Restrictive Early Action & Regular Decision

Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision? Read the following before you make your decision.   

Restrictive Early Action: November 1

Notre Dame has a non-binding Restrictive Early Action program.

• A student applying Restrictive Early Action to Notre Dame may apply to other Early Action programs at either private or public colleges or universities.
• A student applying Restrictive Early Action to Notre Dame may not apply to any college or university (private or public) in their binding Early Decision 1 program.
• If you apply to Notre Dame through REA, you may apply to any Early Decision 2 program as this has a deadline post our REA decision release in mid-December. 
• It is expected that should you apply to an Early Decision 2 program and be admitted to that school you would immediately withdraw your application to Notre Dame as this is a binding agreement to that other institution. 
• If you are applying to another school's Single Choice admission plan, please reach out to that institution regarding any restrictions.
• Students do not indicate a first-choice preference by applying early and still may wait until May 1 to indicate their decision to attend.
• On rare occasions, students will request to move their Regular Decision application to Restrictive Early Action. If you have submitted your Regular Decision application by the Restrictive Early Action deadline of November 1, you may make this request through your applicant status portal no later than November 15.

Students who apply in the Restrictive Early Action process receive an admissions decision mid-December. Three decisions are possible:

• Admission to the University
• Denial of admission to the University
• Deferral of Decision until Regular Decision 

Admitted students have until May 1 to decide to confirm their attendance at the University. The admitted student should reply to the offer of admission via their applicant status portal. If a student is denied admission in Restrictive Early Action, then the process ends and he/she cannot apply later during the Regular Decision process. If a student is deferred, the Admissions Committee has decided to review the application further in the Regular Decision process, and so “rolls over” the application to Regular Decision.

Restrictive Early Action is for students who have Notre Dame as one of their top choices and are able to submit their strongest application by November 1. This typically includes those who ended their junior year with strong grades, have requested their academic teacher recommendation(s) in advance, and have their application essays written and finalized by November 1.  

Regular Decision: January 1

The Regular Decision process at Notre Dame is also non-binding. Three decisions are possible following the Regular Decision process:

• Admission to the University
• Denial of Admission to the University
• Waiting list

Students will receive their decision by late March and, if admitted, the admitted student should reply to the offer of admission via their applicant status portal. Confirmed students will need to pay their $500 deposit by May 1. Students who are denied admission to the University may choose to attend another four-year institution for one or two years and then apply to Notre Dame as a transfer student. 

Waiting List

Students who are placed on the waiting list will receive a final admission decision by mid-June. Students should confirm their interest in remaining on the waiting list via their applicant status portal.

Confirmation Deadline: May 1

Students who receive an offer of admission to Notre Dame should confirm that they will attend the University by replying to the offer of admission via their applicant status portal and submitting their $500 enrollment deposit by May 1. Students who decide not to attend Notre Dame should inform the Undergraduate Admissions Office of their decision, so as to make additional spaces available for students on the waiting list.