Application Process

Application Checklist

The application process is as follows:

  • Submit your application before the deadline. 
  • Complete an interview. After you submit your application, ESTEEM will contact you with instructions on how to complete an aysnchronous interview. We must receive an interview in order for your application to be counted as complete. You will have 5 days to submit your application. 
  • Receive notification of the University's decision. ESTEEM will make admissions offers approximately three weeks after each of the four deadlines.

Application Timeline for the Class of 2027

**If you miss the final deadline and remain interested in our program, ESTEEM will consider late applications on a case by case basis. If you wish to be considered, please email us to request additional information. 

**The ESTEEM Graduate Program strongly recommends that international students apply by the 2nd deadline to account for potential delays related to visa processing.

Application Requirements:

Prospective students apply to ESTEEM using the Slate system. You will be allowed to save your application as you go along and upload documents directly into Slate. Applications will only be reviewed once the entire packet is complete and submitted within the system. A $75 non-refundable fee applies unless a fee waiver is granted. Contact ESTEEM for more information on the waiver process.

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited American university or foreign institution of acceptable standing by the time of graduate matriculation
  • Background in science, engineering, research, or technology—such as computer science, electrical engineering, industrial design, biology, economics, data analytics, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, etc.
  • Unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions
  • Entrepreneurial mindset material—upload under "Essay Short Answer"; see application for prompt
  • Statement of Intent—upload under "Essay Short Answer"; see application for prompt
  • Three (3) recommendations
  • Resume or CV—upload under "Uploads"
  • International students whose native language is not English must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores to demonstrate language proficiency. The Graduate School will waive the TOEFL/IELTS requirement for non-native English speakers who spent a minimum of two years at an academic institution whose primary language of instruction was English. 

Note: The University of Notre Dame’s institution code for the TOEFL exam is 1841.

Reapplication

Candidates who have previously applied to the program and were not offered, or were unable to enroll, are welcome to reapply.  If a candidate reapplies within a year, their previous application is carried forward but must be updated. To submit an updated application, candidates must add:

  • A new Statement of Intent
  • An updated Resume or CV
  • One additional Letter of Recommendation that speaks to experience in the year since the original application

All candidates who reapply will also be asked to submit a new interview for the admissions committee.

If more than one year has passed since the original application, a new application is required. Exceptions can be made for students in extenuating circumstances who have previously confirmed their attendance. 

Deferrals

The ESTEEM Graduate Program allows for deferrals in limited cases. When a deposited student is unable to matriculate due to extenuating circumstances beyond their control such as visa issues, health concerns, or military deployment, they may apply for a one-time deferral to the next entering class. 

However, if a candidate is accepted into the program and chooses not to enroll, they may submit an updated application (with the application fee waived) the following year.  (See above.)

All ESTEEM scholarship amounts granted from the original application are not guaranteed and will be reevaluated by the Admissions Committee.