University of Notre Dame Pre-College Programs Study Abroad: Italy

You need to be a high school junior in the 2026-27 school year, which makes you a rising senior by June 2027, and you must be at least 16 by 1 August 2027. Notre Dame makes no exceptions to the age rule, citing its insurance and child protection policies. You'll also need a passport that stays valid through 21 December 2027.

Places are capped at 18 students, and Notre Dame doesn't publish how many apply. It looks for strong academic standing, solid extracurricular activities and a high level of maturity, and it wants applicants to show a sincere desire to be part of the Notre Dame community. SAT, ACT or PSAT scores are strongly encouraged but not required. International applicants who don't attend an English-speaking high school need a TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test or PTE Academic result.

Applications go through Notre Dame's online application portal, which went live on 19 October 2026.

1. 1

   Ask a teacher to recommend you before you add their details, then enter your counselor's and teacher's contact information so Notre Dame can email them for your transcript, school profile, counselor report and letter of recommendation.

2. 2

   Write the two essays, which Notre Dame calls very important. It says they're your chance to show who you are, why you want this program, what you'd bring and where your interests lie, and it suggests having a teacher, counselor or parent proofread them.

3. 3

   Share your activities in the application's activities section, a resume or both, whichever tells your story best.

4. 4

   Pay the $75 non-refundable application fee by credit card or check.

5. 5

   Submit your application by 20 January 2027 and make sure every supporting document has arrived by then too. Notre Dame won't review an application until it's complete, so check with your counselor and teacher that they've sent their parts.

6. 6

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

7. 7

   If you're admitted, complete the confirmation form and pay the $2,000 enrollment fee by 25 February 2027 to secure your place.

Notre Dame names two faculty members for Italy, and between them their research covers modern Italy and ancient Roman building. Maurizio Albahari is an associate professor of anthropology at Notre Dame who has written about migration and religion in Italy and Europe, and in Rome he shares his research on migration, citizenship and diversity, looking closely at how particular spaces in the capital are changing.

Paolo Vitti is an architect and historian who studied at La Sapienza University in Rome, wrote his doctorate on Roman vaulted construction and is a graduate instructor of ancient architecture at the University of Roma Tre. His interests run from ancient construction techniques to restoring cultural heritage sites, which fits a seminar built around Rome's buildings and streets.

The 2027 program costs $8,750, which covers tuition (including the college credit), housing, all meals, travel health insurance and every activity and excursion. On top of that you pay the $75 application fee, which doesn't count toward the total, and your flights to Rome. Notre Dame staff will help with booking if you ask, and in 2026 they flew out from Chicago O'Hare so students could travel with them.

The $2,000 enrollment fee that secures your place is non-refundable but counts toward the $8,750, leaving $6,750 to pay by 1 April 2027. Notre Dame has no financial aid or scholarships for its study abroad programs and offers no application fee waivers, although a family facing extreme hardship can email the office to be considered if funds become available. Any medical or mental healthcare costs during the trip are also the parents' responsibility.

Students stay in a hotel under firm rules. Nobody may have guests in their room except same-gender students from the program, and no one may go to a room or floor that isn't assigned to the group. Attendance at every class, excursion, meal and check-in is mandatory unless something is clearly marked optional, and alcohol, tobacco and vaping are banned whatever your age. The full rules are in Notre Dame's standards and policies for pre-college students.

Before departure, students attend two mandatory evening online orientations, one of them with Notre Dame's global safety and security staff, and register with Crisis24 (the university's travel emergency service), the US State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and GeoBlue travel insurance. In 2026, transport from Rome's Fiumicino airport to the hotel was arranged in three waves. Staff don't store or hand out medication, so students manage their own, and parents must arrange any known medical or mental health needs at least 30 days before the start.

Breaking the rules has a real financial cost. If Notre Dame withdraws a student, there's no refund of any program costs and parents pay for the trip home.

Students who complete every program requirement may receive one transferable Notre Dame college credit, graded Satisfactory (S) rather than with a letter grade, and you order the transcript from the University Registrar. Notre Dame doesn't say which colleges accept the credit, so check with any college you're considering before counting on it.