Villanova University Top Questions

Students are really involved here at Villanova with the most popular groups being Blue Key and Special Olympics. Sororities and Fraternities are also part of the social scence but not necessary. Villanova is passionate about its basketball team and games draw large crowds. Guest speakers such as Michelle Obama fill up stadiums and other smaller lectures are well attended. Tradition is also big on campus with Hoops Mania kicking off the basketball season and Nova Fest wrapping up the spring semester with a great day of activities concluded by a great band like the Goo Goo Dolls. Partying is what each student makes of it. Students often hold parties off campus and transportation to such can be difficult. Ticket parties occur a couple of times put on during the semester by frats. Tickets usually range from 20-30 dollars and are held at a bar in Philly. Philly is a great city to explore, but can be quite expensive. Restaurant week is popular and also Campus Philly day which allows students to explore the city at a low cost.

Sororities and fraternities are very popular. Club sports are also a big part of the school. Some of my best friends are in both my sorority and on club tennis with me. Everyone in the dorms leaves their doors open. My closest friend was met during orientation. People party throughout the week, mostly concentrated on the Thurs-Sat though. While Greek life does not run the school, it opens up many opportunities to get to know the university, its students, and all it has to offer. Sat nights do not have to include drinking. Off campus we go to dinner and shopping down the main line.

Greek life dominates the social scene and those not included can often feel very left out. Students rarely leave doors open. Basketball games are extremely popular. The best traditions are the all day party on West Campus on the Saturday of Novafest, Fiji Island on the night before reading day and Hoops Mania. People usually party Thursday, Friday and Saturday of every week, unless they have too much work to do. The best thing I have done at Villanova was a Spring Break Habitat for Humanity trip to Myrtle Beach. I met amazing people and learned priceless lessons. These trips are very popular at Villanova, with over 400 students participating last March.

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A lot of variety in activities! I'm pretty involved with the different service opportunities that Villanova offers. How social the dorms are depends on what dorm you are in - the smaller ones tend to be more friendly. A lot of people here meet, start dating and then get married in the Villanova chapel! If I'm awake at 2 am on a Tuesday, if not doing homework, I would likely be playing rock band or wii with my friends. A couple of great traditions are special olympics fall festival and novafest.

Students in dorms do leave doors open, usually good relations with neighbors. I met my closest friends because they live across the hall.

There is a lot to do at Villanova- the only problem is that everybody wants to do the activities, especially the popular ones like Blue Key, Special Olympics, and Orientation so you have to apply. The application process is competitive- but if you are unable to get into those clubs at first try, you can always apply again next year and there are plenty of other clubs to join on campus.

The social scene at Nova isn't crazy, and I wouldn't call it a party school either. But I've never been pressed with having nothing to do. Even if we aren't drinking, there's one of the biggest malls in the country located close by, and tons of restaurants down the street. Dorm halls range from small former-houses to huge 5 story, multi-winged buildings. You get a different experience with dorm life depending on your dorm hall, and I've lived in both large and small. I met my best friends in the tiny dorm building we had freshman year, where we kept our doors open all the time and did everything together. But this year in the larger building the doors stay closed, and I don't really know my neighbors. It's all a matter of the effort you make, really.

The most popular groups on campus are Blue Key which gives tours around campus, Intramurals which provides a variety of sports, as well as Special Olympics which holds the yearly competition. Within the dorms, a majority of students keep their doors closed. There are however special communities in which everyone within the dorm is very friendly and keeps their doors open. Because the student body is 6,400 the school is relatively small and although you do not know everyone, you can usually draw some sort of connection with everyone. There are a lot of strong sororities and fraternities influence on campus. Greek life is not allowed on campus but students usually have their letters in their windows to represent what sorority/fraternity they are in.

The men's basketball team is very popular, so the winter months often revolve around games on the weekends at the Wachovia Center. It is a good way to show your school spirit, and enjoy the company of your peers.