University of Notre Dame supplemental essays, 2026-27
University of Notre Dame lists 2 supplemental questions for 2026-27. One is a "why this school" question, which is the one prompt you cannot reuse from another application.
The 2 prompts
In the order the school lists them. A limit appears only where the school prints one.
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.
What it asks for: community you belong to.
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)? 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 would you fight for?
What it asks for: why this school.
Source: University of Notre Dame, read October 24, 2026. Confirm the prompts in your application before you submit.
Write them in My Schools
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Add University of Notre Dame to My Schools and these prompts appear in your Essays tab beside the Common App personal statement, with autosave and version history. The prompt reuse map (Advanced) shows which of your drafts can answer which prompt across your whole list.
Questions
1. 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) 2. 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)? 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 would you fight for? (100 words)
Notre Dame Writing Supplement - Required Essay: 150 words; Notre Dame Writing Supplement - Short-Answer Options (choose two): 100 words.
These prompts ask about community you belong to, why this school. The why-this-school answer must be written for this school. Answers about a community, a challenge or an activity often adapt from drafts for other schools; My Schools maps which of your drafts fits which prompt.
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