University of Notre Dame Pre-College Programs Research Computing: Computers Accelerating Discovery

Two staff members from Notre Dame's Center for Research Computing lead the course as its academic directors. Paul Brenner (Ph.D., P.E.) is an associate director of the center in charge of HPC operations and user support, and his research covers energy-efficient computing and distributed algorithms for Monte Carlo simulations. Scott Hampton (Ph.D.) manages the center's user support services. He spent three years as a postdoctoral researcher at Oak Ridge National Lab, speeding up molecular dynamics simulations with GPUs, and before joining Notre Dame he taught scientific and parallel computing as an associate professor of computer science at Walsh University.

Notre Dame says it keeps Summer Scholars classes small, but it doesn't publish a class size or staff ratio.

You need to be a current high school sophomore or junior who will be at least 16 by 1 August 2027, and Notre Dame makes no exceptions to the age rule because of its insurance and child-protection policies. You don't need any computing background, although students who have one are encouraged to apply.

Beyond that, Notre Dame looks for strong grades, solid extracurriculars, maturity and self-discipline, and a sincere wish to be part of its community during the program. SAT, ACT or PSAT scores are optional, although Notre Dame encourages them. International applicants who don't attend an English-speaking high school must send results from the TOEFL (5.5+), IELTS (7.5+), PTE (55+) or Duolingo English Test (120+). Asking for financial aid doesn't affect the admission decision.

You apply through Notre Dame's enrollment portal. Notre Dame calls the essays very important and recommends having a teacher, counselor or parent proofread them.

1. 1

   Start your application on the portal, which asks for two essays and an activities list, a resume or both.

2. 2

   Add your school counselor's email, and Notre Dame will ask them directly for your transcript, school report and school profile. Then add the email of a teacher who has agreed to recommend you, ideally one who can speak to your interest in computing, and Notre Dame will ask them for the recommendation.

3. 3

   If you want to send SAT, ACT or PSAT scores, upload them by 31 January 2027.

4. 4

   Submit your part of the application by 17 February 2027, then pay the $75 application fee by credit card or check. That date is also your last chance to change or add a recommender.

5. 5

   Check that your counselor and teacher upload their documents within the one-week grace period after the deadline.

6. 6

   Watch for the decision letter, which also tells you about any tuition aid.

Notre Dame puts the 2027 total at $5,200 for tuition, housing and the enrollment fee, and the $75 application fee comes on top. That covers your classes, a room and meals on campus, extracurricular activities and class field trips. Travel to and from Notre Dame isn't listed among what it covers.

Once you're admitted, you pay a $300 enrollment fee by 23 April 2027 to secure your place and the $4,900 balance by 14 May 2027, online or by check. None of it is refundable, so be sure of your summer plans before you pay in April. A student sent home for breaking the rules gets nothing back, and parents pay for the trip home as well as any medical or mental health care during the program.

Aid is limited and need-based only, ranging from partial to full tuition, with no merit awards. A Lilly Endowment grant covers tuition, room and board for qualifying Indiana residents, and a donor-funded grant does the same for qualifying students from the Philadelphia area. To be considered for aid or either grant, a parent or guardian fills in Notre Dame's Financial Aid Request Form by 17 February 2027. Application fee waivers are granted only rarely.

You live in a Notre Dame residence hall, and under the rules Notre Dame set for its summer 2026 pre-college students, you can't leave campus outside a scheduled, supervised activity unless a staff member or Resident Counselor goes with you. Notre Dame's summer housing code of conduct, which Summer Scholars students must follow, has high school residents back in their own hall by 11:00 PM from Sunday to Thursday and by midnight on Friday and Saturday, and in their rooms by 12:30 AM every night. Visitors need written approval, students can't enter opposite-gender halls, and you can't drive any vehicle during the program.

Health arrangements fall largely to the family. Parents must make arrangements for any known medical or mental health needs at least 30 days before the start, and staff won't store or hand out medication, so you manage your own. Attendance at classes, meals, check-ins and trips is required, and alcohol, vaping and sexual activity are banned whatever your age. As a Catholic university, Notre Dame also expects conduct in line with Christian moral standards and can remove a student who breaks its rules.

If you complete every program requirement, you can earn one college credit from Notre Dame with a Satisfactory (S) grade, and you can order a transcript showing it from the University Registrar. Notre Dame calls the credit transferable, but an S isn't a letter grade, and whether another college accepts the credit is up to that college. Notre Dame doesn't describe a final project or portfolio for this course, so what you mainly take away is hands-on experience with HPC, simulation and visualization tools.