University of Notre Dame Pre-College Programs Law Summer Scholars Course

The academic director is Christine Venter, who runs the Legal Writing Program at Notre Dame Law School. She studied law at the University of Cape Town, where she edited the Law Review, and holds an LL.M. (a master's in law) in international law and human rights and a J.S.D. (a law doctorate) from Notre Dame Law School. She worked in civil rights litigation in South Africa and later did legal aid work in the US, and at Notre Dame she teaches legal writing and gender issues in international law and coaches the International Moot Court team.

Classes combine lectures from the course instructors with guest speakers, who include an immigration lawyer and a human rights lawyer. Notre Dame says it keeps Summer Scholars classes small but doesn't publish a class size or ratio.

You may, if you complete every program requirement. Notre Dame gives one transferable credit with a Satisfactory (S) grade, and you order the transcript from its University Registrar. Notre Dame doesn't say whether any particular college will accept that credit, so if it matters to you, check with the colleges you're considering.

You also leave with the research and presentation on a human rights violation you prepare in the first week, which gives you something concrete to talk about when you explain your interest in law.

Notre Dame wants students with strong grades and solid extracurriculars who come across as self-motivated, disciplined and mature, and who genuinely want to be part of the Notre Dame community for two weeks. The age rule is firm: you must be 16 by 1 August 2027, and Notre Dame makes no exceptions because of its insurance and child protection policies. It doesn't publish an acceptance rate or how many students it takes.

The essays carry real weight. Notre Dame calls them very important and uses them to learn why you want this program, what you'd bring and what sets you apart, so a clear reason for wanting to study law will serve you better than a general interest in college. For the recommendation, Notre Dame finds it helpful to hear from a teacher who can back your interest in the course, and the letter should speak to your ability to handle college-level work, your maturity, integrity and leadership.

The 2027 program costs $5,200 for either session, which covers tuition, your room and meals, extracurricular activities and class field trips. Add the $75 application fee and a family pays $5,275 in all, before travel to and from campus. The $5,200 is paid in two parts: a $300 enrollment fee due by 23 April 2027 once you're admitted, then the $4,900 balance by 14 May 2027.

None of it comes back. Notre Dame doesn't refund the enrollment fee or tuition and housing payments, and a student dismissed for breaking the rules gets no refund, with parents paying for the trip home.

Financial help is need-based and limited. Notre Dame has a small pool of partial to full-tuition scholarships, offers no merit aid, and has grants covering tuition, room and board for qualifying students who live in Indiana or the Philadelphia area. A parent or guardian applies through the Financial Aid Request Form by 17 February 2027, aid decisions arrive with the admission letter, and application fee waivers are rare.

Students stay on campus unless they're on a scheduled, supervised activity or with a staff member or Resident Counselor. Resident Counselors are undergraduates from Notre Dame, Holy Cross and Saint Mary's who work with students outside class and run activities on and off campus. Students must attend every class, field trip, meal and check-in. They can't drive or enter residence halls of the opposite gender, visitors need written approval, and alcohol, tobacco and vaping are banned.

Two things need planning at home. Staff don't store or hand out medication, so students manage their own, and parents must arrange any medical or mental health needs at least 30 days before the start and pay for any care during the program. These rules come from Notre Dame's standards for pre-college students for summer 2026, which also require students to follow its code of conduct for summer residents, so check them again for 2027.

Everything goes through Notre Dame's online application, which opened on 19 October 2026.

1. 1

   Ask a teacher to recommend you and get your counselor's name and email first, because adding them to the application sends them automatic requests for your transcript, school report, school profile and letter. It's up to you to check that they've received them.

2. 2

   Write the two essays and share your activities through the application's activities section, a resume or both.

3. 3

   If you want to send SAT, ACT or PSAT scores, which are encouraged but optional, upload them by 31 January 2027.

4. 4

   Submit your part and pay the $75 application fee by 17 February 2027, after which you can no longer change recommenders, although your counselor and teacher get one more week to upload.

5. 5

   If you need aid, a parent or guardian submits the Financial Aid Request Form for your session by the same 17 February 2027 date.

6. 6

   Notre Dame reviews your file once everything has arrived, and if you're admitted you pay the $300 enrollment fee by 23 April 2027 to hold your place.