Hey everyone, Charlie Ortega here. My apologies for the lack of information of what Balfour has to offer. We are working on gathering media to make this website full of information and COVID slowed down progress significantly on that front. I will answer some questions that have come up that may be of use to y’all!
Q: When is the deadline for applications? How does the application process work?
A: The deadline is May 1st. Once the deadline has been met, we will work promptly on choosing some of you guys to advance to the interview round. We will conduct Zoom interviews and get back to you guys as soon as we can on whether we’ve admitted you to the program. Only incoming freshmen are invited to apply for Balfour, so if you don’t apply now you will not get a second chance!
Q: What will the summer program look like?
A: The admitted students will spend four weeks at Notre Dame this summer where they’ll live in dorms, take college-level courses, and immerse themselves into life at ND. Littles, as we call the incoming freshmen, will room with each other and have plenty of interaction with the Bigs, upperclassmen Balfour’s. Room + board, transportation, and other events will be funded by Balfour.
Q: What does Balfour look like after the freshman summer?
A: Y’all will take a one-credit course in the Fall that will meet once a week. After the summer, you can apply for different Balfour funding sources to do research, leadership, and academic endeavors. You will have your “cohort” which is everyone in your year, and the Balfour Student Board (BSB) will plan events for y’all. Balfour also has an annual networking event that goes to different cities, we’ve visited Austin and Chicago with our sights set on D.C. for our next trip! However, most of our scholars will agree that the most important thing Balfour provides is a sense of community. Don’t be surprised if you make a lot of great friendships and find yourself at home within the Balfour community.
I will be releasing a video soon with some of our seniors discussing why they think Balfour is worth it. I hope this helps for now. For any more questions please email me cortegag@nd.edu and congratulations on your acceptance into the University of Notre Dame 🙂