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Notre Dame gives you a few options to choose from to help them see more of who you are and what you bring to the college campus.
But before you dive right into the prompts, get an extensive, by-the-numbers look at Notre Dame’s offerings in its Common Data Set, and for deeper insights into how the university wants to grow and evolve, read its strategic plan.
What are the Notre Dame supplemental essay prompts?
*The University of Notre Dame Writing Section consists of responses to two (2) brief essay questions and three (3) short-answer responses to questions you select from the options provided. *
Notre Dame University Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
(In “Academics” tab): Briefly share what draws you to the area(s) of study you listed. (100 words)
The University of Notre Dame Writing Section consists of one (1) required short essay question and three (3) short-answer responses to questions you select from the options provided.
Notre Dame University Supplemental Essay 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.*
Notre Dame University Supplemental Essay Prompt #3
Please choose three questions from the options below. Your response to each short-answer question should be between 50-100 words.
- How does faith influence the decisions you make?
- 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?
- 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?
- What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?
- What would you fight for?
How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for University of Notre Dame
how to write Notre Dame Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
Think of this as a super short “Why Major” prompt (with an option for a “Why Us?” detail at the end). Because it’s so short, you’ll want to be judicious with your word budget to clearly articulate both the what (the field of study you’re interested in) and the why (where your interests come from).
To get you started, here’s a complete guide to the “Why Major'' essay. Below is a condensed version.
One possible approach:
Think of this as a quick origin story.
Step #1: Imagine a mini-movie of the moments that led you to your interest and create a simple, bullet-point outline.
Step #2: Put your moments (aka the “scenes” of your mini-movie) in chronological order, as it’ll help you see how your interests developed. It also makes it easier to write transitions.
Step #3: You’ll likely want to include a specific thesis that explicitly states your central argument—in this case, what you want to study and why. This thesis can come at the beginning, middle, or end of your essay.
Once you have those pieces, you have a few structural options:
Opening
A. A quick hook that thematically sets up where you’ll take us, and, ideally, shows an aspect of your intellect/personality (If you do this, it can be stylistically effective to bookend—to end the essay by linking back to what you opened with.)
B. An initial moment that sparked your interest
C. Your thesis
Body (but to clarify, this essay can be a single paragraph if you choose)
The moments of your mini-movie, illustrating both the development of your interest and some of your core values
Ending
One option: Go narrower—perhaps link to specific aspects of Yale that will help you continue on your path toward a future goal.
Another option: Go wider—name the road you hope to follow (for example, career path, organizations you’d like to work with, the greater value/implications of studying what you want to).
Because Notre Dame’s word count is so short, you’ll likely only have space for 2-3 sentences here, covering the areas above.
And last, a quick tip: Be sure this essay is consistent with your personal statement if you’ve mentioned aspects of your major/career there.
Here’s a nice example essay written for Yale’s “Why Major” prompt that can give you a nice sense of the direction to head with your content:
Example 1:
Storytelling has shaped me. At four, I read The Lion King until I’d memorized it. I’d snuggle in bed as my dad read Wilderness Champion or Tom Sawyer. Later, I found audio and visual storytelling, mesmerized by This American Life and Whiplash. Now, I create my own stories through newspaper satire, podcasting, and locally-broadcasted radio.
My major at Yale would be the next chapter in my life of storytelling. I’d explore past narratives and how they can be digitally innovated. Whether exploring media’s disfiguration of truth, developing screenplays, or analyzing mise-en-scene, I hope to pioneer new networks of connection. (99 words)
Tips + Analysis
(Quickly) hook the reader. The first line performs a few functions here. First, it pulls us in and makes us curious about what exactly she means by claiming that storytelling has shaped her. Second, it gives us a sense of a core aspect of her identity and values.
Show the development of your interest through moments that connect to core values. She packs a nice amount of detail into 99 words. The details she includes point toward her values and identity, as do her interests in newspaper satire, podcasting, and local radio. The details in the second paragraph show some nice depth and development.
Describe how Yale can help with the next steps. She links her brief origin story to how Yale can help her on her path, and how it will help her develop both her understanding and her values.
how to write Notre Dame Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
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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.*
You can essentially approach this as a “Why us” essay—show what you’re looking for in a college, and why Notre Dame just happens to be the perfect fit for you.
To help get a strong understanding of how to write to this prompt, check out our “Why us?” essay guide—and pay particular attention to the Cornell example, which is one of our favorites. While that example is longer, you’ll also find advice in that guide on tackling shorter “Why us?” essays, and the Tufts essay is a great example.
Don’t have the time to read the full guide? Here’s the TL;DR version:
Spend 1 hr+ researching 5-7 reasons why Notre Dame might be a great fit for you (ideally one or two of those reasons will be unique to Notre Dame and connect back to you). Why this many reasons? You’ll likely only end up including only some of these, but it’s better to have more than you need. Plus, you’ll learn more about the school if you find this many.
Make a copy of this chart to map out your college research.
Create an outline for your essays based on either Approach 1, 2 (recommended for Notre Dame), or 3 in the full guide above.
Write a first draft!
As you write, try to avoid these common mistakes:
Six Common Mistakes Students Make on “Why Us?” Essays
Mistake #1: Writing about the school's size, location, reputation, weather, or ranking.
Mistake #2: Simply using emotional language to demonstrate fit.
Mistake #3: Screwing up the mascot, stadium, team colors or names of any important people or places on campus.
Mistake #4: Parroting the brochures or website language.
Mistake #5: Describing traditions the school is well-known for.
Mistake #6: Thinking of this as only a "Why them" essay.
Here’s a great sample essay for this prompt. You may not be applying to the Mendoza College of Business like this student was, so don’t worry about that bit of detail. Instead, focus on the specifics and other details he uses, as we’ll discuss in the Tips + Analysis section below.
Example 1:
At the Mendoza College of Business, I am eager to develop my whole self, by incorporating liberal arts and theology into finance.
Understanding finance and how it relates to societal functions fascinates me. Through following the NYSE after school, I’ve learned the ability to analyze markets is one of the most important skills in our ever-changing, diverse economic landscape. Professor Bergstrand’s article “Should TPP Be Formed? On the Potential Economic, Governance, and Conflict-Reducing Impacts of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement” captivated me. I agree there are limitations in computer business models, and in order to allow for greater diversity human analysts cannot be replaced.
A business major is one thing, but Notre Dame’s unique Poverty Studies minor will expand my understanding of the life billions of people live everyday, allowing me to make financial decisions with a higher purpose in mind. I would be thrilled to couple this learning with working alongside the Center for the Study of Religion and Society, while also advancing my knowledge of the Catholic faith. I aim to study the magnitude of the statistical mark I make as an economist, while concurrently viewing the outcome as a humanitarian.
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Tips + Analysis:
Be specific. We’re talking about courses, professors, research studies, clubs: Use their formal names, and make sure to spell them right. Note how this student doesn’t just name a professor he’d want to learn from; he also researched his publications and spoke to why one in particular resonated with him (“I agree there are limitations in computer business models, and in order to allow for greater diversity human analysts cannot be replaced.”). That depth of detail is a great way to show you’ve done your research and aren’t just listing what you saw in the course catalog.
Demonstrate a range of interests. The broad scope of this prompt is intentional. It’s not just asking about your chosen major or your academic interests; it’s probing for details about the breadth of your interests. This student doesn’t do a whole lot of that, and it’s not a do-or-die must, but we definitely recommend it. So, after talking about, say, courses and professors and programs that interest you, talk about campus life—clubs, activities, sports or other extracurriculars. But note that the prompt asks you to share about more than how Notre Dame will transform your “mind”—school officials also want to know about your heart. Given this ...
Speak to your desire to give back. As a proudly Catholic institution (with over 80% Catholic enrollment), Notre Dame values a culture of service. In fact, the first goal in its strategic plan revolves around character: “We strive to build a community that inspires the pursuit of truth and teaches respect, love, and service so that our learning serves the Church and the world, particularly for those who are most in need.” Your budget limit is tight, so keep it brief. This student makes some nice “heart” connections in the final paragraph.
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Short Answer option 3: "Advocacy" essay
- How does faith influence the decisions you make?
- 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?
- 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?
- What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?
- What would you fight for?
These are your classic short answer questions that several colleges require.
Here’s a larger guide to questions like these.
And here are some general tips to get you started on the short-answer portion of the Notre Dame application:
#1: Think of your short answers as an advent calendar. Consider that each of your short answers, no matter how short, is a tiny window into your soul. Make sure the reader finds something inside that's awesome and different from the window before.
#2: Use all or most of the space allotted to explain your answer. You’re given space for 50-100 words for an answer that could easily be one or two words. So use it up! In other words, you can answer "why," even if the prompt doesn't ask you to. Do this because your core values may be hard to express in 1-2 words.
#3: Get specific. Don’t just give a generic answer followed by a generic reason for your generic answer. Be creative and use details that give you a distinctive/memorable voice.
#4: Feel free to take (calculated) risks on these. Get creative. Push boundaries (a little). To clarify, we don’t mean shock for the sake of shock value; make sure you’re still revealing core values (one of which might be humor, for instance). Speaking of which ...
#5: Don't check your humor at the door. If you're funny in life, feel free to be funny in your short answers. If you're not funny, no need to start now. ;)
#6: Offer a variety of things you're interested in. If you love science and wrote a supplemental essay about science, don't answer prompt #2 with 20 journals, websites, or publications you’ve read on ... science. Show how you find joy in astrophysics but also literature, philosophy, Star Trek, programming, and Godfather 1 and 2 (but not 3.)
#7: Note that there isn’t, like, some magical key/code with these where, if you answer the right thing for your favorite website, then the door to the college will be magically opened to you (sure, that would be nice, but no, not how this works). These are just a chance (well, three chances) for the school to get to know you better. So make the most of them by sharing values and insights, but don’t over-obsess as though your life depends on them. ‘Cuz it doesn’t.
To illustrate how you can approach these, here are some examples for some of the prompts above:
Option 1:
How does faith influence the decisions you make?
Essay example:
For the past couple of months, I’ve chosen each day to perform a mitzvah (a good deed). Whether through planning for a Cookies for Cancer bake sale and donating the proceeds, or driving a friend home after school, I am constantly seeking to achieve the most selfless version of me, an idea that my religion consistently promotes.
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?
This is a pretty standard “How will you contribute…” prompt—for a full guide to those prompts (and other kinds of “diversity” prompts), head here. Here’s a shorter version:
In this essay prompt, Notre Dame wants to understand how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to their diverse student community. Let's break down the key components of the prompt to guide your approach.
Which of your life experiences have had the most impact on your personal development? This essay offers the opportunity to delve into specific experiences that have shaped your perspective on life, education, and more.
How will you contribute? Make sure your answer to this question is clear. How have these experiences positioned you to make an impact at Notre Dame? What do you bring to the school and community (in ways that maybe others don’t)? While it doesn’t have to be truly unique, it’s great to aim in that direction: the best response will highlight a contribution that only you (or maybe you plus a few other applicants) would think to make.
Again, one important aspect with this prompt is its focus on your contribution to the Notre Dame community.
Another detail to note is Notre Dame’s encouragement to show where you come from—the people, places, and things that have shaped who you are today. This is your chance to connect your unique upbringing, in a very broad sense of the word, with what has helped make you unstoppable. So take it.
While there are many things outside of “community” that might fit this prompt, if you’re looking for a way to brainstorm ideas, that’s a good place to start. (Especially since “community” and “identity” tend to overlap a lot. But keep in mind that you’ll want to include some “how will you contribute” details in your essay—this isn’t just a “tell us about a community” prompt.)
For a full guide to “community” essays, head there.
Here’s how to brainstorm possible essays:
Step 1: Brainstorm (all about you).
Do the “If You Really, Really Knew Me” Exercise.
Step 2: Research the college (learn all about them).
Make a copy of the “Why us” Essay Chart 2.0, research the school you’re writing your essay for, and fill in the first two columns.
Once you’ve done these exercises, you’ll have a better sense of:
YOU: A bunch of different talents/skills/identities/qualities that you’ll bring to a college campus, and
THEM: A variety of programs/courses/clubs/affinity groups that your college offers.
Step 3: Connect you… to them (i.e., the college you’re applying to).
Make connections between what the school offers and what you’re interested in.
Here’s an example essay written for Columbia but that illustrates how to approach this kind of prompt, though note that it’s over word count for Notre Dame:
Example essay:
At family dinners over gnocchi and arancini, my grandpa would always ask my two older brothers how their education and sports were going. I’d wait for my turn, but the question was never directed my way. In contrast, my grandma always tells me how thankful she is that I’m able to get an education of my own. She frequently mentions how she regrets never getting an education. I pursue my education with a fire within me to do what she wasn’t allowed to. During the summer of 2021, I realized that I could impact other girls in a similar way by writing a children’s book about influential women in STEM in order to inspire the next generation of female scientists.
At Columbia University, I hope to contribute to the empowerment of women by creating a Society of Women in Science, hosting Alumni Panels, Graduate Student Q&A’s, and creating a safe space for women in similar majors to discuss their successes and setbacks. In addition, joining the Student Wellness Project will provide another community that prioritizes mental health. This empowering environment is the ideal place to help me develop as both a feminist and a scientist.
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Tips + Analysis:
View the prompt broadly. While this prompt offers you the perfect opportunity to explore the impact race, socioeconomic status, and other societal factors have had on you, don’t feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the prompt. As in the example above, where the student recounts her experiences with a cultural and generational divide, there are many experiences we’ve had that have shaped who we are. Some are deep, like being the only person of color at your high school, while others are more light-hearted, like having to learn to make your own grilled cheese at age 8 as a latchkey kid. Both are admirable in their own ways. Both may be really important to you. And both can make really effective responses.
Make campus connections. The second part of the prompt is as important as the first. While Brown wants to hear about your past experiences, they’re just as curious about how they’ll shape your time on campus, leaving the school better than as you found it. But remember, they probably want at least some (if not all) focus on outside-the-classroom experiences here, so dive into their list of student organizations and find a few that truly resonate with you and that you feel you could make a meaningful contribution to. The student above does just that with their reference to the Student Wellness project and how they expect to contribute.
Be a changemaker. Can’t find an organization at Notre Dame you'd like to join? Create your own! The student in the example above plans to start their own organization and even outlines some of the specific events she plans to hold. It's clear she's done her research to see where the college might be lacking in female-centered organizations—and she's going to take the charge to correct that.
Tie the two together. Make sure your past connects with your future. That means tying the lessons from your childhood, preteen, and adolescent years with the contributions you're going to make on campus. The response above does a great job in doing that. As a young female who has, from a young age, been committed to empowering young women, it’s clear how this student is going to make a specific impact on the college’s campus community.
And here’s another example, written for Williams’ version of this prompt:
Example essay:
In the 1930s, 36 members of my family were lost to the Holocaust, and that fact has since led me to carry on the memory of my ancestors through tradition—preparing for my Bar Mitzvah, observing Jewish holidays, and going to synagogue for Rosh Hashana. Additionally, it has driven me to teach others about the Holocaust. At my first-year Entry, I would share my involvement within the Jewish community, and how it has led me to become a more engaged member of society.
During this past school year, I became an educator on the Student Leadership Board of the Seattle-based Holocaust Center for Humanity. Meeting biweekly, we discussed historical anti-Semitism as well as modern-day discrimination toward oppressed groups of people.
Before joining the board, I had felt disconnected from Jewish activism and lacked a community of fellow Jewish activists. My year on the board solved that. Each week, I added my ideas and learned from fellow students during group discussion. Additionally, I built an interactive website to share the story of a Holocaust survivor.
Even though we weren’t all Jewish, this group’s drive for educating others and spreading peace brought us closer. It was a community where we could talk about serious current events, but also where we could share a laugh.
At Williams, I hope to discover that same kind of community. I’ll join the Williams College Jewish Association, where I can carry on what I loved about the Holocaust Center’s board, participating in discussions, leading service projects, and making impactful art to share stories.
Even outside that group, I’ll bring to Williams my Jewish values and enthusiasm for meeting people from different backgrounds, spreading a greater message of peace and kindness. (282 words)
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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?
Two questions to ask yourself as you brainstorm topics for this prompt:
What sort of service and civic engagement projects have you been involved with? Your Activities List is a good place to start.
Are there any essays you’re already writing for another school that you could double with this prompt? If so, it may be a candidate for a Super Essay.
Do you have meaningful examples and anecdotes that show how you have been of service and how you’ve fostered service in others—like the club you started to teach chess to fifth-graders, or the recycling project you led in your neighborhood, or the comedy skits you put on for the local senior center? Your topic of choice should be something you genuinely care about. You’ll find it much easier to write with enthusiasm if you talk about something you actually find important and interesting.
Once you’ve picked a topic, you’ll notice you’re (probably) writing an extracurricular activity essay. Here’s a complete guide on how to write that. You’ll want to make sure your values are super clear by the end of the essay.
Finally, you have the option to weave in how you’ll continue this work (or continue to explore these values) at Notre Dame. If so, consider connecting your goals with unique resources at the university. Read this “Why us?” essay guide for tips and examples. This might make up just the end of your essay.
Below is an example of a super essay approach—the student used this essay for many different school prompts, including Georgia Tech, but it could work well for Notre Dame with some small tweaks.
Example:
If there were a “cry graph” for the number of times students at my school broke down from freshman to junior year, it would increase exponentially. We often found ourselves weeping together in philosophy class, one of the only safe spaces to open up emotionally about the stress we all experienced. The phrase “I’m going to kill myself” became so popular that it was difficult to walk from one end of a hallway to the other without hearing it, and my closest friend confessed that she considered quitting school to escape the asphyxiating stress. These red flags led me to decide that it was time to change the picture of the cry graph and create a space outside of philosophy class where we could support each other, so I founded the Psychology and Mental Health Club.
Knowing how tough our second semester of junior year would be, I organized the first Psych Club meeting with a sense of urgency. We designed a survey to gauge the stress levels of students and to identify the most common sources. Then, I researched empirically proven de-stressing methods, and found that yoga, art therapy, and canine therapy can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels while increasing oxytocin levels. I organized stretching and doodle sessions, and collaborated with the library to host therapy dogs so that students could ‘paws’ and relax. After each event, we asked students to indicate their stress levels before and after; 96% of students responded that their stress decreased.
I am elated to say that the Psych Club seems to have successfully reversed the ‘cry graph.’ We have received numerous requests to continue and expand our work, so we plan to hold our sessions every two weeks, and to introduce meditation, calming music, herbal teas, and other mindfulness activities that I continue to explore. (300)
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Tips + Analysis
Consider starting with an engaging hook. The author here does a great job of drawing readers in with her first line. She sets up a problem and explains it in an unconventional way. She does this by telling us that a great proportion of students at her high school face significant mental health challenges through the idea of a “cry graph.” Mental health is something that a lot of students might choose to write on for this prompt, so it could be hard to stand out, but the way this applicant approaches the topic feels fresh and unique. It’s odd to think about something like crying being graphed like a mathematical equation, but it’s also intriguing, and that makes us want to keep reading. Use your hook to show your mind working in unconventional ways, and perhaps introduce a dilemma that you can resolve as your piece progresses. This both raises the stakes for readers and piques their curiosity about you.
Make sure the purpose of each paragraph is clear and different from the previous one. This essay is divided into three paragraphs. They each build on one another and push the narrative forward. The first sets up the problem through the eyes of the writer and briefly alludes to her proposed solution: she noticed how severe a problem mental health was at her school, so she founded the Psych Club. The second paragraph expands upon the author’s self-created solution and we get great specific details about what she did to change the culture of the school. The last paragraph is a bit more introspective and reflects upon what the author hopes to accomplish in the future now that the club has proven itself to be a success.
This structural division of these ideas and elements of the larger story helps us process what’s going on more effectively. If this was just one big dense block of text, we might find ourselves bored or tired of reading. We might also be a bit confused as to what the key takeaways are. Use the structure of your essay to amplify the content and maintain your reader’s attention.
Quantify or qualify impact. Impact can come in a lot of different forms. You can recount personal anecdotes or reflections. You can talk about statistics and numbers. You could even relive specific emotions or tap into visceral senses to convey the magnitude of a moment or event. In this case, the author uses numbers, telling us that an impressive 96% of her classmates reported feeling better after her club was formed. Why is it important that she included this number? Well, while all the activities the club planned sound incredible and the problem at hand seems like an important one, impact grounds ambiguity in reality. We don’t want to be left guessing about the effect of this narrative. Impact gives the piece a sense of purpose and helps us better understand how this applicant has concretely contributed to her community. The more you can do to convey impact and highlight the real life implications of your topic, the better.
How do you foster? Because the example above was written for a different school’s prompt, it doesn’t directly address the How do you foster service to others in your community? phrasing of the Notre Dame prompt as directly as it could, depending on your interpretation: “Foster service” could just refer to how you have served others, but it could also be interpreted to mean how you’ve influenced others to be in service to community. We’re not positive which interpretation Notre Dame intends here, but it may help your essay if you include specific details that clarify how you’ve encouraged others to be of service through your actions.
Option 5:
What would you fight for?
Essay examples:
Visiting relatives in India, I noticed the real inequity in world healthcare. The United States spends over $10,000 per person on healthcare annually, whereas India spends less than $100 per person. Access to proper healthcare should be a basic human right and not based upon a country’s development.
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Society’s disproportionate focus on beauty often prevents girls from achieving their true potential. Until we begin measuring womens’ worth by their talents and innate values instead of their looks, I worry that girls who don’t fit conventional standards of weight and beauty will be held back from pursuing their dreams.
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America’s prison system forces anyone with jail time, even nonviolent offenders, to be labeled as less than human by society—felons are denied many rights, including the right to vote. The prison system needs to be overhauled, starting with decriminalizing nonviolent offenses, such as marijuana possession.
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At my school, there isn’t much emphasis on community enrichment and discussion. “I’m not affected, so why is mental health my problem?” “I can’t vote, so why should I discuss gun rights?” By prioritizing civic engagement, we can encourage genuine discourse, preventing the widespread complacency that exacerbates societal issues.
Tom Campbell (he/him) is an eternally extra Gemini who has spent the past seven years helping students and families navigate the college admissions process—one alliterative/assonant aphorism at a time. Prior to joining College Essay Guy, he worked as a college counselor at Lakeside School and an admissions officer at Pomona College and College of the Holy Cross (his alma mater). He stans em dashes and semicolons, Kacey Musgraves (all eras, not just star crossed and Golden Hour), superior breakfast burritos, and complaining about space tourism.
Top Values: Authenticity | Fun | Vulnerability
