Notre Dame merit scholarships for international students?

I'm an international student interested in applying to the University of Notre Dame. I'm curious about the merit scholarships available for international students. How competitive are they, and what are the requirements to be considered for one?

The University of Notre Dame does offer a few scholarships that are open to international students. Among these, the most notable is the Notre Dame Scholar's Program. This program offers merit-based scholarship awards which range in amount per year. However, note that these scholarships are highly competitive and awarded to top applicants in the applicant pool.

The Notre Dame Scholar's Program encompasses several scholarships including the Suzanne and Walter Scott Scholarship, the Stamps Scholarship, and the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program. The selection process for these scholarships is highly rigorous and primarily based on academic excellence and leadership skills, so expect competition to be quite steep.

Apart from the academic qualifications, they also look for students who have made meaningful contributions to their communities and have shown exceptional leadership ability. A high level of commitment to serving others and the potential for making a significant impact in their chosen field are also taken into account.

There's no separate application for these scholarships. All applicants who apply by the Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision deadline are automatically considered. Therefore, it's vital to ensure your application as a whole, including your essays and other materials, is as strong as it can be.

The advantage of Notre Dame’s approach is that you don’t need to submit any additional applications or essays for these scholarships—everyone who applies to Notre Dame is considered. So, it's crucial to prepare a competitive application that highlights your academic and extracurricular accomplishments.

Keep in mind that while Notre Dame does offer these merit scholarship options, more financial aid to international students is typically awarded in the form of need-based aid, which is determined based on the finances of you and your family. You'd need to apply for need-based aid separately through the CSS Profile.

Overall, securing a merit scholarship as an international student at Notre Dame is no small feat, given the caliber of applicants. However, with a well-rounded application that highlights your achievements, both academically and beyond the classroom, you certainly stand a chance.