So, you are ready to join the Fighting Irish? The University of Notre Dame, usually just called Notre Dame, is a top private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Notre Dame might not be for everyone. While you certainly don’t have to be Catholic to go to Notre Dame, they are on the religious side. Not every Catholic or Jesuit university is the same; we can help you find the right one if you don’t know where to start. But if you are down with a little bit of Catholicism, Notre Dame is an amazing school. They have a great business school, a commitment to research, strong school spirit, and a beautiful campus.

Notre Dame has always been an elite school, but in recent years, it has gotten even more competitive. Last year, their acceptance rate dropped to a record low of If you hope to get into Notre Dame, you need to be an elite applicant. Thankfully, we can help with that. We work with students to craft standout applications. No matter where you are in your application journey, we have you covered. From resume planning to strategic college lists to eye-catching essays, we do it all. Reach out today to talk to a counselor.

For top colleges like Notre Dame, working with a professional can make all the difference, but we still wanted to share some of our tips for approaching the Notre Dame supplemental essays.

The first essay everyone has to write.

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 max)

This question really boils down to, “Why do you want to go to Notre Dame?” A large part of this essay should focus on academics and what you hope to major in. When we start working with students early, we build an academic plan and history that makes these kinds of questions easier to answer and support. Notre Dame wants to see a history of academic involvement outside of class. Your job here is to connect that involvement to specific opportunities at Notre Dame.

For example, we had a student who hoped to be a Pre-Health major at Notre Dame. He connected past psychology classes that he had taken to classes in the major. He also volunteered at Memorial Sloan Kettering and spoke about how he wanted to get involved with the Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine.

After exploring academic opportunities, he also wrote about his experience at a Catholic high school and his desire to get involved with the Institute for Social Concerns. He cared deeply about service, and he also mentioned specific community outreach opportunities at Notre Dame.

The trick with this essay is connecting your interests and wants to specific opportunities at Notre Dame. This is a short essay; you need to make every word count. Give yourself time to research and edit.

Notre Dame then asks you to write two short essays from a list of four prompts

Please choose two 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?

This question works best for religious, or at least spiritual, students. For example, we had a student who was a eucharistic minister, and he hit this question out of the park. Not every student will be that involved, but you need to have at least some relationship with faith. This question is about reflecting on that relationship. Our eucharistic minister spoke about how his faith was best expressed through service. If this question doesn’t resonate with you at all, move to the next questions.

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?

This is a broad question and honestly, a really hard one to answer in 50-100 words. It's a big question, and you need to zoom in on one specific aspect of your background if you want to take it on. You should focus on a lesson that you have learned from that aspect. For example, we had a student who moved around a lot growing up, and they wrote this about how that led them to be outgoing with new people (something that would help them build community at Notre Dame). Another wrote about taking care of younger siblings, which made them a better role model. Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew here.

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?

This question is great for our community service mavens. However, saying “I do service” isn’t enough. Tell us a story about how you have specifically influenced another person or group of people. We had a student who helped his elderly neighbor with groceries. Through doing this, he got to know her better, and they connected. This essay should feel personal.

4. What would you fight for?

Calm down, Notre Dame.

We like this question, but the trick here is connecting your answer to something you are already doing. If you don’t, this will feel random. For example, we had a student who was very involved in sustainability. She led green initiatives at school. She worked with local conservation groups. She wrote this about fighting for the environment. Another student loved tutoring. She wrote about educational access. Anyone can say that they are passionate about fighting for something, but you need to back it up with your commitment.  

A lot of Notre Dame’s essay options touch on service. Make sure that you are showing different sides of yourself with the two essays you choose. You don’t want to repeat yourself!  

Notre Dame’s supplement might seem simple because it is short. However, we have found that these micro-essays can be much harder to pull off. Every word counts, and it can be really hard not to go way over the maximum. Give yourself ample time to cut down and edit. You will need it. And if you need help, we have you covered. Wherever you are in the college application process, let us make sure you are putting your best foot forward.

Reach out today for professional help with your college applications.