University of Notre DameAI Policy for Admissions
- PermissionCan you use AI?No explicit policy
- DisclosureMust you disclose AI use?No disclosure required
- ComplianceHow is it verified?No compliance stated
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at University of Notre Dame?
University of Notre Dame has no explicit policy governing the use of AI tools in admissions essays; the admissions office does not address generative AI anywhere in its application guidance, FAQs, or essay prompts.
Disclosure: University of Notre Dame does not require applicants to disclose or attest to AI use in their admissions materials, as no such requirement appears anywhere in its application process.
Compliance: University of Notre Dame has stated no compliance mechanism or detection process related to AI use in admissions essays; the absence of a formal policy means there is no defined compliance framework.
Generally safe
- Write your essays entirely in your own voice — Notre Dame admissions counselors explicitly look for authenticity and your genuine personality coming through on the page.
- Use AI tools only for light brainstorming or to understand a prompt better, then set them aside and draft entirely in your own words.
- Ask a trusted human reader — a counselor, teacher, or parent — to review your essays rather than relying on AI-generated feedback.
Things to Avoid
- Avoid submitting any essay that was drafted, substantially rewritten, or heavily polished by a generative AI tool — even without an explicit ban, the Law School requires personal statements to be your own original work.
- Do not use AI to generate ideas or talking points and then lightly edit them into your essay; this can flatten your voice in ways readers notice.
- Avoid over-polishing language to the point where your essays sound generic or templated, which is a common byproduct of AI-assisted writing.
- Verified Feb 2026
“No AI-specific admissions essay policy found on admissions website or graduate admissions pages”
Evaluation Criteria | Undergraduate Admissions | University of Notre Dame - Verified Feb 2026
“We use your essays to hear your authentic voice—we want to know the real you beyond lists of courses, numbers, and activities”
Evaluation Criteria | Undergraduate Admissions | University of Notre Dame - Verified Feb 2026
“The personal statement must be the applicant's original work in their own words”
Apply | Admissions | The Law School | University of Notre Dame
- https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/
- https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/application-overview/
- https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/evaluation-criteria/
- https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/faqs/
- https://admissions.nd.edu/visit-engage/stories-news/tackling-the-personal-essay-advice-from-an-admissions-counselor/
- https://admissions.nd.edu/visit-engage/stories-news/ready-to-write-your-app-essays-advice-from-an-admissions-counselor-on-the-notre-dame-supplement/
- https://admissions.nd.edu/visit-engage/stories-news/how-to-write-a-great-essay-tips-from-a-notre-dame-admissions-counselor-part-1/
- https://admissions.nd.edu/visit-engage/stories-news/write-a-great-college-essay-tips-from-an-admissions-counselor/
- https://graduateschool.nd.edu/admissions/
- https://honorcode.nd.edu/generative-ai-policy-for-students-august-2023/
- https://honorcode.nd.edu/official-statement-regarding-generative-ai-may-2023/
- https://ai.nd.edu/ai-in-action/policies-and-guidelines/
- https://law.nd.edu/admissions/apply/
- https://catalog.nd.edu/undergraduate/general-information/admission/
Notre Dame's repeated emphasis on 'authentic voice' in essay evaluation criteria signals a strong cultural expectation of self-authored writing, even in the absence of a formal AI policy.
Notre Dame has no AI-specific admissions essay policy — the admissions website, FAQs, and essay guidance materials make zero mention of generative AI or ChatGPT.
The university's internal Generative AI Policy (August 2023) and Honor Code AI Statement (May 2023) apply exclusively to coursework and are explicitly out of scope for admissions materials.
Notre Dame has no explicit AI policy for admissions essays. The undergraduate admissions office does not mention AI, ChatGPT, or generative AI anywhere on its application pages, FAQs, evaluation criteria, or essay guidance blog posts. The university's Generative AI Policy for Students (August 2023) and Statement on Generative AI and Academic Integrity (May 2023) are scoped exclusively to coursework and faculty-defined course policies, not admissions materials. The admissions office emphasizes 'authentic voice' in essays but does not connect this to AI use. The Law School requires personal statements to be 'the applicant's original work in their own words' but does not mention AI. Downgraded from previous (P2) classification because the Honor Code AI policy does not apply to admissions materials. General 'authentic voice' guidance without AI mention does not qualify as an AI-specific policy per the rubric.
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