Notre Dame Essay Guide

Hi! My name is Claire Ann Santos, and I am a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame. I am originally from Bolingbrook, IL, about two hours away from Notre Dame’s campus. ND was one of my reach schools while applying to colleges; I had a 4.3 GPA in high school and a 34 ACT superscore. With hard work, determination, and stellar essays and extracurriculars, I got in, and I am forever grateful.

Introduction to Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is a private Catholic university located in Notre Dame, Indiana. Although we are known for our football team (Go, Irish!), the University of Notre Dame is one of the top universities in the United States, with an incredibly rigorous liberal arts curriculum and a beautiful campus filled with Gothic architecture and amazing facilities. Founded by French priest Edward Sorin in 1842, the University of Notre Dame’s emphasis on growing the good in our community is shaped by our underlying Catholic foundation.

I truly believe Notre Dame is the embodiment of the phrase “Work hard, play hard!” Although it is a very difficult school, it is possible to achieve a very healthy work-life balance at the university. For example, my roommate and I walk along the beautiful St. Mary’s Lake during our homework breaks. On weekends, we spend my Saturdays watching our incredible football team before a Sunday of hard work in the library.

Notre Dame Student Profile

According to the Class of 2026 Admitted Student Profile, the University of Notre Dame received 26,504 applications. Out of these applications, 3,412 students were admitted and 3,049 were admitted, making the acceptance rate about 13%.

For the Class of 2026, the University of Notre Dame received a record number of 9,683 Restrictive Early Action applicants. Of these applicants, 1,675 were admitted and 1,599 were deferred. Therefore, the acceptance rate for REA applicants was about 17%.

The Application Process

The University of Notre Dame offers three online applications for the first-year admissions process:

• Common Application
• Coalition Application
• Questbridge Application

Notre Dame provides two options in regards to application deadlines: First-year applicants can apply either Restrictive Early Action (due November 1st) or Regular Decision (due January 1st). Notre Dame’s Restrictive Early Action program is non-binding, meaning that students are allowed to apply to other Early Action programs at other colleges and universities, but cannot apply to any binding Early Decision programs.

Students who apply REA receive one of three possible admissions decisions: Admission, Denial of Admission, or Deferral (their application “rolls over” to Regular Decision).

Students who apply Regular Decision also receive one of three possible admissions decisions: Admission, Denial of Admission, or Waiting List.

Applicants must also submit the required Notre Dame Writing Supplement, which consists of:

• 1 essay response to a required question
• 1 essay response to one of 3 questions you select from options provided

In addition to a Common or Coalition Application and the Notre Dame Writing Supplement, students must also submit their official high school transcript, a letter of evaluation from a high school teacher in a core academic subject, and a counselor evaluation (This is technically recommended, but treat it as required for a better chance of being admitted!).

Notre Dame is test-optional for the 2022 and 2023 application cycles.

Supplemental Essay Prompts

The prompts on the Notre Dame Writing Supplement differ every year, but here is an example of questions they have asked in the past:

Questions for the 2021-22 Application:

Required 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?

Additional Prompts (You choose 1):

During the spring semester, Notre Dame faculty gave 3-Minute Lightning Talks on exciting topics within their fields of expertise. While you don't have a Ph.D. yet, we bet you're developing an expertise in something. If you were giving a Lightning Talk, what topic (academic or not) would you choose?

There is a story or meaning behind every name or nickname—both those we’re given and those that we choose. What is meaningful to you about your name?

What would you fight for?

My Common App Essay

Common App Essay Prompt: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

My Essay:

A tense silence fills the classroom of J306. No one dares to look up at our peering religion teacher, quietly waiting for a student to volunteer to read Genesis 1:26-28.

“Anyone?”

I reluctantly tap my mechanical pencil against the squeaky wooden desk, thinking.

Suddenly, I raise my hand slowly. “I’ll read it, Mr. Bremner—”

Tilting his reading glasses, he stares at me expectantly.

“—if I can do it in a British accent.”

Individuality was something that I did not easily accept as a child. I would stare at my yellow skin in the mirror with unexplainable disappointment and giggle alongside my friends as my classmate made fun of my Filipino culture in fear of being seen as overly sensitive.

Meanwhile, in the safety of my bedroom, I found happiness in perfecting my British accent. Meticulously, I would analyze Emma Watson’s voice, studying her vowel shapes in television interviews and the Harry Potter movies and try to replicate it. Little did I know that it was precisely this bizarre hobby that prompted my love for learning about other cultures.

“You want to read Genesis,” he responds, “in a British accent?”

I nod.

He smirks. “You can try.”

“...in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them.” I finish. I look up.

And the clapping commences.

Along with the acclamation that accompanied my obscure reading in my freshman year religion class came a new confidence that fueled just how I want to live my life. I want to absorb the idiosyncrasies within cultures, sharing my knowledge through my distinct personality, a person who loves to tell others’ stories, along with my own.

It turns out that I would find part of the answer in the school cafeteria. Whenever I opened my lunchbox, several heads would always turn. Inside my container would be adobo, tomato rice, or a favorite among one of my classmates, roasted seaweed. After one bite of it, his lips curled upward into one, shock-filled smile. And so did mine, for sharing my extensive knowledge of Asian food became a staple in my personality. People could gag at my grilled salmon, but I don’t care. I am still exposing them to cultures outside of what they are used to.

Later, I found an even more impactful way to storytell as I travelled more: video.

“Why are you videoing literally everything we do?” my classmate asked as we trudged along a narrow cobblestone path of Seville, Spain.

Why, they ask? I was creating a vlog that would hopefully successfully tell the story of a group of Chicagoan choir students performing their heart out throughout southern Spain. I wanted to encapsulate the flamenco music, the adorable attempts of my fellow classmates to speak to the natives, and the beautiful scenery of such an exotic country.

I have always been a people-watcher, entranced by the simplest things: the way a person walks, the means in which they speak, their clothing. FInding my love of other cultures gave me an openness for embracing diversity and an undying excitement for the opportunities to meet different people in the next phase of education, life, and beyond. This fueled my original love of writing, expanding my words to worlds beyond the standard neighborhood, as I created historical fiction stories about the Japanese Internment Camps or participated in class discussions about how Asian-Americans are treated in an environment that constantly whitewashes their lifestyles.

Now, I can no longer hunch my shoulders at the back of the classroom and hide knowing that there is an entire world out there for me to explore and share with others, whether that be through my exotic packed lunches, my edited videos, or my creative writing.

So, would you like to hear my British accent?

Why My Essay Worked: For my Common App essay, I aimed to tell a personal story, share hardships I have faced as an Asian-American female living in the United States, and tie in one of my unique qualities to the overall essay. I believe my essay worked because I was able to incorporate a seemingly silly moment in high school into my overall journey into self discovery and confidence, almost like an extended metaphor. Writing the essay as a narrative allowed me to delve into my inner thoughts and showcase precisely why and how I choose my passions.

My Supplemental Essays

Essay Prompt 1: What excites you about the University of Notre Dame that makes it stand out from other institutions?

My Essay:

When I think of Notre Dame, I imagine this picture of a young woman with a ND gym bag walking toward a magnificent golden dome.

No, it isn’t the university’s campus, but the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem encaptured in the winning shot of 2018’s study abroad contest.

To me, this is the beauty of being a ND student.

I yearn to explore, to retain the curiosity of the woman in the photo to experience life beyond the norm. I myself want to participate in ND’s Shanghai program, studying International Marketing in a bustling, business-oriented city. Even more, I want to learn Mandarin, eat peking duck, and view blossoms through the renown Peach Blossom Festival.

When I return to Indiana, my curiosity would not cease. Through the Prayer from Around the World series, I would continue to explore traditions—perhaps participating in a Jewish Seder dinner!

Why do I have this curiosity?

As a Marketing major, above the logistics, I yearn to decipher what makes people happy—ALL people. I want to implement this knowledge into the Imagination, Creativity & Commerce class, digging beyond quantitative data into the realm of consumer imaginations, appealing to all perspectives, regardless of your pinpoint on the planet. 

Why My Essay Worked:  This question is incredibly important; it provides you with the opportunity to showcase your knowledge of Notre Dame. Try to provide meticulous examples on why you are the right fit for ND, and why ND is the right fit for you. If you enjoyed a specific aspect of an on-campus tour, mention that! If a certain ND study abroad opportunity piqued your interest, explain why! Specificity is incredibly important. Yes, ND is known for its amazing community, football, alumni network, and more. However, I would try to supplement these reasons with more specific examples, such as particular programs, clubs, majors, etc. 

Essay Prompt 2: 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?

My Essay: 

Forty-five of my classmates stare at me as I grab my thirteen-page talk from the podium. I light the LOGOS candle, and begin.

What is holiness?

I speak of ITP, the immune disorder that I have had since I was four years old, and how I see holiness through the nurses who asked me to sing “Part of Your World” in the hospital lobby and my parents who always held out the tissue box during my midnight nosebleeds.

I speak of my struggle with racism, how my best friend called me a “zipperhead”, referring to Vietnamese citizens who were run over by army tanks during the Vietnam war. However, believing that holy people never got angry, I never confronted, but holiness isn’t perfection. It is doing what is right.

I learned to see everything in this world in color, a world where holiness is camouflaged in every moment, sometimes deeply hidden among the sufferings we all endure.

My eyes brimming with tears, I look out at all the eyes filled with hope, respect, and love. Although the vulnerability that accompanies being a LOGOS retreat leader is difficult, I recognize that it is worth it; this is precisely what changes lives.

Why My Essay Worked: Although you list your extracurricular activities and volunteering roles on your application, this question will let you delve into a specific experience. In my essay, I wrote about my experience as a religious retreat leader at my high school. Instead of just describing my role, I told a story, which allowed me to go into the event in thorough detail. Additionally, try to mention why your act of service was important to 1) others, and 2) yourself. In this essay, I was able to accomplish both of these.

Essay Prompt 3: Defend an unpopular opinion you hold.

My Essay:

I prefer musicals over movies.

Trust me, I have been both on the set of a movie and the stage of a musical, and the two experiences are different. In a movie, there is no audience interaction; this relationship is inhibited by the wall of a movie screen. 

Watching Mia Dolan cry over her audition in the film La La Land is an experience filled with emotion, yet lacking in intimacy. With musicals, the emotions are embedded in the atmosphere, the actors work to engage the audience in the storyline, hearing every laugh and seeing every tear. Our applause is our message to them, that we understand the picture that they are trying to paint—we see your work, we see you.

As a person who has participated in musical theatre since I was seven, I proudly call myself a performer who enjoys the risk of forgetting lines or missing counts because I yearn to storytell, to perform life with authenticity. Both movies and musicals are designed to project life’s hardships. However, musicals allow me to truly showcase life’s obstacles, for musicals are always live, and there are no “cuts” in life. Only musicals can encapture this nugget of reality.

Why My Essay Worked: Back in my day, we had to submit two additional essays instead of just one! However, I wanted to share this one with you as well, since it is my favorite essay. The prompt is super vague, which may seem daunting at first. However, it gives you the opportunity to truly show your personality and your unique perspective on a certain topic. Personally, I took an amusing route to answer the question; my essay allowed me to showcase humor, explain one of my extracurricular activities in greater detail, and describe a life lesson learned from that activity. This seems obvious, but try to pick an opinion that is truly unpopular! This will make your essay especially entertaining and encourage the admissions officer to read further.

In conclusion, the best way to increase your chances into getting into the University of Notre Dame is by writing essays of specificity and creativity. Showcase precisely WHY you are passionate in the activities you participate in, creating stories behind the extracurriculars listed on your application. You got this! G’Irish!

Written by Claire Ann Santos, PathIvy University of Notre Dame Ambassador