Villanova

Villanova is an Augustinian university nested in the Main Line outside of Philadelphia.  What does it mean to be Augustinian as opposed to a Jesuit institution.  The head of admissions at Villanova explained it this way.  If a Jesuit invites you over, he will probably entertain you in his library while an Augustinian will bring you right into the kitchen for something to warm your stomach and soul.  Another way to characterize this distinction is when students were told in a well known speech “ not to let books get in the way of their learning.”  Translation, at Villanova, there’s more to your education that what you learn in the classroom and community service is a big piece of the pie.  While Villanova is a highly respected and competitive Catholic University, their goal is to educate the whole person, mind, body and spirit.  As one student puts it, “You will work hard Monday through Wednesday, have fun Thursday through Saturday and on Sunday you will devote your time to a good cause.

With regard to its academics, Villanova’s undergraduate business school was recently ranked 7th in the country and serves nearly a quarter of the student body.  Employers love Nova grads because of the real world experience they receive through the internship program.  The engineering program is also highly regarded.  The most popular majors include nursing , biology, finance, marketing and mechanical engineering. The school maintains a rigorous core curriculum.  Different schools have different requirements but all students must take a core humanities seminar that includes theology, English, math, social sciences, philosophy and for most students , science and a foreign language. The course stress discussion, writing and reading from primary texts. 

The social life at Villanova centers around campus events and parties.  There’s “Late Night at Villanova” which hosts comedians, bands, dance parties and open mic night. Approximately 25% of the students are Greek but fraternity houses and team houses are not allowed on campus which means no parties on campus.  Instead students buy tickets up to a week in advance and pay up to $30 and take buses to the events.