Villanova is looking for contribution, intellectual curiosity, and good community members 

Villanova’s admissions page has a lot of personality. 

The school comes off as proud of its heritage — an Augustinian Catholic school, which is unique in the US — and also as intellectually curious (quoting St. Augustine abundantly) and kind (St. Augustine seems to have valued kindness, making him well worth quoting). 

These insights are a key to what Villanova is looking for. 

First, like all colleges, they are looking for the 5 Traits:

• Drive (grit)
• Initiative
• Contribution
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Diversity of experience

But in particular, Villanova’s questions point to some of these traits in partiular.

They’re obviously excited about contribution (kindness, community, giving back to others) and intellectual curiosity. Further, their questions mention “community” three times, so it seems clear that what you’ll contribute to the community and how you’ll value it matters to them — this implies both contribution and diversity of experience.

Essays play a bigger role in admissions than most students think: a strong essay can increase chances of admission by 10x. A strong essay is one that demonstrates the student’s character traits by discussing their experiences that show those traits. 

Put succinctly, a strong Villanova answer will show that you will succeed at Villanova and beyond. 

A strong essay is not one that “tells your story.” Yes, we are contradicting Villanova’s top “pro-tip,” in which they say, “Your writing supplements are a window into your truest self. Share what makes you unique and express yourself authentically.”

Well, “authentically,” we agree with. But “what makes you unique” is pretty broad. Villanova is not looking for broad. Again, they’re looking specifically for evidence that you’ll succeed on their campus. So make sure that everything you write is geared toward showing off 1 or more of the 5 Traits.

Q1 — Before you choose a prompt, decide what experiences you want to showcase  

Only when you have a good idea of which of your high school experiences show off the 5 Traits should you consider the prompts — you want to slot your best stuff into them (not have them distract you from what best shows your potential). 

So invest some time in brainstorming. Write down a long list of your: 

• Academic interests
• Extracurricular activities and interests
• Self-learning or independent projects you’ve undertaken
• Work experiences or substantial domestic obligations
• Any other skills you’ve developed or meaningful experiences you’ve had

If you create a free Prompt account, you can develop these ideas through our brainstorming modules. 

Once you’ve taken that time, you can better navigate what experiences show off your college potential. The very best should go into your personal statement. (Re-write your personal statement if that’s not so!)

But the “next-best” after that should find their way into your Villanova Free Choice answer. 

Q1 — Show off your potential to succeed [Examples included for all 5 prompts]

Here is the “free choice” intro:

Writing Supplement #1: Villanova Free Choice (2022-23)

For the first 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.

Let’s take each choice one by one — remember, you should start by deciding on your best experiences (that best show potential to succeed) and then choose the prompt that allows you to describe those experiences. 

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? 

Guidance for Prompt One:

• This prompt is all about contribution. 
• The actual lead-in question is a great set-up for writing an essay that focuses on what you did and the actions you took that showed contribution. 
• If your essay shows someone who takes action to make their community better, you’ve done your job. 

Example for Prompt One:

I love my volunteering job with Valerie — she’s an 89-year-old woman in my neighborhood. I come by once a week to sort her mail, pay her bills and take on any other accounting tasks. In turn, she showers me with anxious praise, copious cups of tea, and stories of her youth in the 1940s and 50s. 

I’m proud that my family does a lot of volunteering — especially around the holidays. But I never liked packing food and asked around for something that could use my math skills and would feel more meaningful. An organization that connects elders to volunteers who’ll help with paperwork was perfect for me. 

This work has led in unexpected directions. It led me to start an accounting club at my High School called “Afford your prom outfit.” That’s because people love hearing about Valerie and my work for her. As I shared stories with my friends, many joked they wanted me to provide them with the same service! (Or was it a joke?) As those conversations evolved, I founded the club with a partner and our aim is to teach high schoolers basic financial literacy while working toward the concrete goal of saving up for a great prom outfit. 

Notes: 

• Word count: 204
• This essay shows off initiative (getting the volunteer job in the first place; founding the accounting club, all of which also take drive); contribution (a once-a-week volunteer position; valuing volunteering generally; helping fellow students); and even diversity of experiences — the student has a unique relationship to an elder. It’s even got intellectual curiosity in that the student wanted to hone and develop accounting skills as well as teaching skills (teaching accounting).
• Notice that the essay isn’t “beautifully written.” No intro, no conclusion. It just packs in a ton of great information about the student’s qualities. The reader is left itching to get them on their campus.

Prompt Two:

What is the truest thing that you know? 

Guidance for Prompt Two:

• This could be a tricky prompt — you need to remember that Villanova readers don’t care about the truest thing you know; they care about how you figured it out (and what that shows about how you approach intellectual topics). 
• That is, this prompt is looking for intellectual curiosity.
• Don’t make the mistake of talking just about something you know to be true (maybe something religious). Rather, take the admissions reader through your journey at arriving there. Show them how open-minded, curious, analytical, and deep you can be. 
• Focus on your actions to avoid the potential pitfall in this prompt.

Example for prompt Two:

The truest thing I know is that empathy is always the best choice. It’s funny that as someone who has been church-going my whole life this lesson sank in because of babysitting. 

I started off as the worst babysitter. I did not enjoy kids. I spent my time yelling at them. As a tween, though, it was still my best way of making money. I asked for help from my teacher who recommended How to talk so kids will listen. This book changed my attitude. Not just toward kids; eventually, toward everyone. 

The book preaches showing kids respect and giving them options rather than commands. And it works. The first time I saw this was on a five-year-old who flung their spaghetti off the table. Somehow (how?) I restrained my impulse to yell. Instead, I followed my inner book voice and said, “That made a mess. I expect you to help me clean it up.” And the kid did! Our relationship improved and he’s never done anything (quite) so awful again. 

Today, I use these lessons every day. Recently, a classmate at school spread a rumor about me online. It was a really tough time. Somehow (how?) I worked up the ability to approach them. I said, “I expect you to be able to talk with me if you’re going to talk about me.” They agreed. We ended up having a 3-hour conversation in which misunderstandings came out as well as some personal issues. At the end, they stopped spreading the rumor. (I wish they’d apologized, but this was good enough.)

I learned that seeing the world through an empathetic lens is empowering — for you as well as for the people you treat with respect. This is what they say in church every week, but it took these experiences for me to understand what it meant.

Notes on Prompt Two: 

• Word count: 306
• The essay shows a student who takes an active role in solving problems — asking for help to become a better babysitter, reading a book to become a better babysitter, working with a person who is bullying them online. 
• The essay shows initiative, drive, and intellectual curiosity, as well as contribution (seeing the world with empathy). 

Prompt Three:

One of the themes in St. Augustine's book, Confessions, is the idea of redemption. Tell us your story of being given a second chance.

Guidance for Prompt Three:

• The potential pitfall with this prompt is to focus too much on the person who gave you the second chance. Instead, make sure to focus on your actions in that second chance — what did you do to make the most of it?
• Relatedly, be sure to keep the set-up short. That is, talking about your initial mistakes. Make sure the bulk of the essay is on the new, better you and the actions that new you takes. 

Example Prompt Three

School has always been easy for me. I never had to try too hard to do well, and so, for most of my life, I didn’t. I enjoyed learning, but I never pushed myself. 

Things came to a head in ninth grade. I was still doing well in all my classes — with one exception: English. Writing essays is hard! For the first time, something didn’t come easily to me. Instead of realizing this meant I had to put in effort, I drifted on my old habits. My Fall semester I got a C. Even though I knew I’d been doing poorly, that low grade was a shock. 

I asked my mom what I should do. She said, “You can control how hard you work. Some things will be easy and some will be hard. But only your effort is under your control.” These words really hit me. Today, they summarize how I approach my studies. 

I started with my English class. It hurt my pride, but I got extra help from my teacher for each of the next few essays she assigned. Gradually, I started to “get” what they were all about. 

That success fed others. I started working harder in math class — and realizing I enjoyed math a lot more when I put more into it. I even checked out a bunch of books at the library on how to be a better student. It was becoming my ambition to be a really talented, all-out “nerd.” Why not embrace something that I’ve always enjoyed? I love school and I’m not afraid to admit it anymore.

Notes on example three:

• Word count: 266
• This essay shows a student who is extremely intellectually curious and shows the drive necessary to achieve the academic results they boast. 
• The essay has a lot of nice little details that contribute to the student seeming so dynamic and interesting — turning to their mom for advice; checking out books on the interest they’re pursuing from the library; being honest about a moment they felt shame; showing humility ... 
• All of these little details show that you can make a compelling essay by focusing on small, but meaningful actions that you’ve taken. 

Prompt Four:

In the Villanova community, we believe that we all learn from one another. What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others?

Example Prompt Four

The most helpful lesson I’ve learned so far is that the only thing under our direct control is how hard we work.

For most of my childhood, school was easy. I never had to work hard to do well. That changed freshman year when we started writing essays in English class. They did NOT come easily to me. I got my first C. 

I was distraught and asked my mom for advice. I was hoping she’d help me with my essays! Instead, she told me that, in life, “some things will be easy and some will be hard. But only your effort is under your control.” It hit me hard. Today, those words summarize how I approach my studies. 

I started with my English class. It hurt my pride, but I got extra help from my teacher for each of the next few essays she assigned. Gradually, I started to “get” what they were all about. 

That success fed others. I started working harder in math class — and realizing I enjoyed math a lot more when I put more into it. I even checked out a bunch of books at the library on how to be a better student. It was becoming my ambition to be a really talented, all-out “nerd.” Why not embrace something that I’ve always enjoyed?  I love school and I’m not afraid to admit it anymore.

Notes for Prompt Four

• Word count: 222
• Obviously, this is pretty much the same example answer we gave for Prompt 3. Generally speaking, Prompt 4 will be a better vehicle for the story than Prompt 3 — that’s because Prompt 3 invites you to spend time on a mistake and maybe on the person who helped you overcome the mistake. 
• Both essays really should be about you, the actions you took, and the lessons that you believe in. Therefore, unless you truly had a “redemption” experience (to quote from Prompt 3), Prompt 4 is likely the best vehicle for an answer that makes you look good to Villanova. 

‍Prompt Five:

Augustine's “Miracles are not contrary to nature but only contrary to what we know about nature.” Tell us about a societal issue that you believe the wonder of technology is well-poised to help solve.

Notes on Prompt Five:

• This prompt is interested in seeing your intellectual curiosity — can you get excited about things and think deeply and analytically?
• The potential pitfall here is getting too in the weeds about the “societal issue” that you’re discussing. Villanova doesn’t want to learn about, say, food insecurity (at least not from a high school student - no offense). Rather, they want to see how you approach food insecurity — how you think about it, the actions you’ve taken to understand it better, the actions you’ve taken to understand the technology that could solve it better, etc. … 

Example Prompt Five

Community is essential for a happy and fulfilled human life. We are social animals and can’t escape that, as shown in books like David Brooks’ The Social Animal or A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century.

Yet our society isolates elders in the years when they arguably need community most. Nearly one third of American elders live alone, according to the latest Census. 

As a volunteer who meets weekly with a local elder Valerie — ostensibly to help her with accounting and paperwork, but more importantly to check in on her and provide companionship — I’m concerned we don’t prioritize this issue enough. 

While I don’t think anything can replace human contact, I have been struck by the power of online games to help Valerie and her friends stay connected, even when apart. Valerie plays a special online bridge game with friends multiple times a day. They can talk to each other as they are playing. Valerie taught me some rudiments, and she’s even encouraged me to take a turn for her. 

Most importantly, the nonprofit I volunteer with can track these games, using them to unearth potential red flags — such as an elder suddenly losing interest in the game. This happened to Valerie once, and they asked me to call her urgently to check on her. (It turned out she just had a cold and wasn’t up to the game.)

Overall, I think it’s important that we use technology as aggressively as possible in service of our actual nature as humans: social creatures who need companionship to feel whole. I’m excited to keep seeking out opportunities like this to keep people connected using the best tools we have today.

Notes on Prompt Five:

• Word count: 291
• This example essay isn’t as strong as our example essay that treated the same subject for Prompt 1. It falls a bit into the pitfall of talking too much about the problem and not enough about the actions the student took (which example 1 does better).
• Overall, this is something to really watch for in this essay – does it shine a light on you, or on some other entity (ie: in this answer, the nonprofit looks great and the student doesn’t quite share that limelight).
• As you work on your own essays, you can try writing a few different answers and see if different prompts bring out better answers, even using the same material. 
• Despite the issues, this answer shows a student who is intellectually curious, obviously working hard to develop an idea they discovered in their volunteering. It also shows a deep level of contribution.

Q2 — Show Villanova that they are a good match for your college-related interests

The reason that schools ask “Why Us” is two-fold. They want to see:

• that you’ll actually choose their school if you get in — (read Demonstrated Interest for more on how powerful this can be) and 
• that you’ll be a good fit at the school — (read “Why Us” essays to get a full sense of how admissions readers assess “fit”). 

What this boils down to is that you need your Why Villanova answer to cover:

1. Your college-related interests and
2. How they’ll be a great match for Villanova.

Here is the prompt:

Writing Supplement #2: Why Villanova? (2022-23)

Prompt: Why do you want to call Villanova your new home and how will you become part of our community? 

Please submit a written response of about 150 words.

As you can see, Villanova keeps up its emphasis on “community” in this question, asking “how will you become part of our community.” This indicates that in addition to academic and extracurricular interests, you should take a moment to talk about campus culture and how you’ll contribute to it.

At ~150 words, this essay is short, so be as succinct as possible. They’re not looking for insane amounts of detail — just a sense of what you’ll study and/or which clubs you’ll join + a clear sense that you’ll be a strong community member. 

Begin by figuring out your 1-2 top academic interests and maybe 1-2 extracurricular interests. Then, research Villanova’s academic and student life web pages for opportunities there that you’ll take advantage.

If you visited the campus, you can work those experiences into your essay, too. Colleges love knowing that you went to the trouble of visiting.  

After that, writing up the essay is just a question of describing your interests and naming a few Villanova resources that match well with them. One example is below. 

Q2 — Example

I fell in love with Beckett while playing Estragon in Waiting for Godot as a junior, inspiring me to write about the differences between Beckett’s English-language and French-language plays for my senior special project.

Given this background, Villanova’s English offerings blew me away. The department’s own podcast actually helped my Beckett research (I quoted its 2020 episode on translation). I love the idea of joining the “unique theory seminar” one day, taking part in live controversies about literary interpretation. Given Beckett’s Irish origins, I’m also excited about the possibility of going to Ireland as part of the Irish Summer Studio summer program. 

Finally, as someone who comes from a small high school, I love the idea of starting college life as part of Communitas — digging into a shared curriculum with friends even as we begin our adult lives together. I have a friend at Villanova who was part of the program, and their experience made me eager to join. 

Notes:

• Word count: 158
• No need to provide links in your answer! We’re providing the links so you can see what we’re referring to. 
• Academically, this answer uses just a little bit of research on Villanova’s website to make a lot of strong connections between the student’s interests and the school. The reader is left thinking the student will be a great fit (which is the goal).
• Community-wise, mentioning you had a great visit is gold. In this case, the student has visited, so they talk about being inspired by a Villanova student — that’s also a good move. 
• The student talks about liking something unique about Villanova’s campus experience (the Communitas program), which, again, leaves the reader with the impression this student will do great.
• One thing this answer doesn’t do is show what the student will do to be a good community member. Space is limited, so you don’t need to hit all these marks, but if you can spend 1-2 sentences on how you’ve been a good contributor in the past, the admissions team should like it. 

Helpful info on all the “other” stuff you’ll consider as you apply to Villanova (and other schools)

A few helpful resources for the non-supplement parts of your application:

• Common App: Villanova requires the Common App. Read our guide to acing everything to do with writing your Common App application. 
• Whether to submit test scores: Villanova is test-optional for Fall 2023. Our test-optional article will guide you through the tricky waters of making this decision. 
• Early options: Villanova offers everything — Early Decision I and II, Early Action, and Regular Decision. Read our Early Admissions article so you know how to approach this decision. 

BTW, here’s our guidance for approaching any college supplement + here’s where you can find our guides for almost every college’s supplements. 

Feeling inspired? A great place to start is at our College Essay Help Center. 

More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:

• Work with a college essay coach
• Strong essays increase your chance of admission by up to 10x
• Don’t let influencers influence your college essays
• Should I apply test-optional?
• Early admissions: Everything you need to know
• College Essay Help Center