be a logical extension of your past academic and extracurricular achievements);

You have identified any other academic or extracurricular opportunities that Notre Dame and the area will provide you with.

Again, this essay isn’t just about Notre Dame. It’s also about you. Make sure you’re relating what you want to do at Notre Dame to your past experiences—that the professors and courses that interest you will help you build on your most impressive achievements.

Please provide responses to TWO (2) of the following questions:

The founder of the University of Notre Dame, Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., was only 28 when he established the University with the vision that it would become a “powerful means of doing good.” We have always known that young people can be catalysts for change. What is one way that you have made an impact in your community?

As always, the danger inherent in such prompts is appearing to be making yourself out to be some kind of hero. Remember that sparking a national movement (or founding a university) isn’t a prerequisite for getting into Notre Dame or any other great school.

And in fact, this question asks explicitly what you have done in your community . You’re welcome to think small and close to home.

I would encourage you to spend some time thinking about what “community” means to you. When I suggest that you think small and close to home, I don’t mean you necessarily have to talk about your neighborhood, or school, although you can. You may have a strong connection to an online community, for example. The important thing here is making a strong case for a specific community that is meaningful to you, and what you’ve done to make an impact there.

If you were to bring a new friend to your hometown and give them a personal tour, what is a meaningful place you would show them?

This is a great opportunity for you to link a place to a value or quality that is very important to you. I’m a big fan of connecting objects and places to core values, mostly because values (freedom, curiosity, etc.) tend to sound like empty platitudes until they become personal. Places and objects are a great way to make values personal in an essay.

I would highly recommend responding to this question, and I’d begin by asking yourself: which of my core values don’t yet come across in my application materials? Maybe your Common App essay makes it really clear that you prize autonomy, empathy, and adaptability, and that you have a unique relationship to these values. But maybe you’re also a really competitive and funny person, and you haven’t yet had a chance to show that.

Now ask yourself: is there a place in my hometown that represents competition or humor? Your mind may immediately go to the baseball field at your high school where you play, or the movie theater where you enjoy watching funny films. Ideally, I’d love to see less predictable places. Ideally, your place should relate to the value you want to show in a highly personal way—the connection doesn’t need to be obvious to anyone other than you. The point of the essay is to explore that connection. Maybe there’s a bridge over a stream where you and your sister used to play Poohsticks, and this place represents competition for you. (Google “Poohsticks” if you’re not an A.A. Milne fan.) This example says far more about you and far more about your hometown than if you were to talk about your baseball field. (If you’ve ever flown in a plane you know these are all over the place. So are high school baseball players.) Instead of a movie theater, maybe there’s a cafe where you regularly attend comedy open mics. Or maybe there’s an even less common, more personal place that represents humor for you.

Defend an unpopular opinion you hold.

Let me first say that this is a very easy one to mess up. Sometimes there is a reason that our opinions are unpopular, for one. Whether we’re in the right or in the wrong, feeling like we’re in the minority can lead us to rant and rave about everyone who misunderstands us. That is not what this essay is for. Don’t disparage anyone else.

I generally recommend against writing about political and religious opinions. They’re divisive, for one. More importantly, however, they’re almost never original.

My recommendation for this one is to write about a quirky, unexpected opinion. Write about a truly unusual hill you’d die on. If you can demonstrate something really meaningful about yourself by writing a short piece on how the thing you like most about air travel is the food, about how the best Starbursts are the yellow ones, or about how Jar Jar Binks is the best character in any Star Wars film, go for it. Keep in mind that this unpopular opinion should say something meaningful about the core values you have not yet had a chance to share with your admissions officers.

Many high schools have books that are required reading. Thinking beyond the common examples, what book do you believe should be on your school’s reading list and why?

I love that first sentence. If you are not from one of these many high schools that require that you read specific books, that could be very interesting to talk about.

What’s a little tricky about this question is that, unless you’re a pretty serious reader, you risk falling into certain traps. Just because a book wasn’t required reading for you doesn’t mean it’s a highly original choice. (For example, no one ever made me read 1984 in high school—I read it on my own. But it’s still one of the most typical examples of high school reading.)

Keep in mind that this is still a 200-word response—you need to answer the “why” question here. So whatever you choose should be highly personal, but you should also be able to make a case for why your entire high school would benefit from reading the book. In other words, “it’s my favorite novel/collection of poems/self-help book” isn’t a good enough reason. Your choice should reveal one of your core values—something you think is worth sharing with others.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, notre dame supplemental essay tips.

Hey, I'm starting to plan my Notre Dame supplemental essays and I'm feeling a bit stressed. Does anyone have advice on how to tackle these essays, and what themes or topics have worked well for successful applicants in the past?

Hey there! I understand the stress that comes with supplemental essays, but with some guidance and organization, you'll do great. CollegeVine has a breakdown with all of Notre Dame's essay prompts, which you can find here: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-notre-dame-essays

Successful applicants often write well-structured essays with a clear narrative, while also demonstrating their character, values, and passions. One key tip is to make sure your essays are authentic and true to who you are. Admissions officers can tell when applicants write what they think they want to hear instead of being genuine.

Keep your essays focused on your unique experiences and how they have shaped you, rather than trying to appeal to clichés or popular topics. Be thoughtful, reflective, and genuine in your writing, and really emphasize the connection between your experiences and the values that Notre Dame upholds.

Remember to proofread and revise as much as needed to make sure your essays are polished and free of errors. Good luck with your Notre Dame essays!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

University of Notre Dame

Undergraduate Admissions

Application Overview

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How to Apply

The University of Notre Dame offers three secure online applications for first year applicants:

• Common Application at  commonapp.org .
• Apply Coalition on Scoir at  app.scoir.com/app/signup/2800092 .
• Questbridge Application at questbridge.org  (QuestBridge applicants are not required to submit the Common Application or Coalition Application.)

Please note that after your application is submitted electronically, letters of recommendation and transcripts can still be sent to complete your application. 

First-Year vs. Transfer Applicants

The notre dame writing supplement: we want to meet the real you..

We require applicants to submit the Notre Dame Writing Supplement in addition to the Common Application or Coalition Application. This form is available to registrants of either website and is submitted with the application. It must be submitted online. 

The writing supplement gives us an opportunity to get to know you in a more personal way outside of your stats. So, let your personality shine, take risks, and remember that there is no right answer.

The University of Notre Dame Writing Section consists of responses to one (1) short essay question and three (3) short-answer responses to questions you select from the options provided.

Short Essay

Please provide a response to the following question. The word count is a maximum of 150 words.

• Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home.

Short Answer

Please choose three questions from the options below. Your response to each short-answer question should be between 50-100 words.

How does faith influence the decisions you make?

What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community, etc)? Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?

Notre Dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person. How do you foster service to others in your community?

What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

What would you fight for?

Application Checklist

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions must have  all  of the following items before beginning application review:

• Your application, submitted via the Common Application or Coalition Application website.
• The Notre Dame Writing Supplement, submitted via the Common Application or Coalition Application. 
• Official high school transcripts or record of academic achievement in secondary school. Note: Restrictive Early Action applicants are encouraged to submit an optional summary or progress report of first quarter or first trimester performance via their applicant status portal.
• A letter of evaluation from a high school teacher in a core academic subject area who knows you well
• Counselor evaluation (recommended, not required)
• Optional: Results of your ACT or SAT assessment scores - Notre Dame is test-optional for the 2024 and 2025 application cycles. Students may choose whether or not to include test scores when submitting their applications.  Learn more about the test-optional program.
• A non-refundable application fee of $75

NOTE: If you are an international student, please visit the  International Admissions pages  for additional instructions and information. 

Regarding Deadlines

Submit the online version of the Common Application (with the Notre Dame Writing Supplement) or the Coalition Application (the writing supplement is included within the application)  no later than November 1 for Restrictive Early Action or January 3 for Regular Decision .

We reserve the right to make a decision on your application based on the materials that we receive. Be sure to pay careful attention to your applicant status portal and monitor your email as well. We send regular communications to students with incomplete applications.

Note that we will continue to accept required supplemental application materials past the application deadline (i.e., letters of recommendation, test scores), but encourage students to submit documents as soon as possible so that we may take all important information into consideration during our review.

Don't Lose These Dates

Print them off, mark your calendars, set reminders on your devices.

• Applications Available: August 1
• Restrictive Early Action : November 1
• REA Supporting Documents: November 15
• SlideRoom Submissions: November 15
• Regular Decision : January 3
• RD Supporting Documents: January 15
• SlideRoom Submissions:  January 15
• Priority Deadline to Apply for Financial Aid : February 15
• Confirmation Deadline: May 1