Reviews

The class experiences are definitely rewarding if you put the time and effort into the course material. Those who stay reasonably caught up with assigned readings and homework will get a lot out of the courses and will find they learn much more than they would have expected going into the class.

The students on Villanova's campus are some of the most intelligent, friendly, and generally likable group of people you'll meet at any college environment. Everyone is very down to earth and it's easy to get into the social scene and enjoy yourself. The campus is easily navigable and not overly big, but at the same time not tiny so it is easy to get around. Overall it's a blast to be on Villanova's campus.

Villanova is definitely an expensive school; there's no getting around that fact. However, in terms of job placement opportunities after graduation, quality of instruction, and the amount of potential internships and networking opportunities available to students it's all worth the high cost. Many professors have extensive real life experience in their field of study and know exactly how to prepare students and get the most out of them in terms of academic potential.

Be prepared to take on a challenging workload and difficult course material initially. However, don't get discouraged as professors realize that the difference in academic expectations from High School to college will take some getting used to. It's important to stay on top of studies but attempt to have an involved social life and take advantage of all the fun activities and social outings that VIllanova has to offer.

Goal-oriented, ambitious, charismatic, outspoken and idealistic students.

Villanova University is a small spread-out community with very respectful individuals. Villanova University has many resources for their students and faculty providing the most for everyone with special events like mass, weddings, sport games and other festivities all while maintaining the credentials of an academic facility. Villanova University is known for its beautiful campus and wonderful community.

-Do not let the price of Villanova's tuition scare you from applying. If you have parents who are financially struggling and you want to apply to Villanova, go ahead because Villanova provides many grants included with your financial aid for your education. And every cent of your tuition goes towards not only your classes but great resources like the Fitness Center and tutoring.

-Do not let Senioritis from High School follow to to college and impact your academics. College is completely different from high school so expect to do some hard work. Studying, time management and effort is important in college, especially Villanova.

-Although Villanova has many Caucasian students on campus, they have students of many different races from Asians to African American students and Hispanics, who all have strong bonds with each other, like family. So, if you feel like you will be left out, don't be, you will definitely make really good friends at Villanova University.

No matter what major you are in or whether you are attending as an undecided major in the sciences or arts, the professors at Villanova University will always challenge you and give you a lot of coursework to better understand the subject. The work can get stressful but at the end the hard work you put in will all pay off. Professors are required to give you their office hours so take advantage of them because they help. Every subject including business classes have tutoring for their students. If you truly aim for an A, you can get it through hard work. The Falvey Library at Villanova University has many resources like the Math Center, for math help, the Writing Center, for proof reading and writing help, and even a Learning Support Services center, which help you with time management, study skills and other things. For each class you do have to put in two hours of study time at least. Even the language classes at Villanova University can get hard if you don't put the effort in.

Dorm Life:

I do not currently dorm since I am a commuter but I will be giving some insights on dorming and commuting.

Dorming- During freshmen year, you will most likely be with a roommate you do not know so you should set some regulations and negotiations with your roommate. There is an RA in every dorm, who you will meet once you moved in. They are there to help you work out problems with your roommates and provide you with information regarding your stay. You will have quiet hours when you cannot be loud and disturb others and even visiting hours for your parents. If you do not appreciate your roommate, you can move out and stay with one of your friends, RAs' will have to be notified and make changes though. Be sure to pack whatever makes you comfortable including bathrobes, since you will be sharing showers, air freshener, and lysol wipes, to clean toilet seats.
Freshmen get assigned roommates and dorms unless they request a roommate, sophomores should have already requested roommates and Juniors and Seniors reside in apartments.
Commuting- PA's SEPTA is never on time. If you plan on driving, you have to purchase a parking ticket from Public Safety to park your car, or be ticketed. There are very few commuters but Villanova does its best to get all the commuters together and you become family. Commuters tend to make good friends with students who dorm so if you want to sleep over, go ahead.

If you are dorming and not living in an apartment, Villanova requires you to get a meal plan, which you have to purchase. The meal plan has a contract of your meal plan and when you can get meals during the semester. Commuters have the choice of purchasing a commuters meal plan, a meal plan of their choice or none and just bring lunch from home. A meal plan includes breakfast lunch and dinner depending on the plan. If you have a meal plan, there are time restriction for when you can use a meal and price restrictions. With a meal plan you can purchase frozen yogurt, ice cream, lattes, anything which the Food Services Offers. They have Freshens, a frozen yogurt and Ice cream place, Holy Grounds, a coffee cafe, and other food places. Villanova also have a brown bag lunch, where if you can't stop to eat but need a brown bag lunch to get to class, you can contact them. They recently have opened a halal food request, where if you are Muslim, you can ask for a halal meal and they will provide you with one. You also have points added to your meal plan, which is like emergency money added to your meal plan in case you run out money to eat. Students tend to waste them on the first few months and regret it later.

MOVE- If you don't drink and you want to do fun things while sober, the Health Services plan trips like to Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Sky Zone and other places and charge you $10 or less. If you attend they refund it back because once you reserve a spot, and not go, you take away the opportunity from someone else who could have went.
If you make really good friends, you can always go out with them, Villanova does not have parties but there are neighboring colleges like Temple University and UPenn, where you can always go out to have fun.

Every penny is worth it if you are using your resources. Your tuition covers tutoring resources, Fitness Centers, Yoga sessions and anything on campus. If you are a religious Catholic student, you can go to the church on Sundays on campus, if you are not Catholic, go anyways and stare at the beautiful church. If you are a student who wants to play pool, there are pool tables everywhere, play the piano at the cyber lounge or Saint. Mary's dorm. Play basketball in the basketball court or tennis in the tennis court located on campus. If you want to make money, apply for a job on campus there are so many jobs available for students.

There are traditions like the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, where students participate in community service and help people out. It is optional to participate but it is fun when working with the people you know and seeing the changes you made to help those in need.

The Math Center: For students struggling or need help with math.
The Writing Center: For students who need their essay proofread, going through a writer's block and need ideas or writing help.
Learning Support Services: For students with learning disabilities, need help with time management, studying skills, etc.
The Counseling Center: For students with mental illnesses or just need to relax and talk about their problems
The Career Center: For students who want to practice interviews, plan resumes, need help deciding career choices, etc.
As well as other resources...

There are multicultural clubs like the South Asian Multicultural Organized Students Association (SAMOSA), Black Cultural Society (BCS), Asian Student Association (ASA), Villanova Indian Student Association (VISA), Muslim Student Association (MSA), etc.
There are clubs for different majors, athletic clubs like tennis and golf and there are even dance groups. Mostly all the clubs have grand shows and formals, which also provide leadership positions and other things for students.

The sororities and fraternities try really hard to have fundraisers and events for their members. You don't have to be a certain way to join a certain group, all the sororities and fraternities are nice however, you still need to register and apply to them. They all have a strong bond with each other as well as spread kindness and understanding.

The campus is really safe. You can walk out at 3 a.m. on campus and nothing will happen. Public Safety usually drives by around campus to make sure everyone is alright. I can guarantee that the campus is so safe that you can literally leave your stuff around and no one will steal it at certain locations.

At Villanova, they provide a very challenging course load but, the academic rigor follows a trend that provides the best type of learning situation for all of their students. As a freshmen, the school provides a challenging schedule yet carefully transitions students into the rigors of a college education. While the workload becomes naturally more challenging each year, each student enters into the next year of their college career fully equipped with all the knowledge needed to succeed. Most importantly, the work load does not inhibit social interaction. Students are still able to find time to enjoy themselves and make friends, thereby creating many memories and experiencing the full college experience. The one and only drawback, which can be found in any school, is the core curriculum that must completed before one is able to graduate. While it does allow for students to be more well rounded, it ends up creating scheduling problems. Also many of the required classes usually have nothing to do with the major you wish to pursue and often times seem pointless. These core curriculum classes do present certain scheduling issues but, through learning to handle these classes, one can receive a very good and well rounded education.

Villanova's campus is beautiful, and while it is spacious it is not so big that walking to class becomes a problem. The people at Villanova are extremely friendly and easy to get along with. There are many musical groups, theater groups, various clubs and intramural sports as well as the Greek life on campus which allow for a perfect social environment. If anything, social life on campus is not an issue. The food on campus in the dinning halls is decent at best. It varies depending on the special of the day. The A la Carte places on campus are very good. There are three main places on main campus; The Connelly Center, The Italian Kitchen and Corner Grille, all of which are very good. On West Campus, there is a small convenience store inside of St. Mary's Hall, Second Storey. This stays open until 2 every night and also serves very good food. On average, on a scale of 1-10 the food on campus gets a 7. Lastly, the dorm rooms vary from very good to decent/bad. The good freshmen dorms are Good Counsel, Caughlin ( All Girls Dorms), McGuire Hall (all guys dorm, aka: ManGuire), and Katherine. The South Campus freshmen dorm, Standford Hall is not nearly as good as the others, although, it is the social hot spot and the dorm where all athletes stay. In some of the bigger roomed dorms (such as McGuire and Good Counsel), the school makes forced triple situations where three people will be put in a room originally made for two. While this sounds like a terrible living situation and completely unfair, the school will take the cost 1 student must pay for housing and pay it back to those in the forced triple, splitting this three different ways and paying each student. Lastly, all of the freshmen dorms are air conditioned/ heated.

While the tuition at Villanova is at a steep 50,000 a year, it is well worth the money. The education level at Villanova is amazing. The amount of knowledge obtain is unmeasurable and the friendships you make are even more invaluable. The beautiful campus, great educational experience, and wonderful and friendly people only entices people into the welcoming family that is Villanova. I absolutely love Villanova and anyone who attends or has attended Villanova will say the same.

A couple tips which I'll number so that its a little easier to read:
1. Take as many AP's as you can! the more college credit going in the better, especially when trying to deal with the core curriculum at Villanova.
2. Start looking for scholarships ASAP! Tuition is in no way cheap.
3. Start buying school supplies now. Preparing early not only beats the rush but also allows you to double check and make sure you have everything you need, this is especially important if you live a long way from Villanova.
4. Be prepared to work when you first arrive on campus. Many time when people think of college they think of drinking and partying, and while that exist on Villanova's campus as well as all college campuses, it is important that time is taken to secure academic stability. Its a lot easier to maintain a good GPA than to revive a bad one.
5. Look online for school books. The books in the book store are marked up extremely high and are very expensive. If you can find a better deal take it.
6. At the end of the year, if you think you'll need a book for a future class, keep it. The few 10's of dollars you get back when you sell back to book is not worth you buying a similar book next year.
7. Keep an open mind in your academic major decision. Don't get so caught up in one major that you end up following something you hate.
8. Get involved! There are many groups on campus that fit every different kind of hobby from athletics to music and there is even a quidditch club (yes that soccer like game from harry potter.)
9. Last but not least... have fun and enjoy the college experience.

Easy going, goal- oriented, motivated

I am a current freshman at Villanova University and I love it here because there is an excellent source of community within the student body and the faculty. Everyone is willing to go the extra mile to help out a fellow wildcat. The campus is full of greenery and buildings with stone facades which add to the feel and the location is perfect, surrounded by a safe environment while simultaneously being located on the main line to center city Philadelphia.

Once you find what you are passionate about, Villanova will become passionate about you. Villanova is a liberal arts university with ranked business, engineering and nursing schools so the is something for everyone. Greek Life has a presence without overrunning the campus. There are seven talented acapella groups on campus. The Augustinian order contributes to the culture without dominating it. Every level of sports are offered for basically every sport. There is something for everyone here at Villanova, you just have to test the water and discover what you would like to do. You got to get involved, wherever you end up going, that way you can find our own community.

The courses at Villanova are designed to challenge the student body while remaining possible to accomplish. If any classwork is causing you too much trouble, the Writing and Math centers are full of people who have taken the same classes before you and they are happy to help out. The professors go out of their way to arrange office hours with any students who have questions about the material or anything in general.

Many Villanovan freshmen students do have to live in converted triples, which can become stressful at times, and as of now the senior housing is only in the planning stages. However overall, the dorm life is great.

There numerous Villanovan dining facilities located throughout campus. There are three buffet style locations and numerous a la carte and coffee shop the food is always good and there is something for everyone.

Every week a different movie plays at the Villanova Cinema. There are shuttles to the King of Prussia Mall every Friday and Saturday. Every Saturday there are off campus shuttles to the surrounding areas. There are two train stations on campus which can take students to any location on the main line. The university also has events every week which give students numerous enjoyable activities for fun.

Villanova is a widely recognizable university and it has a great alumni network. Everyone is willing to help out a fellow wildcat.

There is an activities fair every semester and there is something for everyone. There is Greek Life, Varsity, Club and Intramural Sports, service groups, religious groups, and honors groups. Whatever you are interested in, Villanova has something to offer.

Greek Life has a presence on campus without completely controlling it. Most students do not belong to any Greek organization, however they are available if you are looking to join one.

Villanova is located in a suburb of Philadelphia. The environment is extremely safe without being too far out of the way. Because we are on the Main Line, trains to Philadelphia are very cheap and run very frequently.

villanova is a medium-sized school with large-scale opportunities and resources. they value community, academics, sports, and the arts. there is something for everyone, and anything is possible here.

definitely apply early action. this shows interest in the school, and worst comes to worst, you are put into the regular decision pool. visit on a day classes are in session and tours are being given. you get to speak with current student ambassadors, go all across campus with impeccable tour guides from the blue key society, and finally meet with admissions counselors ready to answer all of your questions.

each school within villanova is different, but all require a good amount of work. some have tons of group projects, others have major tests that take lots of preparation, but everything is still kept fair. there's also a large core curriculum that each student must fill, ensuring that every graduate has a liberal arts education as well as their specialty.

most dorms are air conditioned and everything is being renovated. residence assistants are readily available and ensure a sense of community within the floor and the building as a whole. learning communities are a huge advantage, where freshmen get to take their augustinian culture seminar with people who also live in their building and also take a community-specific course with them. options for this include leadership, healthy living, art and culture, and international relations. a similar idea follows suit sophomore year, but it is community service oriented. juniors can have apartments on west campus, but senior housing is not provided.

there are three dining halls on campus which have a variety of options, including the longest salad bar on the east coast. other smaller options are available all over campus for late-night snacks, ice cream and smoothies, food off the grill, and italian food. nothing you can try here is bad, and half of it is made fresh right in front of you!

philadelphia is a quick train ride away, which is home to a million things to do including shops, restaurants, theaters, and museums. you can also stay on campus to participate in one of the fun things that the campus activities team has put together. bus trips occur every weekend to popular cities, shows, and sporting events. we also have a free movie theater on campus and plays to attend nightly. basketball games are extremely popular and the school spirit really comes through.

the tuition is high, and there's no getting around that. but villanova offers many scholarships for academics and sports, as well as need based aid. the financial aid department provides full financing options for every student, and works hard to make it affordable.

the oreo is a very popular statue in the center of campus, which serves as a meeting spot for many students. basketball games are extremely popular and every chant and cheer is certainly a villanova tradition. we have hoops mania which is a huge pep rally featuring a surprise musical guest. the end of semester dinner is also something to look forward to. students line up over an hour ahead of time to get the delicious lobster and filet mignon that the dining halls prepare.

villanova truly can appeal to any type of student. it is a primarily white school, but there are so many groups for everyone to participate it. no one feels like an outcast or too different to call it their home away from home. so if you're a student who wants to have a bright future ahead of them, make life-long friends, be proud of their school, and have a blast, villanova is right for you!

there are two huge activities fairs that pack the pavilion each year with stands set up all over encouraging students to get involved. everything you could possibly imagine is eager for new members, and if you can come up with something we don't already have, you can get your friends together and create it! we have everything from sports, arts, political groups, diversity groups, publication clubs, religious organizations, and our very own quidditch team.

about one-third of the students are a part of greek life at villanova, but unlike some other schools, greek life is just another activity people add to their lists. it is not the only thing someone is able to do. those involved in greek life can still join sports, be in a choir, and write for the newspaper. there are also no greek houses on campus, which separate the two worlds a bit.

i do not know anyone who has ever felt unsafe on campus. it is a gated campus with public safety constantly walking and riding the campus. if you ever feel unsafe, you can call public safety and they will come immediately and take you where you need to be. e-mails and text messages are sent in case of emergency, and smaller infractions are posted in the villanovan, our newspaper, as well as around residence halls.

The classes are without a doubt challenging but still intriguing. Professors take time to get to know their students and are willing to help you, if needed. With small class sizes, you will never be just a number. Even first year classes cover new, college-level material, instead of simply repeating things you learned in high school.

The Villanova community is amazing. Students are actively involved around campus and genuinely care about each other. The campus is gorgeous and brimming with school spirit. Classes are enjoyable. There's always something to do on weekends. It's hard to find something not to like.

Villanova is not the most affordable college in the country, but you're guaranteed a great education. Job placement is exceedingly high. The opportunities that are available are some of the best in the nation. If you want an internship, you can get one. If you want to study abroad, you can find a program. Additionally, you'll enjoy great facilities during your time at Villanova.

Have an open mind. Although Villanova is a Catholic university, it is extremely accepting of everyone. Visit campus. There is no better way to experience Villanova than to come to campus and see how the students interact with one another. For a great look at the student body, attend a basketball game.

Villanova is the perfect place for high-achievers. People who like to work hard but also have a lot of fun will fit right in.

There are many things to learn with in and outside of a classroom at Villanova. Villanova not only encourages you to become a better intellectual but encourages you to become a better person. Professors will help you alot. Many are easy to understand, you will enjoy the interactions in your classes and will be assisted with the many facilitiies available on campus. You can double major in one of the best business schools in the nation along with one of the best engineering schools too or even the well-know liberal arts school.

Apart from the great academics that are offered, Villanova is in easy reach of Philadelphia city. This provides a very balanced structure of enjoying the feel of being in a campus surrounding while being an arms length away from the city. The area has alot to offer. The second largest mall in the country, The King of Prussia Mall and much more. One would be satisfied if they spent their college years here.

Villanova will make every effort to give you the education that you deserve. They will reduce the financial constraints that hinder you from gaining a great college education as much to their capabilities. Its a great score that you can't go wrong with.

An open mind is all that is required to be here. Be open to challenges. The most rash things are things that may define who you are. We have many great people of different types and backgrounds. You will be the next new addition to our great community.

Though we are a big school, we strive to know each other. We cross paths with the same people so frequently through out the whole day, that it does feel like we are one big family. We strive to do the best we can because we want to do those things that lead us to believe in what we do is extraordinary. Be extraordinary because no one is ordinary.

Gorgeous campus in safe, beautiful Main Line with the academic rigor of any Ivy League school. Tremendous study abroad and internship opportunities. Great alumni network.

During our admission presentation, an admissions advisor, actually recommended taking your SATs as many as five times to get a perfect 1600. A student with a 1500 questioned the value of multiple test taking in terms of cost and time for diminishing returns. They were quite adamant that they want to see students strive to score as high as possible and to show that through multiple standardized tests. They said admission is based on:
1. Academic rigor available at HS
2. GPA and standardized test scores
3. Essays - (common and supplemental) They mentioned including Saint Augustine and to make sure you use semi-colons and commas properly and to please spell out numbers; and if you include Mass in your essay, make sure it is capitalized. The admissions office uses red pen to score your essays and they expect no grammatical errors. They spent quite a bit of time outlining this, so it is very important.

In my opinion, someone as a first time SAT taker, with a 1500-1550 on their SATs should be donating that extra expense of retaking the exam to charity or doing community service with the additional time required to get that perfect 1600. (sixteen hundred) The school is very lovely, but just did not feel overly welcoming and was a bit too pretentious, considering the spiritual mission of the university.

VERY RIGOROUS

beautiful

delicious

preppy and multicultural students

Villanova University is one big community where everyone is connected to each other. The faith throughout the campus is overwhelming and beautiful. I could not have wished for a more well-rounded university for me to attend.

Make sure you know what you want in a college, so then you can accurately decide if one school is the right one for you over another. Visiting the college or university that you are interested in is also recommended because what you read on the internet versus the actual experience of seeing the school can be totally different. If you are looking for a smaller size Augustinian school with school spirit and involvement in the students, then Villanova is the school for you.

I find Villanova University challenging on all subjects, but not to a point where I have never been able to figure out what to do or find help. Each professor is eager to help students with lessons. As long as you put in the effort, the grades will happen. As long as I did not procrastinate, I did not have trouble finishing up my essays, projects, and homework.

I participated in a learning community freshman year, which led me to be in a smaller dorm. I loved it! All the students were kind and respectful to one another. I never felt left out or annoyed with those around me. All of my best friends were from the dorm I lived in!

I did not get sick or tired of the food at all, during my first year at Villanova. There are dining halls, coffee shops, an Italian place, and a few more places to eat. This year 2012 there will be a new Italian place to eat that will even have gelado! There is the normal pizza and pasta, but also a sandwich and cheesesteaks part as well in all the dining halls. The options are always there, which leaves me to eat whatever I am in the mood for.

With Philadelphia less than an hour away, I was never bored on the weekends. During the winter, I even went ice skating at Penns Landing! There are also buses that take you to King of Prussia on the weekends, which is the 2nd biggest mall in America! There are also small towns next door with restaurants to eat at and places to shop! My favorite place is a breakfast restaurant called Minella's diner. It is opened during the late hours of the night as well, so if a midnight snack is ever needed that is the place to go.

I participate in the Villanova Dance Team, which performs at all the home football and basketball games and then compete at the end of the year at Nationals in Florida. I am also involved in the Environmental Learning Community, Service Learning Community, Engineering Without Borders, and I work at the library for a little extra money for the year.

There are 10 fraternities and 9 sororities, but I am not involved it Greek life. Those that I know who do participate in Greek life tell me that they love it. At the same time, though, I do not feel left out for not being part of it. I am happy with my decision to not be a part of a sorority.

There is public safety always around campus making sure that no trouble is happening. However, if you do not see public safety and feel threatened there are call boxes all over campus. All one has to do is press the button and public safety will come to where you are and drive you back to your dorm. Not only that, but police are stationed at all freshmen dorms at night to watch over the students. I always feel safe at school and all the public safety officers are friendly and eager to help you with whatever you need.

A large amount of the professors at Villanova University are very knowledgeable and are able to bring their material to life. Also, their office hours are very flexible for help outside of class.

Villanova University believes in community: everyone on campus quickly become close and are always willing to help. There are many extracurricular groups and club,s as well as club and intramural sports, that help students to make friends easily.

Be open minded and meet as many people as you can. Also, make sure you become well acquainted with your professors. An important tip not only for Villanova students, but for all college freshmen would be to never take time for granted. Always manage your time wisely and efficiently: every second counts.

Those who are responsible and manage their time wisely.