Notre Dame Supplemental Essay Prompts 2026-27 + How to Answer Them
Every applicant writes one 150-word essay, then chooses two of four short-answer responses of 50 to 100 words each. Every prompt below is quoted from University of Notre Dame Admissions and verified against it on September 26, 2026.
Application: Common App or Coalition (Notre Dame writing supplement). Requirements can change during the cycle; Notre Dame's application portal is the final word on what to submit.
Required of all applicants
1 prompt
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.
How to answer
Give the honest must-haves from your college search and the reasons behind them. If Notre Dame genuinely meets them, the fit case writes itself.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →Choose two of these four
4 prompts
How does faith influence the decisions you make?
How to answer
Answer it if faith genuinely shapes your decisions. Notre Dame reads sincerity carefully, and a forced religious answer reads worse than an honest one about another guiding force.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →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?
How to answer
Name the context, say why it matters to you, and connect it to what you would add at Notre Dame. All three moves fit in 100 words.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →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?
How to answer
Describe concrete service habits rather than intentions. What you actually do weekly tells the truth here.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →What would you fight for?
How to answer
One thing, argued vividly. Pick the cause you have actually defended somewhere in your life.
Draft this prompt in the essay tool →Draft your Notre Dame supplement with feedback on every essay.
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