University of Notre Dame Pre-College Programs Public Policymaking: A Primer

The course is led by Claudia Francis, its academic director and the Associate Director of Undergraduate Programming at Notre Dame's Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy. She oversees the ND Washington Program and the Hesburgh Program in Public Service, which is Notre Dame's academic minor in public policy, so this subject is her day-to-day work with the university's own undergraduates.

She earned her PhD in political science at Notre Dame in 2013 and received the university's Dockweiler Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising in 2021. Notre Dame says it keeps Summer Scholars classes small, although it doesn't publish a class size or ratio.

You can apply if you're a high school sophomore or junior now 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 younger sophomore may have to wait a year.

Notre Dame wants strong academic standing, solid extracurriculars and applicants who are self-motivated, self-disciplined and mature, with a sincere wish to be part of the Notre Dame community. It calls the two essays very important, and it wants your teacher's letter to speak to your ability to handle college-level work, your maturity, integrity and leadership, ideally from a teacher who can back your interest in this particular course. SAT, ACT or PSAT scores help but aren't required. Notre Dame doesn't publish how many students it admits or an acceptance rate.

• International applicants

  If your high school doesn't teach in English, you need a TOEFL (5.5+), IELTS (7.5+), PTE Academic (55+) or Duolingo English Test (120+) score.

• Visa

  Because the course can carry college credit, Notre Dame requires international students to hold an F-1 student visa, and its government fees are an extra to check with the US authorities.

Everything goes through Notre Dame's Summer Scholars application portal.

1. 1

   Start the online application, which opened on 19 October 2026, and add your counselor's and recommending teacher's emails, after asking your teacher first, so Notre Dame can send them requests.

2. 2

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

3. 3

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

4. 4

   Submit the application and pay the $75 fee by 17 February 2027, which is also the last day to change recommenders.

5. 5

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

6. 6

   Your counselor and teacher get one extra week after the deadline to upload their documents, but it's on you to check they arrive.

7. 7

   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.

An admitted student's family pays $5,275 in all, which is the $5,200 program price plus the $75 application fee. The $5,200 covers tuition, a room on campus, meals, extracurricular activities and class field trips, and it's paid in two parts: a $300 enrollment fee by 23 April 2027 to hold the place, then the $4,900 balance by 14 May 2027.

None of it comes back once paid. If a student is sent home for breaking the rules, there's no refund and the family pays for the trip home. Travel to and from campus isn't among the things the price covers, and parents pay any medical costs during the program.

Notre Dame has limited need-based scholarships, from partial to full tuition, and nothing for merit. Two grants cover tuition, room and board for qualifying students who live in Indiana or the Philadelphia area. To be considered for any of it, a parent fills in the Financial Aid Request Form by 17 February 2027, and the aid decision arrives with the admission letter. Application fee waivers are granted only rarely.

Students can't leave campus except on a scheduled, supervised activity or with a Pre-College staff member or Resident Counselor as chaperone. Notre Dame's published rules, written for summer 2026, also ban alcohol, vaping and driving any vehicle, and students must follow the Code of Conduct for Summer High School Residents and the residential handbook.

• Visitors and halls

  Guests need written approval from the program director, and students can't enter residence halls of the opposite gender.

• Medication

  Staff don't store or hand out medicines, so students look after their own, and parents must arrange any medical or mental health accommodations at least 30 days before the program starts.

• Attendance

  Students must be on time for every class, field trip, meal and check-in unless an event is clearly marked optional.

If you complete every program requirement, you can leave with a Satisfactory (S) grade and one transferable college credit from Notre Dame, and you order the transcript yourself from the University Registrar. Notre Dame calls the credit transferable but doesn't say which colleges accept it, so check with the colleges you're considering if the credit matters to you.

You also come away with practice writing policy memos and a group research project on one specific policy, which is useful material to talk about if you're thinking of studying politics or public policy later.