Villanova University Top Questions

The best thing about Villanova... it's size. And therefore its spirit. I love the fact that I can walk through the Oreo and recognize someone from class or that I've walked past before, and after a few steps more see a new face. It makes Nova feel like a home away from home - it really isn't far-fetched to say there is a kind of Villanova 'family' at work here. NovaFest especially brings this out, because for this one weekend the entirety of the school all put a mental stop on any pending exams, papers and homework and just laid back to drink, barbeque, and donate money together. I never felt more like a Nova student.

Villanova is the perfect size student body for me. The classes are roughly 20-30 students per class. You get to devlope a relationship with the professor, and attendence is important, especially the first two years. There are numerous councelers and peer guidence allecated to each student. The Villanova network is one of the strongest in the nation as far as connections and getting jobs/internships. It carries a lot of weight in the East coast but not so much on the West coast. The town of Villanova is small and near the Main Line; which is one of the wealthiest areas in the nation. There are huge mansions on numerous acres of land and you definetly get a sense of upperclass around the area. And then about 20 minutes away, you have the big city feeling of Philadelphia. The downside is that it is not a collegetown atmosphere minus the bars where the upperclassman go. And often times you have to take expensive cabs to get to places. The cops are strict and don't like college students. But when it's all said and done. Villanova was the BEST pick for me, and I met a lot of great people; everyone is driven, well rounded, and really want to do things with their lives. I had the year of my life and can't wait to go back in the fall for another year.

best thing: you can meet some great friends here. one thing i'd change: soph housing. most soph dorms are absolutely TERRIBLE. also, we NEED a performing arts center, desperately. size-wise: it's just right. could be a little smaller, but medium is a nice middle ground. how do people react when i them i go here: some light up and seem very impressed. others say "oh..." and trail off. others have never even HEARD of villanova unless i mention basketball! so it's a mixed bag. most time is spent in my dorm, or at the library. Not really a "college town," unless you head over to bryn mawr... administration = not incredibly connected to the students school pride = yes, lots of it. unusual = dynamic between the guys and the girls. very old fashioned, with guys mostly hanging out with guys while girls do the same with girls. i don't like it. student complaints = OVERPRICED MEAL PLANS! and crappy soph housing. Also, tolentine hall is as old as the hills and needs a renovation desperately.

Villanova, and the reason I think most prospective students end up choosing nova is because of the camraderie. The spirit among the students and the faculty too is what makes this campus so great. It is a place where everyone finds their home or their "thing". Its the perfect size because there is enough people to meet new people all the time but small enough that you will run into familiar faces when walking around campus. Faculty want their students to succeed. They are always willing to sit down and talk about classes or even family. The most frequent complaint I think is about the parties. There is always something to do but sometimes it is a little difficult to get a ride so you have to take a cab.

The word that best describes Villanova is "community." When first looking at the school as an option for college, I heard them use this phrase a lot but never quite knew what they meant. After spending three years here, the meaning is clear to me. Community is found at Nova in vounteer work around the area, Special Olympics every year, club and varsity teams, and evening masses on campus every Sunday given by the President of the school and attended by students of many religious backgrounds.

Villanova is a place that really takes a lot of motivation to get anything out of. The school provides you with everything that you need and much, much more, but you really have to get your ass up and say "I want to do this today because it is good for me to do." You can either choose to learn and be successful, live like a loser who has no friends and hate your way through college, or fit in perfectly with the "in" crowd, buy a bunch of madras shorts and Ralph Lauren oxfords, and simply coast until someone carries you along with them. People are generally either boring, ostentatious, quiet, or horribly obnoxious and stupid. You'll probably spend a lot of time thinking "Why do I spend so much money going somewhere where nobody cares about learning?" The thing to remember is that you really can learn a LOT at Villanova, you just have to ignore all the people who piss you off. The teachers are generally great and very accessible, and the class sizes never disappoint.

One major thing people think of when you say Villanova is basketball because we have such a well known program here. That aspect of school is extremely fun and unique. There are many schools who have large, well known programs, but there are few schools as small as ours with as much support and enthusiasm about our team. Every basketball game is a blast and you always know our team can come back from major defecates. We were down something like 17 with 4 minutes left in the game against LSU.(I'm not exactly sure about those numbers) We came back to win it on the final shot of the game. A major factor in that game was how our fans rallied and it was impossible to silence us. As an engineer, another part about school frequently asked is, do engineers have a life outside school? Although engineering is very rigorous and can seem overwhelming at times, it is not difficult to have lots of fun in addition to your studies. I have many engineering friends who seem to keep up a high GPA, are still involved in extracurricular activities, and still seem to keep up a pretty normal social life.

Villanova is just the right size, while you have the comfort of not being just a number when it comes to classes (attending, as well as getting written into them), problems (scholastic, financial, and/or personal, or just walking around school; there are enough students where you dont feel like you know absolutely everyone, there is familiarity versus complete anonimity and just being a number. It is steadily increasing in rank. Town where it is in is very safe but not that student friendly. Villanova's administration is great, always understanding, they really care about the students. It is catholic so you have to adhere to certain rules that at times seem stupid. School pride is great, basketball games, special olympics, etc... Most frequent complains are the special treatment certain people get, the more money you have the more you can get away with.

Villanova is a very friendly campus. I have never had to open a door for myself when other people are around. The sense of community at Villanova is completely palpable, as seen in how the campus comes together during events such as the Special Olympics, Basketball Season, and Nova Fest. As I wasn't involved much in service in high school, I was not expecting a very service-oriented school to change my mind. That changed about 2 weeks into school when I signed up to work at the Special Olympics. Since then, I have become so involved with service that I feel like I have done it my entire life. It is such a rewarding experience to participate in service with your peers. The best thing about Villanova is definitely the people. I have found so many people that are just like me. Obviously, you won't be friends with everyone you meet, but it is definitely big enough to meet a new group of friends but small enough to know a lot of people within the community. I would change the living situation for sophomores. Even though the Quad is the main hub of campus, the quality of the rooms is poor as compared to the rooms for the freshmen and juniors. When I tell people I go to Villanova, all of the stereotypes that I left New York thinking come back. They say "So you go to Vanillanova" or "Ha! Villanofun." However, I think that those people really have to experience Villanova, because I have not found either of those to be true. I am not a preppy person in the least but I still feel comfortable walking around in my beat-up Converse shoes as does the girl next to me in UGG Boots. On campus, I spend most of my time in the Connelly center. It is the main student center, and a great place to sit and do work. Everybody comes through, so it is a great social atmosphere. It has an ice cream shop, a restaurant, a coffee shop, an internet cafe, couches, lounges, a movie rental center, a movie cinema, everything a college student could want. As for the town surrounding Villanova, we are located within the richest part of Pennsylvania, so it is completely safe to walk outside at night, and I have never felt any need to use the safety call buttons, even though an officer could be there in 37 seconds. Right next to Villanova is Philadelphia, which, though it does not compare to my native New York, is still an amazing city. It is so historical, but also young and fresh with the music scene. We also have King of Prussia mall within driving distance, and it is the second largest mall in the country! The shuttles run there on the weekends, so we never have to pay for transportation. If you want to go somewhere, though, there are two train stations that run right through campus, which makes it easy to make the trip home. Like all college campuses, the students sometimes have issues with the decisions that the administration makes, but I don't have anything that has made me really upset with the Villanova administration. During basketball season, the school pride is busting through the seams of our Nova Nation fan shirts. The entire campus comes together to support our team and creates such a fun, energetic atmosphere among the student body.

College basketball is the best aspect of the school because it gives us great school pride. There is a big problem with diversity on campus- we need more minority and international students. The rules are very strict on everything, especially on parties and alcohol. The administration is too conservative and should do more to promote safe sex and allow kids to have fun. The campus, food and surroundings are very good. Most of the dorms are respectable. The campus does a poor job at providing fun activities and you need to leave Villanova to have fun.