Are you interested in earning admission to Notre Dame, the home of the Fighting Irish? The private Catholic research university, which ranks #20 among national universities in the 2026 US News & World Report annual college ranking, is one of the top destinations for academically ambitious students in the world. So what separates those who get in from those who wind up with a rejection letter?

About the University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame calls Notre Dame, Indiana, home (not to be confused with the historic cathedral in the heart of Paris!). 4,628 undergraduate males and 4,294 undergraduate females reside on this historic campus.

Notre Dame Admissions Requirements

When applying to Notre Dame, it’s about more than just meeting specific requirements since many students with stellar grades and scores are denied admission year in and year out. That said, if a student’s grades and scores aren’t up to par, they can wave goodbye to their odds of admission.

So let’s address some common questions concerning Notre Dame’s admissions requirements!

What Kind of GPA Is Necessary To Get Into ND?

Notre Dame admissions officers don’t set a specific cut-off for GPA. But any glance at the average profile of admitted Leprechauns indicates just how vital grades truly are to this highly selective school. 

Are Notre Dame’s Admitted Students Typically At or Near The Top of Their High School Classes?

According to ND’s Common Data Set, 92% of members of the Class of 2029 graduated in the top tenth of their high school’s graduating class. So while there is no explicit requirement for a 4.0 GPA to earn admission, stellar grades are a de facto requirement.

What Kind of SAT or ACT Scores Are Needed To Get Into Notre Dame?

Notre Dame is test-optional, but students who intend to apply to Notre Dame should be cautious, as the university may still penalize applicants who fail to submit test scores.

	SAT	ACT
Median	1,500	34
Mid 50% Range	1,460 — 1,540	33 — 35

Does Notre Dame Superscore Students’ SAT or ACT Scores?

Notre Dame superscores both the SAT and ACT, meaning they will use your highest section scores from different test dates.

However, Ivy Coach cautions that it’s best to submit only one test score, as multiple scores might suggest you struggled to achieve high results. Elite colleges prefer to see strong scores from a single attempt. Yet if your best scores come from different test dates, you may be faced with no other choice than to submit multiple score reports.

What Classes Do Students Need to Take to Get Into The University of Notre Dame?

Notre Dame admissions officers list the following recommendations for high school curriculum:

4 units of English

3 units of Mathematics – Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry (4 units preferred)*

2 units of Foreign Language (3-4 units preferred)

2 units of Science (4 units preferred)**

2 units of History/Social Science (3-4 units preferred)

*For students with an intended major within the College of Science, the College of Engineering, the School of Architecture, or certain majors within the College of Arts & Letters (Neuroscience and Behavior, Arts & Letters Pre-Health), 4 units of Mathematics are required, which must include an advanced Mathematics course (Pre-Calculus or Calculus).

**Students with an intended major within the College of Science or the College of Engineering must take a unit of Chemistry. Additionally, the following majors require a unit of Physics:

• Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry with Business
• Chemistry with Computing
• Mathematics (within the Colleges of Science and Arts & Letters)
• Physics
• Physics-in-Medicine
• All Engineering majors

It is also strongly recommended that students with the following intended majors take a unit of Physics:

• Architecture
• Biological Sciences
• Environmental Sciences
• Neuroscience and Behavior (within the Colleges of Science and Arts & Letters)
• Science Preprofessional Studies
• Arts and Letters Pre-Health
• Science-Business
• Science-Computing
• Science-Education
• Statistics

Although we require at least 16 academic units for admission, our most competitive applicants will have four units in each major academic area and in the most rigorous level their high school offers. We do include algebra and/or foreign language courses completed during eighth grade in our count of admissions requirements. For example, if you earned credit for one full-year introductory French course as an 8th grader, then completed French II in 9th grade, both credits will be counted.

Despite what these requirements may suggest to the contrary, admissions officers at Notre Dame and other selective colleges seek students who excel in the five core subjects (English, social studies, math, science, and foreign language) during all four years of high school. They also expect a five-year commitment to foreign languages, starting in eighth grade.

What Kinds of Extracurriculars Does Notre Dame Like To See?

What Notre Dame admissions officers are not looking for is well-rounded students: students who excel in sports, music, community service, leadership, and more. Instead, they want singularly talented students. Together, the singularly gifted students admitted to Notre Dame form a well-rounded class.

It might seem like a trivial distinction, but it makes a huge difference. Only the highly specialized student will take advantage of a little-known genetics lab on Notre Dame’s campus, or take it upon themselves to research a partnership with a local organization. These details make such students far more admissible.

Notre Dame Application Requirements

In addition to completing the full Common Application or Coalition Application, applicants are asked to submit two letters of recommendation (from a core subject teacher and a school counselor) and to complete the Notre Dame Writing Supplement.

Let’s zero in on these admissions requirements and how students should tackle them.

Who Should Students Ask For Letters of Recommendation For Notre Dame?

Notre Dame applicants should ask a teacher, ideally a junior year teacher in a core subject, i.e., science, social studies, mathematics, a foreign language, or English, in addition to their school counselor. If no school counselor is available for the second recommendation, applicants should ask another junior year core subject teacher.

Does Notre Dame Require an Interview?

No, Notre Dame does not conduct alumni interviews.

What Are The University of Notre Dame’s Supplemental Essay Topics?

Applicants to the Notre Dame Class of 2030 are asked to respond to the following prompt with a 150-word essay:

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.

Applicants are then asked to choose three out of the five prompts listed below to respond to in 50-100 words:

1. How does faith influence the decisions you make?
2. What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community, etc)? Why are these experiences important to you, and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?
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?
4. What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?
5. What would you fight for?

When Are Notre Dame’s Application Deadlines?

Notre Dame has two rounds of admission: Restrictive Early Action (REA) and Regular Decision.

REA applications are due on November 1st of each year, and Regular Decision applications are due on January 2nd of each year.

University of Notre Dame Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics (Classes of 2030 – 2017)

Notre Dame Class Year	Total Applications Received	Total Applications Accepted	Overall Acceptance Rate
Class of 2030	36,102	Not Yet Published	9.00%
Class of 2029	35,401	Not Yet Published	9.00%
Class of 2028	29,942	3,374	11.27%
Class of 2027	28,353	3,510	12.38%
Class of 2026	26,509	3,421	12.91%
Class of 2025	23,654	3,562	15.06%
Class of 2024	21,253	4,035	18.99%
Class of 2023	22,200	3,515	15.83%
Class of 2022	20,371	3,608	17.71%
Class of 2021	19,564	3,702	18.92%
Class of 2020	19,505	3,654	18.73%
Class of 2019	18,157	3,595	19.80%
Class of 2018	17,901	3,785	21.14%
Class of 2017	17,647	3,936	22.30%

How Ivy Coach Helps Students Get Into Notre Dame

If you’re interested in Ivy Coach’s assistance, directly with a former elite college admissions officer, in optimizing your child’s case for admission to Notre Dame, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.