New First Year Students
Quick Links
- Important Dates
- How to Apply for On-Campus Housing
- Accessing the Home Under the Dome Website
- New First Year Student Application
- Assignment Process for New Students
- Requests for Special Accommodation
Important Dates
- May 21 - New first year student housing application is available online at Home Under the Dome.
- June 3 - Priority deadline for new first year students to complete their housing application.
- June 3 - Deadline for new first year students to submit housing accommodation needs to the Sara Bea Accessibility Services Office.
- June 26 - First year student housing application closes.
- June 28 at 3:30 p.m. - First Year assignments are released to students who applied by June 3.
How to Apply for On-Campus Housing
Applications will be available following confirmation of enrollment starting in May; you will receive detailed information in your Admissions welcome packet. (Newly admitted students: access to Home Under the Dome is associated with your Notre Dame NetID. If you have not activated your NetID, please visit the Office of Information Technology's Online Help Center for information).
Accessing the Home Under the Dome Website
Students may access the Home Under the Dome website - our online housing application and information portal - via homeunderthedome.nd.edu. In order to log into the website, students must first have activated their Notre Dame accounts. Please read below to learn more about the account pick-up process. Once a student has activated their Notre Dame account, it may take 24-48 hours before they are authorized to access the Home Under the Dome website.
Once a student is confirmed, they will receive an email address, Notre Dame ID number (ndID), as well as a NetID (the portion of your email address before the "@nd.edu" part of your email). Once your NetID has been created by the University, you will receive an email to your personal email address with a link and instructions on how to activate your new account. You will be required to set a password, a security question, and enroll at least one device for a two-step authentication process. We recommend you complete the activation from a computer. If you do not receive the activation email or you experience problems, contact the OIT Help Desk at oithelp@nd.edu or Phone (574) 631-8111. To learn more about setting up your Notre Dame account, please visit the Office of Information Technology's FAQ page.
New First Year Student Application
The 2024-25 housing application for new first year students is available May 21 - June 3. All new first year students (all of whom will receive an on-campus housing assignment) are required to live on-campus as part of the six semester residency requirement. The University affirms the value of in-person community-style residential living as an essential component of the holistic formation of a Notre Dame education and expects that all required students will live on campus in 2024-25.
The housing application and contract are important steps to complete in preparation for arrival to campus in August. On the application, new first year students answer questions that will assist their rector with their transition to college, provide emergency contact information, and complete a housing contract. New first year students receive their housing assignment information - including their roommate information - if they have completed their housing application and contract.
Assignment Process for New Students
Residence halls are a “point of entry” for introduction into the broader University culture, and first-year students (all of whom will receive an on-campus assignment) are required to live on campus in residence halls with at least one randomly assigned roommate, and are not permitted to change roommates or transfer halls during their first year. This practice encourages first-year students to develop a shared sense of responsibility and to cultivate a capacity to live with people of all backgrounds. It also helps students to develop points of connection within their residence hall; to utilize support, help, and resources for themselves and others by consulting with hall staff; to resolve differences; to demonstrate ownership and accountability for their behavior; and to grow as active participants in Christian community. As such, first-year students may not request to live in, and are not allowed to transfer into, single rooms. Students with accommodation needs can receive consideration in their housing assignment as it relates their approved accommodation (learn more in the "Requests for Special Accommodation" section below).
Notre Dame is proud to have one of the highest first year retention rates in the country, thanks in part to the growth and formation in Christian community that begins with our random assignment process. All incoming students place their trust in this approach by selecting Notre Dame as their university of choice.
Requests for Special Accommodation
Students in need of special housing accommodations must be in communication with the Sara Bea Accessibility Services Office regarding these requests. All requests must be submitted by June 3 to the Accessibility Services Office in order to be considered for the assignment process. Accessibility Services will communicate with the Office of Residential Life regarding students who need accommodations prior to the assignment process.