University of Notre Dame Pre-College Programs Making Headlines: An Introduction to Journalism

The course is led by Jason Kelly, an associate editor at Notre Dame Magazine who teaches Sports Media and Magazine Writing at Notre Dame and is on the faculty of its Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy. Before that he was a sports reporter, columnist and editor at the South Bend Tribune and spent six years as associate editor at the University of Chicago Magazine.

Notre Dame says the hands-on work is backed up by insights from working professionals and the study of award-winning journalism, and that feedback comes through group discussions of students' own stories. It says it keeps Summer Scholars classes small, although we couldn't find a class size for this course.

You need to be a high school sophomore or junior now, so a rising junior or senior in summer 2027, and at least 16 by 1 August 2027. Notre Dame makes no exceptions to the age rule, citing its insurance and child-protection policies.

Beyond that, Notre Dame looks for strong academic standing, solid extracurriculars, self-motivation, self-discipline and a high level of maturity, along with a sincere wish to be part of the Notre Dame community. It calls the two essays very important, because they're where you explain why you want this program, what you'd bring to it and what sets you apart from other applicants.

Your teacher's letter should speak to your ability to handle college-level work and to your maturity, integrity and leadership. Notre Dame finds it helpful when that teacher can also back your interest in the course you're applying for, so pick someone who knows why journalism appeals to you. SAT, ACT and PSAT scores are encouraged but not required. If you don't attend an English-speaking high school, you'll also need a TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test result.

Applications go through Notre Dame's online application.

1. 1

   Ask a teacher to recommend you and get their agreement before you add their name, then start the online application with your counselor's and teacher's email addresses ready.

2. 2

   Notre Dame emails your counselor for your transcript, school report and school profile and your teacher for the recommendation, and it's your job to check they've received those emails.

3. 3

   If you're sending SAT, ACT or PSAT scores, upload them by 31 January 2027.

4. 4

   Submit your part, including the two essays, your activities list or resume and the $75 fee, by 17 February 2027, which is also the deadline for a parent to file the financial aid request form.

5. 5

   Your counselor and teacher get one more week after that to upload their documents, but you can't swap recommenders once the student deadline has passed.

6. 6

   If you're admitted, pay the $300 enrollment fee by 23 April 2027 to secure your place, then the $4,900 balance by 14 May 2027.

The 2027 price is $5,200, made up of the $300 enrollment fee you pay once admitted and a $4,900 balance, and it covers tuition, your room and meals, extracurricular activities and class field trips. The $75 application fee comes on top, as does getting to campus, and Notre Dame recommends buying travel insurance.

Nothing is refunded once it's paid. That includes the application fee, the enrollment fee and the tuition and housing payment, and a student sent home for breaking the rules gets no refund either, with parents paying for the journey home. Any medical or mental health care during the two weeks is also the family's to pay.

Notre Dame has very limited need-based scholarships, ranging from partial to full tuition, and no merit aid. Students living in Indiana or the Philadelphia area can also be considered for the Lilly Endowment or Philadelphia grants, which cover tuition, room and board for those who qualify. All of these go through one financial aid request form, which a parent has to complete by 17 February 2027. Asking for aid doesn't affect the admission decision, and any award is announced in the admission letter. Application fee waivers are granted only rarely, in extreme circumstances.

Students live in campus residence halls with Resident Counselors, and they can't leave campus outside a scheduled, supervised activity unless a staff member or Resident Counselor goes with them. Attendance at every class, meal, field trip and check-in is required, students may not drive, guests need written approval from the program's directors, and nobody may enter a residence hall of the opposite gender. Alcohol, tobacco, vaping and drugs are banned whatever a student's age, and the Welcome Weekend at the start, where you meet faculty, Resident Counselors and staff, is mandatory.

Medication is the student's own responsibility, because staff won't store or hand out medicines, and parents must arrange for any known medical or mental health needs at least 30 days before the start. Parents are responsible for their child until check-in and again after check-out. The full rules, most recently published for summer 2026, are in Notre Dame's standards and policies for pre-college students.

Complete every requirement and you can receive one transferable college credit with a Satisfactory (S) grade, which you can get on a Notre Dame transcript ordered from the University Registrar. Because it's a pass grade rather than a letter grade, it won't show how well you did, and we couldn't find anything from Notre Dame on how other colleges count the credit. You'll also come away with the stories you reported, wrote and edited during the two weeks.