University of Notre Dame Pre-College Programs Accounting: The Language of Business

Accountancy faculty from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business teach it, led by Jamie O'Brien, a CPA and attorney who has taught accounting, business law and tax at Notre Dame for more than 25 years and is Assistant Chairman of the Accountancy Department.

Each session has a different co-instructor. Claire Donovan, who spent 10 years at Ernst & Young and was a senior manager in its assurance practice, co-teaches Session I. Mike Favorite, who has seven years of public accounting experience and won the department's 2025 James Dincolo Award for Outstanding Teaching, co-teaches Session II. Accounting professionals, business leaders and entrepreneurs also come in to present. Notre Dame says it keeps Summer Scholars classes small but doesn't publish a class size.

You can apply if you're a high school sophomore or junior this school year and will be at least 16 by 1 August 2027. Notre Dame makes no exceptions to the age rule, citing its insurance and child-protection policies, so a strong applicant who turns 16 later in August can't get in.

Beyond that, Notre Dame looks for strong academic standing, solid extracurriculars and applicants who are self-motivated, mature and keen to be part of the Notre Dame community. SAT, ACT or PSAT scores are encouraged but not required. If you don't attend an English-speaking high school, you'll need a TOEFL (5.5+), IELTS (7.5+), PTE (55+) or Duolingo (120+) score. Notre Dame doesn't publish a cohort size or acceptance rate.

At the standard price a family pays $5,275, which is the $5,200 program fee plus a $75 application fee. The $5,200 covers tuition, room and board, extracurricular activities and class field trips such as the Chicago firm visit, while travel to and from campus isn't included.

If you're admitted, you pay a $300 enrollment fee by 23 April 2027 to hold your place, then the $4,900 balance by 14 May 2027. None of it is refundable, the application fee included, so be sure of your summer before you pay.

The KPMG LLP grant can cover tuition, room and board for students accepted into this course who qualify, although Notre Dame doesn't say what qualifying involves, so it's worth asking the Office of Pre-College Programs. Notre Dame also has grants for Indiana residents and for students in the Philadelphia area, plus a small pool of need-based scholarships, but no merit aid. A parent or guardian applies for all of them through the Financial Aid Request Form by 17 February 2027.

You apply through Notre Dame's enrollment portal, where you create an account and start the Summer Scholars application.

1. 1

   Ask a teacher who can speak to your interest in accounting to recommend you, and get their agreement before you add their details.

2. 2

   Add your counselor's and teacher's contact details, and Notre Dame emails them for your school report, transcript, school profile and recommendation, though it's on you to check they've received the requests.

3. 3

   Write the two essays, which Notre Dame calls very important, and list your activities in the application, upload a resume, or both.

4. 4

   Upload SAT, ACT or PSAT scores by 31 January 2027 if you decide to send them.

5. 5

   Submit the application and pay the $75 fee by 17 February 2027, while your counselor and teacher get one more week to upload their documents.

6. 6

   If you need aid, a parent or guardian completes the Financial Aid Request Form by 17 February 2027.

7. 7

   If you're admitted, pay the $300 enrollment fee by 23 April 2027 and the $4,900 balance by 14 May 2027.

If you complete all the program requirements, you leave with one transferable Notre Dame college credit, graded Satisfactory (S) and not with a letter grade, and you can order a transcript through Notre Dame's Registrar. Notre Dame calls the credit transferable, but whether the college you eventually attend counts it is up to that college.

You'll also have worked through financial statements and tax planning exercises and given a small-group presentation on a tax policy issue, which is a fair test of whether an accounting major appeals to you.

Notre Dame keeps Summer Scholars students on campus, and you can't leave outside a scheduled, supervised activity unless a staff member or Resident Counselor goes with you. Under its rules for summer 2026, which may change for 2027, students can't enter residence halls of the opposite gender, can't have guests without written approval and can't drive at all.

Parents should note that staff don't store or hand out medication, so students manage their own, and families must arrange any medical or mental health accommodations at least 30 days before the program and pay any medical costs. A student dismissed for breaking the rules gets no refund, and the family pays for the trip home. The full rules are on Notre Dame's standards and policies page.