University of Notre Dame Pre-College Programs Narratively Speaking: Image, Sequence, and the Art of the Book

The course is led by its Academic Director, Sara Fahling, an artist from Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Kendall College of Art and Design (2014) and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Indiana University Bloomington (2018). Her own work combines photographs, textiles and hand embroidery to explore family legacy, loss and memory, and it's been shown at galleries including the South Bend Museum of Art and Antenna Media in Japan.

Notre Dame says it keeps Summer Scholars classes small, although it doesn't publish a class size.

You leave with a collection of handmade books, from experimental structures to one finished narrative book whose form helps tell your story. Notre Dame says students who complete all program requirements may receive 1 transferable credit with a Satisfactory (S) grade, and you order the transcript from the university's Registrar.

Notre Dame doesn't say how other colleges treat that credit, so if it matters to you, ask the colleges you're aiming for whether they'll accept it.

You need to be a high school sophomore or junior in the 2026–27 school year, 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 wants strong grades, solid extracurriculars, self-discipline and maturity, and a sincere wish to be part of the Notre Dame community during the program. It calls the two essays very important, and it says a recommendation is helpful when it comes from a teacher who can speak to your interest in the course, which makes an art teacher a natural choice here. SAT, ACT or PSAT scores are encouraged but not required.

If you don't attend an English-speaking high school, you'll also need a TOEFL (5.5+), IELTS (7.5+), PTE (55+) or Duolingo (120+) score.

Applications go through Notre Dame's online portal.

1. 1

   Before you start, ask a high school teacher to recommend you and get their agreement, and have their email address and your counselor's ready.

2. 2

   Start the online application, which went live on 19 October 2026, and add both contacts so Notre Dame can email them for the recommendation, transcript, counselor report and school profile.

3. 3

   Write the two essays and either fill in the activities section, upload a resume, or do both.

4. 4

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

5. 5

   Submit your part of the application and pay the $75 fee by 17 February 2027, and if you need aid, a parent files the Session II Financial Aid Request Form by the same date.

6. 6

   Your counselor's and teacher's documents are also due by 17 February 2027, and you can't swap or add recommenders after that date.

7. 7

   Notre Dame makes its admission decision without regard to an aid request, and any aid offer comes with the admission letter.

Summer Scholars costs $5,200 for 2027, including the $300 enrollment fee, and that covers tuition, room and board, extracurricular activities and class field trips. Add the $75 application fee and a family pays $5,275 in all, before travel to Indiana. Once you're admitted, the $300 enrollment fee is due by 23 April 2027 to hold your place, and the $4,900 balance by 14 May 2027.

None of it is refundable once paid. Notre Dame recommends travel insurance, and the cost of any medical or mental health care during the program falls to parents.

Aid is limited and goes only to students in financial need, ranging from partial to full tuition, with no merit scholarships. Indiana residents can be considered for the Lilly Endowment grant and students from the Philadelphia area for a donor-funded grant, both covering tuition, room and board for those who qualify. A parent applies through the Financial Aid Request Form.

Students live in residence halls and can't leave campus outside a scheduled, supervised activity unless a staff member or Resident Counselor goes with them. Under the rules Notre Dame published for summer 2026, students must be on time for classes, meals, check-ins and scheduled events. They can't drive any vehicle, have guests without written approval or enter a residence hall of the opposite gender, and alcohol, tobacco, vaping and drugs are banned whatever the student's age.

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