FAQs

We're happy to answer your questions.

​Is my application complete?

Once we’ve processed all of the supporting documentation we’ve received, we’ll begin to notify students who are missing a portion of their applications. At that time, it is your responsibility to promptly send the required documentation. You can check your application via your applicant status portal to ensure we have received all required materials. 

We appreciate your concern for your application, but contacting our office close to the application deadline is unlikely to be productive. If we receive the missing portions of your application in a timely manner, the evaluation of your application will not be negatively affected.

In order to evaluate your application we require: the Common Application or Coalition Application, which include the Notre Dame writing supplement, the application fee, your essay, one teacher’s evaluation, your full transcript, and, if you choose, a standardized test score (either SAT or ACT). You will receive a final communication from our office via email stating that your application is complete and ready for review.

How do I pay the application fee?

Payment of the required $85 application fee is available online through the Common Application or Coalition Application website.

Payment methods include the following:

• Credit card/eCheck – Secure online payments can be submitted using any major credit card. Alternatively, providing bank account information allows for submission of an electronic check.
• Eligibility for the application Fee Waiver is based on financial need. Qualified applicants may use this payment method to satisfy the application fee requirement. Your school counselor will receive notice of your intent to use the Fee Waiver, and will then need to verify that you meet the eligibility criteria outlined by the Common Application or Coalition Application. Once eligibility is confirmed, the Common Application or Coalition Application process will bypass the payment step.  

When will I hear my decision?

Your admission decision will be shared to your applicant status portal in mid-December for Restrictive Early Action and late March for Regular Decision.

How do I access my applicant status portal to view my decision?

You should have received an email to the email address you provided on your application notifying you that your admissions decision is ready to view. Included in the email were instructions on how to access your applicant status portal. 

How do I apply for financial aid?

You can find information about how to apply for financial aid here. Priority submission dates for your financial aid applications are based on whether you apply in Restrictive Early Action (November 15) or Regular Decision (February 1). 

Should I apply during Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision?

Our Restrictive Early Action application process is non-binding, and admitted students have until May 1 to indicate their decision to attend. Every college and university uses Restrictive Early Action in a different way. The easiest way to understand how Notre Dame uses it is to describe what it is not. It is not the avenue students should take merely because Notre Dame is their first choice. Nor is it easier to gain admission through the Restrictive Early Action process.

In deciding whether or not to apply Early, ask yourself: can I submit my best application in October of my senior year? If so, then Restrictive Early Action is probably the correct route for you. However, if you believe that an extra semester could be beneficial for whatever reason (to raise your grades a little, to add on to your resume) then you should consider applying during Regular Decision.  

Learn more about when to apply. Note: Applications become available each year on August 1. 

What kind of credentials do I need to be competitive in the applicant pool? 

To get an idea of the kinds of credentials our admitted students come in with, check out these stats on the most recent first-year class. 

Does Notre Dame have a need-blind admissions policy, and if so, what is it?

Notre Dame has a need-blind admissions policy for all students, domestic and international, meaning that a student’s ability to pay is not considered in the evaluation of his or her application. We are committed to meeting 100 percent of each family’s demonstrated financial need, which is completely separate from our admissions process.

Is there a paper application?

The Common Application, Coalition Application, and QuestBridge application are online-only and are not available in paper form. After your application is submitted electronically, letters of recommendation and transcripts can still be sent to complete your application. You will be able to print-preview the application, but please do not mail the print-preview to us. We recommend printing a copy of your completed application to keep for your files.

Note: Applications become available each year on August 1. 

What kinds of classes should I be taking in high school?

The University requires the completion of the following high school courses in order to be considered for admission. A unit is equivalent to the credit for a year of satisfactory work in an accredited secondary school. The two language units must be in the same language and a language offered by the University of Notre Dame.

Students are required to take 16 units during their high school career. This distribution will differ slightly based on the student’s intended area of study, but must include the following:

• 4 units of English
• 3 units of Mathematics - Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry (4 units preferred)*
• 2 units of Foreign Language (3-4 units preferred)
• 2 units of Science (4 units preferred)**
• 2 units of History/Social Science (3-4 units preferred)

*For students with an intended major within the College of Science, the College of Engineering, the School of Architecture, or certain majors within the College of Arts & Letters (Neuroscience and Behavior, Arts & Letters Pre-Health), 4 units of Mathematics are required, which must include an advanced Mathematics course (Pre-Calculus or Calculus).

**Students with an intended major within the College of Science or the College of Engineering must take a unit of Chemistry. Additionally the following majors require a unit of Physics:

• Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry with Business
• Chemistry with Computing
• Mathematics (within the Colleges of Science and Arts & Letters)
• Physics
• Physics-in-Medicine
• All Engineering majors

It is also strongly recommended that students with the following intended majors take a unit of Physics:

• Architecture
• Biological Sciences
• Environmental Sciences
• Neuroscience and Behavior (within the Colleges of Science and Arts & Letters)
• Science Preprofessional Studies
• Arts and Letters Pre-Health
• Science- Business
• Science- Computing
• Science- Education
• Statistics

Although we require at least 16 academic units for admission, our most competitive applicants will have four units in each major academic area and in the most rigorous level their high school offers. We do include algebra and/or foreign language courses completed during eighth grade in our count of admissions requirements. For example, if you earned credit for one full-year introductory French course as an eighth grader, then completed French II in ninth grade, both credits will be counted.

What is the University's Testing Policy?

The University of Notre Dame is test-optional through the 2026-2027 academic year. We employ a comprehensive review process, meaning no single factor—including a test score, if submitted—is the sole basis for admission. Because our goal is to understand the fullest picture of your academic preparation, we encourage first-year and transfer student applicants to undergraduate degree-seeking programs to submit scores (e.g., SAT, ACT, AP Exams, IB Exams, or AICE Exams), if available. Students who are unable to submit test scores or prefer not to submit test scores will be given full consideration in the admission selection process.

The decision of whether or not to have your test scores considered is entirely yours. Admission Officers are not able to advise on whether students should submit a particular test score. We want applicants to have every opportunity to showcase their strengths and academic preparedness. As an applicant, you may self-report your SAT and/or ACT scores via your application or applicant status portal. Once an admitted student confirms their enrollment at Notre Dame, they will be required to submit official score reports from SAT and ACT if they took the exams. These official score reports will need to be submitted by the time they enroll in late August.

If you choose to submit multiple scores with your application, we will superscore the tests for evaluation. This means that we will consider the highest composite score and highest scores on each section, and highest evidence-based reading and writing and math scores for the SAT, regardless of test date. Note that we do not require the writing portion of the ACT or the SAT. The science section of the ACT is optional.

Please visit the ACT website and College Board website for testing dates.

Proof of English proficiency will continue to be required for international students. English Proficiency test results must be sent directly from the testing agency.

Can I self-report test scores?

Notre Dame is test-optional through at least 2026-27, meaning you are not required to submit scores from ACT and/or SAT exams when you apply. This policy applies to both first-year and transfer students. Current high school  seniors (grade 12) and all transfer applicants will not be required to submit scores from either of these exams when applying to Notre Dame through at least the 2026-27 academic year.

If you choose to have test scores included in the review of your application, you are welcome to self-report test scores (SAT, ACT, AP Exam scores, IB Exam scores) on your application or upload through your applicant status portal.

As an international applicant, how do I submit my English Proficiency test results?

English Proficiency test results must be sent directly from the testing agency.

Will the Office of Undergraduate Admissions superscore the digital and paper versions of the SAT? 

Yes: We will view these test scores equally and, as a result, we will superscore both versions of the test when applicable.

Can I send in supplementary materials for review?

You may send the Office of Undergraduate Admissions supplementary material to be reviewed by a particular department at Notre Dame. We encourage this only for students interested in studying art, music, or architecture. Use the SlideRoom application available through the Common Application or Coalition Application for your submissions. We are unable to accept physical submissions.

All applicants must submit the Common Application or Coalition Application before uploading media through the SlideRoom application. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions engages faculty to assist in the review of these submissions.

Can I send in more than one teacher evaluation?

Please send only one letter of evaluation from a teacher you’ve had in a core academic discipline during high school. Ask the classroom teacher who is most familiar with your work ethic, classroom performance, and character. Your high school counselor also has the option of sending a letter of evaluation along with the “Counselor’s Report."

Are there admissions quotas by region, state, or high school?

We review student matierals based on the merits of their academic and extracurricular talents rather than where they reside. If we have more students from one state over another, it’s simply because we receive more applications from that one state. For instance, we receive more applications from Illinois than from 10 other western states combined; it makes sense that we have more enrolled students from Illinois than from those other states.

The same holds true for high schools. There’s no guarantee that we’ll admit the same number of students the next year from a particular school or state, as the quality of the applicants may change.

Does Notre Dame accept Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate scores?

We award credit for scores of 4 and 5 on AP exams and 6 and 7 on IB Higher Level exams. Check the First Year Advising website for specific tests and scores we accept for credit.

Am I at a disadvantage if I go to a public high school versus a Catholic high school?

When reading an application, we do not put any preference on the type of school a student attends. Rather, we look at the strength of the school. To get a feel for a school’s strength, we look at its graduation rates, the percentage of its graduates who go on to two-year and four-year colleges, the types of classes offered, and the average SAT and ACT scores of the graduating class, among other factors.

What GPA do I need to be competitive for admission?

Many schools use different GPA scales and computation methods, so it’s difficult to give standardized information regarding Grade Point Averages. Instead, we rely more heavily on class rank when determining how competitive a student is within his/her school. Competitive students are near the top of their class, no matter how their GPA is computed.

Do you offer off-campus alumni interviews, or do I need to come to campus for an interview?

Interviews are not part of our evaluation process. Let your story shine through on your application for admission.

You’re welcome to contact your regional admissions counselor to ask specific questions about Notre Dame or the admissions process.

Most students find it beneficial to visit Notre Dame to experience the academics, community, tradition, and spiritual nature of our campus. You may also register for one of our virtual experiences. On campus or virtually, you and your family can tour campus and attend an Information Session given by an admissions counselor. Families are welcome to ask the admissions counselor any questions they have. Learn more about campus visits and virtual programming and register for a visit.

Note: Because we receive applications from all over the world, a visit to Notre Dame will not affect an admissions decision.

Does Notre Dame have special requirements for home-schooled students?

In addition to our standard application requirements, we encourage applicants to submit an additional recommendation or two if teacher and school counselor evaluations are coming from a parent. Letters could come from a college professor if you’ve taken classes at a local college, or from an adult who has worked with you in an extracurricular activity and knows you well. 

If you have any questions about applying as a home-schooled student, feel free to call the Admissions Office at (574) 631-7505.