University of Notre Dame

Essay prompts (6)

1. why us2026-27150 words

   Applies to: 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.

   source

2. identity2026-27100 words

   Applies to: 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.

   source

3. community2026-27100 words

   Applies to: 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.

   source

4. community2026-27100 words

   Applies to: 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.

   source

5. short answer2026-27100 words

   Applies to: 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.

   source

6. short answer2026-27100 words

   Applies to: 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.

   source

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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.

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