If you have any doubt about what Villanova’s missions are, one of them is right on its home page, front and center: Ignite change.
Let’s break down what that means. First, Villanova doesn’t want just great thinkers or great students on campus; rather, it wants great doers (or, if you will, “igniters”). Second, if any word can describe our world over the last several years, it’s “change.” So it’s probably no surprise that Villanova’s supplements this year (in large part) give you the opportunity to explore how you have and will make change—within yourself, within your larger community, and even globally.
Inciting all this change may seem like a lot of responsibility. Documenting it in these essays may seem even more so. Take a deep breath. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Better? Good. We’re here to answer your many questions and put your mind at ease.
Want to get a better sense of what Villanova is looking for before you start writing? You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. For deep insights into how this private research university envisions student success (and how it wants to grow and evolve), read its strategic priorities. Reading through this will give you a strong idea of Villanova’s values.
Because these prompts are new this year, we don’t, unfortunately, have many Villanova-specific samples to share. But what we do have for you are the tips, tricks, and insights that will help you analyze the prompts and create thoughtful responses to them. So let’s dive right in.
What are the Villanova University supplemental essay prompts?
Villanova Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
Please select one of the four essay prompts listed below to fulfill the writing requirement. Please respond in about 250 words.
- 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?
- What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others at Villanova?
- "Villanova" means "new home." Why do you want to call Villanova your new home?
- 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.
- 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.
How to write each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Villanova
how to write Villanova Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
- 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?
- What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others at Villanova?
- "Villanova" means "new home." Why do you want to call Villanova your new home?
- 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.
- 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.
Let’s take those one at a time.
Villanova expects its students to demonstrate its Augustinian values of Veritas, Unitas, Caritas (Truth, Unity, Love) through both their work toward the common good and their support for one another. This prompt offers you the opportunity to show just how well you walk the walk and talk the talk (and, well, write the essay). How? In four easy(ish) steps:
Step 1: Find your “what” and “why.” Don’t feel like this activism had to have been big. Maybe you organized a Black Lives Matter event in your small conservative town that resulted in a mindset shift among local leaders and law enforcement. But maybe you simply volunteered to register 18-year-olds to vote in front of Town Hall. No less important or impactful. More important than the size of the event is how passionate you are about your topic. So think: What is it that really matters to you? What topic engages your inner problem-solver? Is it gun violence in school? Dress code equality? Vaccine mandates?
Step 2: Now identify your “who.” You can take a similar small-to-large approach when considering the community you’ve advocated for. Remember: You belong to a number of communities. Family, school, work, teams and clubs, neighborhood, state, global. And you serve unique roles in each. To help you brainstorm this part, here’s a guide that can help you think through the different communities you’re a part of.
Step 3: It’s time to outline your “how.” What specific actions have you taken—not just to raise awareness about this societal issue, but to also take concrete action toward creating that equity and justice? It could be as simple as a conversation or as big as a foundation you’ve started (or bigger). Villanova wants to see those concrete steps that have transformed you from “thoughtful idealist” to “action-oriented changemaker.”
Step 4: When you go to write, heavy up the details. While the devil may be in the details, the details will help you show your commitment to equity and justice in one or all of the communities you belong to. Tell that richly detailed story about your efforts. Let the admission officer see you’re more than a thinker. You’re someone who takes action—and Villanova is the place to do it.
Here’s an example essay that can show you the direction to head here.
Example essay:
My passion for service began with spending weekends sorting food at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ). Over the past three years, my experience at the CFBNJ has not only exposed me to the issues surrounding food insecurity but also the other various social determinants of health, including access to quality education. Through events at the food bank, I learned that close to 90% of children and teens who grow up in poor communities are attending underfunded schools, contributing to the lack of quality education and resources. The differences in my younger sister's workbooks and online resources compared to those of my students were truly eye-opening. While she had access to dozens of practices and games to enhance her skills, these children did not.
As the President of the Teen Leadership Council at CFBNJ, I aimed to make a greater impact on my community and to reach a larger number of students. I reached out to my advisor to discuss my idea of introducing a volunteer tutoring program for the underprivileged students at the food bank. My focus was not only on cultivating academic proficiency but also on further fostering these students' critical thinking, effective communication, and independent learning skills. Working with the CFBNJ team over the summer, we crafted tutor application forms, reached out to underserved schools, and connected with the food bank's vast volunteer community and Teen Leadership Council in order to recruit passionate and qualified tutors. The tutoring program is now being piloted out of a local middle school to help students, specifically ninth graders as they transition into high school. (266)
What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others at Villanova?
General tips for addressing this prompt:
Get school-specific. Villanova is showing you the way here. Because school officials explicitly reference the Villanova community, make sure you’ve done your research and cite resources you might like to engage with given the communities you are, or want to be, part of. Check out our “Why us?” guide for more help on connecting your experiences to what you'll bring to Villanova.
Keep it simple. You might be super jazzed about your topic. That’s great! You definitely want that enthusiasm to shine through. That said, the prompt asks specifically for you to elaborate on a lesson you’ve learned. When you explain what you’ve learned, try to be as succinct as possible. You want your reader to walk away knowing your answer to the question. That will also make it easier for you to think of specific examples to illustrate how you’ve grown from the lesson you’ve learned.
Use active verbs so readers get a clear sense of what you’ve done. This just makes things more engaging and dynamic overall. Check out our epic list of verbs on this blog post for more inspiration.
Here’s an example we love.
Example:
I ran into a pole in first grade, so my elementary school painted all of their poles bright yellow. I like to think that I made an impact on that school just as much as that pole made an impact on me. Early on, I learned that people’s small actions can be catalysts for significant change that is often larger than themselves.
By high school, I was more aware of my surroundings and interested in making a different kind of impact. I leapt at the opportunity to spearhead a new Bedford Academy Opportunity trip to Cambodia: Changing the Way the World Views Girls—I was determined to travel with a purpose. Our agenda was packed: we taught English in remote villages, witnessed the effects of sex trafficking, and heard from twelve-year-old abuse survivors. I was not expecting this trip to alter my own perspective on women’s equality as much as it did; I was shocked to realize the extent to which women are discriminated against everywhere.
I have never forgotten that I have the ability to be a part of the solution, which is why through the Speak Up For the Poor organization, I created a branch to Cambodia advocating for the education of girls in impoverished communities. I would bring the lessons from this work to the Villanova community by connecting with student organizations, such as TedxVillanovaU and Villanova Feminism Society, to provoke discussion on uplifting women through education.
I truly believe that one person has the capability to make a difference. I want to share my story to encourage others to find something that they are passionate about in order to inspire change. In this way, I can ensure that my impact on Villanova will last longer than yellow paint.
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Tips + Analysis
Don’t discount the small moments. At its core, this question is about demonstrating growth. You don’t have to have had a huge revelation in an epic movie-worthy moment to have learned an important lesson. In this student’s case, he ran into a pole. At first glance, not super impressive. However, the way he describes it humorously and succinctly helps readers see how this small moment of clumsiness drastically impacted his way of approaching the world. Big lessons can come from seemingly insignificant actions, events, or thoughts. Showing that you can find meaning in these moments is impressive and essay-worthy.
Connect to communities. Remember that “community” is the key word here. After his brief introduction about walking into a pole, the author uses his next two paragraphs to elaborate on two specific organizations he’s part of that relate to the lesson he learned from the pole incident. Remember, even though the focus of the question seems to be on the lesson, it’s actually more interested in how the lesson prepared you to do something impactful afterwards. You walked into a pole and learned this abstract lesson about how small actions can catalyze big change ... so what? The bulk of your essay should be spent answering the implicit “so what” of this prompt.
Transition to Villanova. Although a lot of your essay may feature the you of high school, remember that Villanova wants to know how you might use the lesson you’ve learned to contribute to its student body. This student does an excellent job of quickly tying the “small actions, big consequences” lesson to his interest in clubs at Villanova, like TedX and the Feminist Society. Make sure to include at least 2-3 sentences about Villanova-specific resources toward the end of your essay.
Circle back to the catalyzing moment or action. You don’t want your reader to forget what lesson you learned, even if this essay is really more about the “so what.” The lesson is the common thread that structures your answer. It serves as an organizational tool to connect disparate communities you’re part of. Because of that, you want to briefly bring it up again in the conclusion of your essay. In this case, the author does this by circling back to the pole-walking incident and using it as an analogy for the impact he hopes to have as a student at Villanova. You don’t have to do exactly the same thing as he does, but you should be thinking about how you can reaffirm the relevance of the lesson you learned at the end of your piece.
"Villanova" means "new home." Why do you want to call Villanova your new home?
This is Villanova’s version of the “Why us?” essay, with an emphasis on the Villanova community. Before you start writing, we recommend checking out this complete guide on how to write the “Why us?” essay. Pay close attention to the “Why Cornell” and “Why Penn” examples, which are our favorites, and because this is a pretty short “Why us?” prompt, check out the “Why Tufts” example. As you research Why Villanova specifics, think about options that allow you to talk about how you'll add to its community—in other words, how you’ll use your experiences/skills/talents to enhance the fabric of the Villanova campus.
As you write, try to avoid these common mistakes:
Mistake #1: Writing about the school's size, location, reputation, weather, or ranking.
Mistake #2: Simply using emotional language to demonstrate fit.
Mistake #3: Screwing up the mascot, stadium, team colors or names of any important people or places on campus.
Mistake #4: Parroting the brochures or website language.
Mistake #5: Describing traditions the school is well-known for.
Mistake #6: Thinking of this as only a "Why them" essay.
Here’s a great example of how you can answer this prompt:
Example 3:
I have always wanted to expand my knowledge of animals past avians and domestic pets, and explore entomology, a subject that I have yet to discover. I wish to research different kinds of insects at The Iyengar Lab, specifically arthropods near Villanova, where I can contribute to the community by researching more about local wildlife. Additionally, I want to meet poets and fiction writers in spring during the Villanova Literary Festival and learn about their unique writing styles. Through the RUIBAL Challenge, I can inspire young, underserved students in Philadelphia to discover their interests and find joy in learning. (99 words)
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Tips + Analysis:
Get to the point—fast. With just 150 words on the countdown timer, now is not the time for flowery phrases and subtleties. Jump right into your essay—much like what Villanova hopes you’ll do on campus—and share how you’ll contribute. In just four direct, to-the-point sentences, we learn so much about this student: a fascination with living creatures, a love for the written word, and a dedication to serving the community.
Show some diversity. It might be tempting to spend your whole essay exploring one aspect of Villanova that makes it the must-attend university for you. But we wouldn’t recommend it. Why? You (should) know from your research that Villanova is focused on community and knowing how its students are working together for the greater good. So share how you’ll contribute to different parts of the Villanova community, in and out of the classroom. The student above does just that, covering their contributions to the lab, the campus, and the Philadelphia community.
Take as much as you give. As you’re considering why you want to call Villanova home for the next four years, don’t just think about what you’re going to give. Also consider what you’re going to get. Good relationships are balanced, and your relationship with your college is no different. So while tip #2 addresses what you’re bringing to Villanova, you also want to demonstrate that the Nova Nation is going to fit your needs, too. What opportunities does it offer that dovetails perfectly with your interests? If your curiosity is piqued by insects (and why there are so darn many), like this student’s is, then it’s clear a school with an entire lab devoted to researching the sexual selection of insects is the right place for you.
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.
Option 1: 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?
Option 2: St. Augustine states that wAs an Augustinian community, we believe that you should see people for who they are. Please share with us a time when you were misjudged based on your identity or background. ell-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?
Take note of a recurring theme in these prompts: they’re focusing on Villanova’s Augustinian roots. As stated on their website, Villanova is the only Augustinian Catholic university in the United States. So if you haven’t already, you might poke around the “Mission and Ministry” part of Villanova’s website to learn a bit about what being an “Augustinian community” means to Villanova.
This prompt is asking for a personal story, a moment in your life when you felt others made quick judgments or assumptions about you based on your identity or background. Note that you can take a fairly broad definition of “identity or background.” Sure, this can be an essay that focuses on a moment related to your ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, or religion, but it can also focus on any other facet of your identity.
No matter which aspect of yourself you explore, note that this isn't simply about recalling an incident; it's about reflection. This means that it's crucial to not just describe the event, but to delve into how it made you feel, how it affected your perception of yourself and the world, what you did in response, and what you learned from it (which ideally should have something to do with Augustininian values).
There are a lot of ways you could successfully tackle this prompt. One way could be as a mini narrative essay that makes the following beats:
Describe the moment. Use specific details to put us in that moment where you were “misjudged based on your identity or background.”
How’d you feel / what needs did you have? When you were misjudged, what thoughts went through your mind? What emotions did you feel?
What actions did you take, and what did you learn? The goal here will be to try to connect what you’ve learned to Villanova’s Augustinian values. To be clear, you don’t need to frame being “misjudged” as a good thing. This doesn’t need to be an essay where you say something like “gee, being misjudged wasn’t fun, but thank goodness it helped me learn [insert value]!”
Example:
I toss the ball to second, knowing the precise moment my shortstop, Charlie, will reach the base. I know because we’ve done this together for 10 years. He throws to first, a perfectly executed 4-6-3 double play.
I love sports. Nothing else gives me the same feeling of connection to my peers as we push our limits.
But when I leave the field, that connection disappears. While I excel on the field, I’m also a total nerd in the classroom. My teammates define themselves as athletes, and academics make me ‘other.’
When I joined the team, I was targeted for being nerdy and quiet. The worst part was my three best friends of 10 years, including Charlie, laughed loudest. They isolated me, calling me “nerd” or “gay” (homophobia is common among athletes here). I didn’t know how to voice my feelings of pain and betrayal.
At first, I tried to conceal the other parts of me and play only the athlete role around them. I even tried laughing along with their mockery. But denying my true self only made me feel more alone. I stopped pretending.
On the field, I became a leader, even being made captain. Off the field, I became a one-man team. I learned to value the varied parts of myself, to define myself instead of letting others do so, but I also know there is someplace, both in and out of the classroom, where I can be accepted as a nerd, athlete, and so much more. (250 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Quickly put us “in” a moment. 250 words isn’t enough space to describe an extended anecdote about your entire history with baseball / theater / volunteering, etc… It is enough space to do what this writer does: quickly and efficiently use details to show the writers a key, context-building experience. Later on in the essay, the author quickly references moments with language like “Charlie laughed loudest.” Note that we don’t get an extended description of the hurtful moments that led to that laughter, but we don’t need them, do we? A sufficient picture is painted for us by the author’s careful use of key details.
Vulnerability & Growth. The heart of this essay delves into the writer’s experience of isolation and pain. Their admission of trying to fit in, even at the cost of denying their true self, is a pretty vulnerable thing to admit. But it's not all about struggling. The subsequent transformation from a silenced team member to a confident captain paints a powerful arc of growth. That transformation was true for this writer, and if it’s true for you, too, great! Feel free to write about it. But know, too, that sometimes, pain is just pain. You don’t need to frame a hurtful experience as ultimately contributing to your growth. Instead, you could explore how those experiences helped you learn about yourself or others.
Concluding with Self-Acceptance. The ending gracefully ties back to the Villanova prompt, emphasizing the importance of seeing people for who they are. The applicant acknowledges the various facets of their identity and expresses a hope to find a space where all those aspects can coexist harmoniously. They don’t explicitly name-drop Villanova as that place here. This is a great example of restraint—if they did say something like “I haven’t found that place yet, but I’m sure it’s Villanova!”, they would have risked making the whole story feel a bit contrived. Instead, by focusing on values, not a specific place, the writer’s determination to define themselves, rather than being defined by others, leaves a lasting impression.
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.
First things first for responding to this prompt: define the challenge.
Given that you only have 250 words, you might want to focus on a single, specific experience as opposed to several challenges. Maybe you begin by outlining a specific challenge or adversity you helped someone face.
Whether it’s academic, personal, emotional, or physical, the clearer you are about the challenge, the better readers will understand the context. A reminder that it doesn't have to be a dramatic life-altering event.Once you’ve identified a challenge, identify the “others”. I.e., who are the folks who borrowed your strength? Maybe it was a friend you lent an ear to, or a family member you supported. It could even be a group or community you're a part of.
By highlighting these individuals or groups, you're showcasing aspects of who you are and what you value.
Finally, reflect on the mutual exchange, as strength is often a two-way street. While you offered strength, were you also supported? How did your experiences shape how you interact with your community or peers? Reflecting on this reciprocal nature of strength can provide a powerful ending to your response and aligns perfectly with the essence of Villanova's statement, "each of us strengthens all of us."
Because this is a new essay prompt, we don’t have an example written specifically for it.
Rather than candy, Nick (he/him) went searching for people’s vacuum cleaners when trick or treating. He’s since found other ways to help people clean, usually involving their essays (though he has great ideas on carpet maintenance, too). He earned a degree in Psychology from Bates College, where he rowed boats and acted in plays. Teaching high schoolers English for seven years taught him about the importance of presence and knitting sweaters. He sweats a lot, usually on purpose, and usually involving running shoes, a bike, or a rock climbing harness. His greatest fear? Heights. His greatest joys? Numerous, though shared laughter is up there.
