Discover the big questions you’ll explore this year—and how innovation can supercharge your answers.
Notre Dame.
The upgraded way.
Notre Dame Supplemental Essays
— The Class of 2026 Guide —
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Start your Supplemental Essay Success below by previewing this guide’s three sections:
Information ⋄ Inspiration ⋄ Innovation
Discover strategies designed by an Ivy Alum and over three hundred success stories!
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— Supplemental Essay Prompts —
Through Guide Section 1 of 3—Information—explore this college’s supplemental essay prompts for Class of 2026 applicants, along with this college’s Supplemental Styles to streamline your essay-building process!
Supplemental Length
100 Word Maximum
Supplemental Style
Major & Missions
Supplemental Essay Prompt 1
— Notre Dame —
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— Notre Dame Prompt 1 —
Briefly share what draws you to the area(s) of study you listed. (100 words)
Please note that this Supplemental Essay Prompt and Response Text Box can be found in the Academics Tab for the University of Notre Dame within the Common Application.
— 100 Word Maximum —
Supplemental Length
150 Word Maximum
Supplemental Style
Unique & Uncommon
Supplemental Essay Prompt 2
— Notre Dame —
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— Notre Dame Prompt 2 —
Please provide a response to the following question. The word count is a maximum of 150 words.
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 Word Maximum —
Supplemental Length
100 Word Maximum
Supplemental Style
Unique & Uncommon
Supplemental Essay Prompt 3
— Notre Dame —
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— Notee Dame Prompt 3 —
Please choose three questions from the options below. Your response to each short-answer question should be between 50-100 words.
— Option 1 —
How does faith influence the decisions you make?
— Option 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?
— Option 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?
— Option 4—
What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?
— Option 5 —
What would you fight for?
— 100 Word Maximum —
Supplemental Essay Information
— Notre Dame —
Supplemental Strategy
Class of 2026 Applicants
Supplemental Essay
Insider Information
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— Supplemental Essay Strategy —
Streamline your supplemental essay process with our Supplemental Strategy—and bring Notre Dame within your reach!
Throughout our Supplemental Essay Guides, we provide clarity through our Supplemental Essay Styles. The Styles streamline the entire supplemental essay-building process—and create more success stories.
Streamline your application process with the Supplemental Style Strategy—upgraded for Class of 2026 Students who dream of studying at Notre Dame!
— Upgraded Class of 2026 Essentials —
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— Supplemental Essay Examples —
Through Guide Section 2 of 3—Inspiration—read Successful Supplemental Essays from our Accepted Alumni! Discover ideas that stand out to admissions at Notre Dame, and find inspiration for your own success story.
Accepted Alumni
Essay Example
Supplemental Style
Unique & Uncommon
Supplemental Essay Example
— Notre Dame —
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Featured Supplemental Essay Prompt For University of Notre Dame Applicants:
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? 200 Word Maximum.
Successful Supplemental Essay Example From Our Accepted Alumni Student:
As a student of a high school founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, I am grateful for my foundation rooted in Blessed Basil Moreau’s passion for empathy in education.
Through my high school’s Moreau Honors Program, I learned not only rhetorical strategies and historical events—we explored diverse human experiences, racial inequities, voices that shaped our history. I translated this understanding to leadership and service endeavors—from serving as Student Body President to mentoring as a Peer Counselor.
At the University of Notre Dame, my mind and heart will be cultivated more than ever—through its centuries-long Moreau tradition, new compassion-based coursework, and a living-learning campus community.
The university’s unique and incredibly important Center for Social Concerns would allow me to integrate learning, research, and service. Through Summer Service Learning Programs and Community-Based Learning courses like Discipleship: Loving Action for Justice, I hope to work toward anti-homelessness efforts and positive youth outcomes.
I believe every person has the right to dignity and safety. I worked toward this mission in a home rebuild on my service trip last summer. Through outreach with Community-Based Learning, South Bend’s Center for the Homeless, and more, I hope to continue embracing equality throughout South Bend and beyond.
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— Supplemental Essay Strategy —
Through Guide Section 3 of 3—Innovation—learn success-proven methods to streamline your entire supplemental essay process. Our methods are designed by an Ivy Alum and 300+ student success stories!
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— UND Application Upgrade —
From guiding hundreds of students, we know that your success story takes much more than one essay—especially in 2025.
We are passionate about helping students master the process from start to submission—and to have clarity and confidence at every step. That’s why our innovative guides are curated for Class of 2026 students with big dreams.
A successful Notre Dame Application requires the Supplemental Essays you see above, and much more. Below, learn what success looks like—from start to finish.
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— Start-To-Submission Success —
Embrace our success-proven methods to build your application essays—and find inspiration to help you at every step.
During the Upgraded Process, College Application Phase Five is the time to embark on some of the most challenging yet rewarding college application components—the specific Supplemental Essays essential for most colleges.
During this phase, learn to master the process of crafting successful College-Specific Supplemental Essays—and bring more colleges within your reach!
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— Upgraded Application Process —
Start your admissions success story with methods built by our Ivy League Founder and over 300 student success stories!
Our success-proven Five Phases Application Approach helps students streamline the entire college application process through success-shaping frameworks and more opportunities for aligned action.
We are passionate about guiding students through our start-to-submission application approach—because success stories require much more than one essay.
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— Supplemental Essay Strategy —
Streamline your supplemental essay process with our Supplemental Strategy—and bring Notre Dame within your reach!
Throughout our Supplemental Essay Guides, we provide clarity through our Supplemental Essay Styles. The Styles streamline the entire supplemental essay-building process—and create more success stories.
Streamline your application process with the Supplemental Style Strategy—upgraded for Class of 2026 Students who dream of studying at Notre Dame!
