Villanova University is a private Catholic school in Villanova, Pennsylvania. There are 6,500 full-time undergraduate students, and a Villanova degree is considered one of the best economic values in the United States.
Villanova is a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and puts a significant emphasis on community service. To maintain and grow their nurturing and caring community, they look for applicants who exemplify the three core values of the university: Truth, Unity, and Love. The acceptance rate is 27.5%
This year, Villanova has completely switched up their supplement with new prompts and new expectations. The supplement is comprised of two short essays, one 250-word essay, and one 100-word essay, but they aren’t too strict on work counts. When it comes to sticking to the limit, they emphasize their flexibility. However, we advise students to aim to be within 10% of the total word limit — and never go above it. This means that for a 250-word supplement, you should aim for 225-250 words.
Select one of the following prompts and respond in 250 words or less:
A) What is the truest thing that you know? How did you come to this conclusion?
This is a fascinating prompt, and we’re all here for it. It offers so many different avenues for exploration, guiding without pigeonholing you into one particular perspective or type of answer.
If you should choose this prompt, you can go soft or hard on it — a soft truth or a hard fact. For example, a hard fact would be gravity, whereas a soft truth may be the importance of community. Whatever you select to dive into, you need to be careful not to get up on a high horse. Your college application is not a debate stage, and you shouldn’t try to convince someone to agree with you. Instead, tell a story. They’ve already emphasized that they want to see your journey, so share it with them.
One last thought on this one. Despite Villanova being a Catholic school, we recommend not talking about God here. If you were to say that the thing you know to be true is biblical, you’re going to fall into a mass of essays that will do just that to a monotonous effect. If you were to write about another religion, it might read as an attempt to stir up discontent for no good reason.
B) Villanovans are known for "holding doors open" because inclusion is at the core of who we are. Take us on a journey through your background and describe how your life experience has shaped your understanding of the word "inclusion."
Attention: This is not a request for an autobiography. Please do not run through the last 16 years of your life in 250 words. Focus on one specific activity or thread in your life and follow it over a few years. As you brainstorm an area of your life to focus on, keep the word “inclusion” in the front of your mind. For us, inclusion links closely to community, so we are driven to look for the perfect answer in the communities that we value and hold most closely, whether they are family-centered, cultural, religious, academic, athletic, social, or a structured extracurricular.
C) Generation Z is arguably the most technologically savvy cohort in history. They find answers to questions, discover troves of new music, or even start the next global social movement, all within seconds. How has this seemingly limitless connectivity influenced the person you have become?
TBH: We don’t love this question. We think most students who answer it will end up with pretty similar responses. They will say that tech is complicated, but “yay!” for connection. They will lament how much we all look at our phones before telling a story about keeping their face down on the table when out with friends. Maybe they built an app to help their peers disconnect more. While each student who picks this prompt may feel like their answer is unique, it’s unlikely that they won’t blur together into one generalized narrative that makes an application reader’s eyes glaze over.
Our two cents? Skip this one. It reads more like a rhetorical question posed by the New York Times editorial board than a helpful metric to determine your spot at Villanova.
D) In St. Augustine's book Confessions, one of the themes is the idea of redemption and second chances. Tell us a story about second chances. It can be your experience or one that you have come across through others or through media.
We suspect that many students will try to use this prompt as a way of explaining away things such as poor grades, disciplinary action, or another blemish on their record. This is absolutely not the place to address those things. That is what the additional information section is for.
If you insist on trying out this prompt and your answer is akin to an apology, stop and try a different one. Preferably A or B, please.
The Why Nova Essay (100 words): Why do you want to call Villanova your new home and become part of our community?
This is a classic (albeit short) “Why Us?” supplement with a community-focused twist. Try to fit your major, a professor you’d like to study under, a class you’d like to take, and a specific reference to a part of the Villanova community (a club, non-academic program, or residential community) all in 100 words or less. Is that a lot to ask? Yes. If you have to cut something, cut the mention of a specific course — but try your hardest to get it in!
If you aren’t sure how to apply to a religiously-affiliated school or are wondering if a Catholic college could be right for you, send us a note. We help students navigate the complex web of college options to find their perfect fit.