Prompt database · 2026-27 cycle
University of Notre Dame
Deadlines
source| Early Action | November 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Regular Decision | January 4, 2027 |
Essay prompts (6)
Changed since we last verified
Heads-up from re-verification (re-checked Aug 15, 2026; independently re-verified Aug 29, 2026): Notre Dame's live Writing Section page describes one required short essay plus two short-answer responses chosen from FOUR options, and the previous 'compliment' question no longer appears on the page. Aug 29 literal probes: the string "compliment" returns NO, "choose three"/"choose 3" return NO, and the instruction reads "Please choose two questions from the options below. Your response to each short-answer question should be between 50-100 words." The four options now shown are faith / distinctive personal experiences / service to others / "What would you fight for?" The page still carries no cycle label - its only year references are the test-optional policy horizon ("Notre Dame is test-optional through at least 2026-27"), which is a policy window rather than a cycle label - so the stored prompts remain last cycle's verified set, and all six keep carryover:true, until the official page is labeled 2026-27. The required essay was re-confirmed character-for-character on Aug 29 and reads "building their college or university list" ("their", not "your"); an earlier rendering as "your" was a transcription slip and must not be propagated. CAUTION for future passes: the Aug 29 rendered reads returned the distinctive-experiences parenthetical as "(eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community)" - no periods in "e.g." and no trailing "etc." - differing from the stored text. This was deliberately NOT applied: raw HTML for admissions.nd.edu is unavailable (egress proxy denies CONNECT), so it cannot be distinguished from a markdown-conversion artifact. Do not 'fix' the stored parenthetical without raw-HTML confirmation.
- why usRequired of all applicants2026-27150 words
Source details
Required of all applicants (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.
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Notre Dame has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.
- identityShort answer2026-27100 words
Source details
Short answer: choose 3 of 5 questions; each response 50-100 words.
How does faith influence the decisions you make?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Notre Dame has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.
- communityShort answer2026-27100 words
Source details
Short answer: choose 3 of 5 questions; each response 50-100 words.
What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (e.g., family support, culture, disability, personal background, community, etc.)? Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Notre Dame has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.
- communityShort answer2026-27100 words
Source details
Short answer: choose 3 of 5 questions; each response 50-100 words.
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 is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Notre Dame has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.
- short answerShort answer2026-27100 words
Source details
Short answer: choose 3 of 5 questions; each response 50-100 words.
What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Notre Dame has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.
- short answerShort answer2026-27100 words
Source details
Short answer: choose 3 of 5 questions; each response 50-100 words.
What would you fight for?
This is the 2025-26 wording, carried over: University of Notre Dame has not republished this prompt for 2026-27 yet. Schools usually post updates around the Common App opening on August 1; we re-check after that and change this text only against an official source.
The school's published AI policy
While an applicant may use artificial intelligence to assist with spelling and grammar review, or brainstorming support before writing, the content of all essays, short answer questions, activities, and any other material submitted must be an applicant's own work. Submitting content generated, drafted, or substantially written by artificial intelligence tools or other text-generating software may result in the revocation of your offer of admission or potential expulsion.
the school’s published policyChecked Sep 8, 2026
Our reading
Notre Dame's dedicated applicant AI Policy permits artificial intelligence for spelling and grammar review and for brainstorming support before writing, while requiring all submitted content to be the applicant's own and scoping its prohibition to material "generated, drafted, or substantially written by" AI.
How reviews use this page
When you request a review for a University of Notre Dame supplement, the feedback is grounded in exactly what you see here: the prompt itself, its word limit, and what the school publishes about its values and programs. That's the whole claim — calibrated to the prompt and the school's own published guidance, scored against a consistent rubric. Not insider knowledge, and never a rewrite: Second Read is a coach, not a ghostwriter. It flags weaknesses and tells you what to fix and why; it never writes a sentence of your essay.
Something wrong on this page?
A wrong deadline is worse than no deadline. If anything here doesn't match the school's official page, tell us — same-day fix is the goal.
Prompts move mid-season
Every Friday: what changed in this week’s prompts. Nothing else. See what changed.