Villanova, sometimes shortened to Nova, is a private Catholic university in the Philadelphia suburbs. The school is super famous for its basketball team, but they have a lot more going on. They have a strikingly beautiful campus, six undergraduate schools, a commitment to service, and much more. While they are very proud of their Augustinian Catholic status, you do not need to be catholic to go to Villanova. Last year, they had a . They have also extended their test-optional policy until 2030. Notably, they also publish how many students are accepted without test scores, and last year, 54% of their incoming class didn’t submit. So, when they say test-optional, they really mean it.

We have written about their supplement in past years. However, they have changed it a bit this year. While they always publish great essay tips on their, we also wanted to revisit their supplement and share our expert advice.

Nova lets you choose between 5 prompts this year, but some are more accessible than others. Let’s break it down.

For the Villanova-specific essay, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of your thoughts, experiences, and opinions. Choose one of the five topics below and submit a written response in about 250 words.

Prompt One:
St. Augustine states that well-being is “not concerned with myself alone, but with my neighbor’s good as well.” How have you advocated for equity and justice in your communities? 

This prompt isn’t for everyone. If you are someone really involved in your community, service, and social justice, you can take this on. If that doesn’t sound like you, skip this question. Volunteering once a month isn’t enough here. It’s like posting a black square to Instagram. It’s cringe to answer this question if you aren’t super involved and can tell a good story.

That being said, if you are super into justice in your community, tell a good story and bring us back to a time when you stood up for what’s right. Your story should have a beginning, middle, and end. On top of that, you need to show a passion for your advocacy.

Prompt Two:
What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others at Villanova? 

We like this question because anyone can answer it. Everyone has learned lessons in their lives and you should choose one that is important and feels essential to you. Much like the first prompt, you should also tell a good story. You want to give us the context for how and why you learned this lesson.

This is also a great way to show humility. Sometimes, students like to pretend they know everything and are perfect. Don’t do this. Don’t be afraid to show some vulnerability and growth.

We also love if this is an unexpected lesson or if you learned it in a unique way. Being a little quirky here will help differentiate you. For example, sharing is always a good lesson, but it might make a more exciting essay to tell about how you learned it through doing a baking challenge with your friend group rather than in more conventional ways.

Prompt Three:
"Villanova" means "new home." Why do you want to call Villanova your new home?

So, this isn’t the most creative prompt, but it’s still a good question. This question just boils down to “Why do you want to go here?” They used to make everyone answer this question, so it is a little interesting to see it as only an option now.

Anyways, this question is a college supplement classic for a reason and we see it so often that we have a bit of a formula about how to approach it. Before we get into writing it, you need to research the school. The more you know about Villanova the easier this will be to write. Once you are a Nova expert, your essay should follow this rough outline.

The first step is introducing what you hope to study with a short “origin story.” Really, this is just a brief personal story that connects to an academic passion. For example, if you hope to study Chemistry, maybe it was winning first place at a science fair. You then want to state that you wish to continue your passion as a ____ major at Villanova.

Then, it is time to back that up with facts about Nova. This is where your research is going to serve you well. You want to name at least two specific higher-level classes in your major and why they perfectly align with your academic interests and/or experiences. You should do the same with a Professor you want to work with. You can also mention any other specific academic opportunities that you would be excited to take advantage of once on campus. However, make sure they are specific. Remember, you are trying to prove why you want to be at Villanova, not just any college.

Once you have thoroughly discussed academic opportunities, you can talk about campus life. This has to be a lot deeper than “the campus is pretty.” You should talk about specific clubs and extracurriculars that connect to your interests. For example, if you are a tutor at your current school, maybe you would write about joining Villanova’s Rays of Sunshine to help tutor kids. You want to choose activities that allow you to talk about yourself and what you are currently doing.

Finally, wrap it up by leaving the reader with the idea that you are perfect for Villanova and that Villanova is perfect for you. It is a lot to get in about 250 words, but we think you can do it!

Prompt Four:
As an Augustinian community, we value recognizing individuals for their true selves. Please share with us a time when you were misjudged based on your identity, background, experiences or interests.

We don’t love this question. It's not that it's a bad question. However, sometimes, it leads to less-than-ideal answers that don’t always paint students in the best light. Many students think that trauma dumping or just identifying themselves as part of a marginalized group answers this question. That isn’t really what this question is asking for. Instead, they want you to focus on a time that you were misjudged and how you overcame it.

Stories that work well for this question are often on the smaller end of the scale. Remember, it is only 250 words; if you are trying to take on everything about homophobia with that length, your answer won’t work. Ideally, you want to tell the story of a single instance of you being misjudged.

For example, maybe your boss didn’t think you were ready to handle an extra responsibility at your job because you are still in high school. Tell us the story about how you took it on anyway and excelled. Or maybe your older brother didn’t think you could beat his friend at basketball because you are a girl, but you had been training for months and could. This can be that simple. But remember, you want to showcase your strengths more than you want to take down the patriarchy here. Keep it to a personal story.

Prompt Five:
At Villanova, we often say "each of us strengthens all of us." Please detail a time when someone has borrowed some of your strength in their time of need.

This is another question that everyone can answer. You have helped someone at some point. This question uses some kind of (TBH) Hallmark Christmas movie wording, but it really just wants you to tell that story.

While the word “strength” feels a bit weighty, it really is just any skill that you have used to help others. Maybe you are a great listener. Maybe you are really thoughtful. Maybe you show up for those close to you. All of these are strengths that you could use to help someone. Strength is also a strength! You don’t have to be as literal as “helping a friend move,” this should be more about emotional strength. Think more about talking a friend through a hard move because they are upset about changing schools senior year and becoming their pen pal to cheer them up.

Consider the things you do for others and how you help the people around you. We really love small stories here. For example, being a good older sister through your younger sister's daily temper tantrums. However, bigger stories can also work. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew in 250 words.

Villanova gives you a lot of options, and multiple of them are excellent choices for all students. Take some time to choose which is the best for you. If you don’t know where to start (with Villanova or any of your supplements), we would be happy to help!

Want expert help? Contact us here!