Are you a senior hoping to gain an incoming spot at Villanova? Are you curious about Villanova’s acceptance rate? You’re in the right place if you can answer yes to either of these questions.
We will give you all the information you need on this private university to help you continue your journey to becoming a student at Villanova University. All you have to do is keep reading for more information on the Villanova acceptance rate and helpful tips for admission.
What is Villanova University Known For?
What is Villanova University Known For?People worldwide have come to know and love Villanova for their Men’s basketball team, who competes in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference. Whether you are a college student or strictly a basketball fan, chances are high that you have heard of them before.
If you haven’t heard of Villanova athletics which encompasses 24 different varsity sports teams with 109 conference championships, maybe you have heard of their top-ranked educational programs. Villanova was ranked one of the best colleges for 2023 by U.S. News and designated a Center of Excellence for Nursing Education.
Founded in 1842 in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this university is in a class of its own. It is also the only university of its kind, Augustinian Catholic, in the nation. However, the university prides itself on being diverse, consistently curious and an institution for change makers. This is partly due to the personal attention that students can get from faculty.
Villanova has a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, with 99% of faculty receiving the highest degrees available within their fields. The university was founded with three core values: love, unity and truth. Villanova aims to find students who not only embody these values but who will keep them alive and well at the university and beyond.
How Competitive is the Admission at Villanova?
Villanova is not the school you’ll skate into based on your good looks. Securing a spot at the university takes passion, hard work, and an amazing application package. Though it may sound harsh, Villanova is a highly selective university which aims to take the brightest, most well-rounded students.
Is Villanova difficult to get into? The short answer is yes! However, there are several things that you must consider when you are looking to apply. The first place to start is looking at that student profile for the currently admitted class.
What is Villanova’s Acceptance Rate?
If you want to increase your chances of getting into the university, you should strategically plan when applying. For the Class of 2027, the Villanova regular decision acceptance rate currently sits at roughly 21%. This means that out of every 100 students, only 21 are admitted. However, the early action Villanova acceptance rate is closer to 55%.
With this in mind, you may opt out of applying regular decisions and take advantage of the other three options Villanova offers. These options include Early Decision I & II and early action. If applying for an early decision, Villanova should be your top choice as it is binding, whereas early action offers some flexibility in decision-making.
What are the Admissions Requirements at Villanova University?
There are several application materials which students will need to submit to be considered for admission. These items include but are not limited to:
- University application via the Common App, essay included
- Villanova Member School Section
- High School Transcripts
- Writing Supplements
- Secondary School Report
- One Letter of Recommendation
- S. Senior Grades depending on admission type
If you want to include additional materials within your application, Villanova offers the option of including a counsellor recommendation.
It is important to remember that depending on your prospective major, additional Villanova course requirements will be suggested for a stronger applicant. Students in the School of Business should take at least one year of Calculus. A physics course is required for students entering the College of Engineering, and taking a year of calculus is strongly recommended. Alternatively, for students in the College of Nursing, Villanova course requirements mandate that students have taken Biology or Chemistry.
As an international student, you must also include proof of English proficiency when applying. However, according to the university, if you meet one or more of the following criteria, this mandate will be waived:
- English is not only spoken inside the home but also a native language.
- You have been enrolled for 3+ years at an American.
- You have spent 3+ years at an International School where English is the primary language.
- You received a 620 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing subsection.
- You received 27 on the ACT Reading subsection.
What GPA Does Villanova Consider?
When considering continuing your education at Villanova, you should aim as close to a perfect GPA as you can on an unweighted scale. Though no minimum requirement is reported on Villanova’s admission site, the student profile for the newly admitted students should give you a key indicator of where you need to be. The current middle 50% of the admitted class demonstrated unweighted GPAs between 3.92 -4.20 and weighted GPAs of 4.20 – 4.58.
How Important is Class Rank in Villanova’s Admissions?
Though Villanova’s site does not explicitly point to class rank as a factor for admission, if you look at the student profile of admitted students, that will give you a good idea of where the prospective students generally rank. For the class of 2027, 88% of students were reported as being in the top 10% of their high school class. This alone will let you know that Villanova is looking for the best and the brightest.
When examining your transcript and coursework, admissions counsellors want to know how your performance stacks up at your school and how rigorous your coursework is in tandem with your ranking.
Villanova’s SAT and ACT Requirements?
After reading the above information, you may wonder how your test scores fit into your application. We won’t leave you guessing for too much longer. Though Villanova has always used the SAT/ACT scores as part of their admission package, COVID forced a change.
Is Villanova Test-Optional?
To answer the question, Villanova is only test optional for students entering certain years; this includes the Classes of 2025, 2026, 2027 & 2028. Students who opt to be test-optional will not be penalized for not submitting ACT/SAT scores. Instead, this option will be removed from consideration. 50 % of students in the class of 2027 were admitted as test optional.
If you are a student looking to submit their test scores, you still have the option. Even students who originally applied via the test-optional route can change their minds and submit scores later. When filling out your application, you can either have your official scores sent or you can self-report. If self-reporting, scores will be validated later.
However, there is one set of students who are required to submit their test scores. This stipulation still applies to applicants who have been home-schooled for longer than one high school academic year.
If you are looking to see how you stack up, the median 50% of admitted students scored 33-35 on their ACT and 1450-1520 on their SAT.
What Does Villanova Look for in Essays?
When you write your personal statement, make sure it is just that…personal. Your essay should not be a regurgitation of the information in your transcript. It should have personality, flare and be unique to your story—the essay steps beyond your ability to meet Villanova course requirements.
To be considered for admission, a candidate must submit both the common application essay and two writing supplements specifically from Villanova. The two writing supplements include one free choice essay where students are asked to write 250 words or less with their chosen prompt. Villanova provides students with four different options, two of which can be found below:
- “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?”
- “As 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.”
The 2nd writing prompt forces students to answer the question, “Why Villanova?”. This prompt must be filled in about 150 words or less.
You should provide the reader with a grammatically sound, well thought and personal story in each of these prompts. Your experience, feelings and actions are all unique to your story. That is the story that the university wants to hear. Don’t copy a “story” because you think it sounds good. Your essay should provide a compliment to your academic package.
How Does Villanova Evaluate Letters of Recommendation?
Unlike other universities that allow students to send multiple letters of recommendation, Villanova only requires one letter. This letter should come from a teacher who taught you in high school and someone who knows you well. They should be able to speak in detail about your character and work ethic. It is best to utilize an instructor who has taught you for multiple years with whom you have built a relationship.
Though Villanova uses the Common Application, which does require a counsellor recommendation, this is optional. To remain fair to all students, the university will only review one teacher’s recommendation and, optionally, the counsellor’s recommendation.
How Does Villanova Evaluate Applications for Admission?
Though each component of your application is important, they are evaluated together. The university aims to get a holistic view of the student. This means taking into account your life experiences, academic rigour and more. Villanova does not want one-sided students. Your chances of getting into Villanova are slim if you are strong academically but weak everywhere else. However, if you have demonstrated that you are sound in all areas involved in and out of the classroom, you have a stronger chance of admittance.
How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Villanova: 3 Tips
There are several ways that you can work to improve your chances of getting accepted into Villanova. Use these practical tips to help you beef up your application and increase your chances of becoming a wildcat.
Get Involved
If you look at the profile of the Class of 2027, you see that 82% of them either played sports or 87% were involved in community service. If you do not already play a sport, it may be hard to get involved now. However, it is never too late to get involved in your community.
Get With the Times
Colleges know you love social media, and they will often host events, provide tips and give insight into campus life on their social networks. Villanova regularly has students take over their Instagram page to take students around campus and answer any questions they may have about admissions and several other things. Use the “Summer ‘23” highlight to see the previous questions asked.
Make Great Grades a Priority
If you want to impress Villanova, bring your A game…literally. GPAs for incoming first-year students are extremely high, and you need to be sure that yours can measure up. With the average unweighted GPA being 3.92, you are encouraged and expected to have great grades. If this school is your end goal, spend your Friday nights studying rather than partying, you won’t regret it.
Wrapping Things Up: How Hard Is It to Get into Villanova?
The Villanova acceptance rate shouldn’t make you nervous if you know you have a strong admissions package. Villanova wants to see well-rounded students with a heart to serve and a great GPA. If you are not a great test taker, don’t lose sleep, Villanova is test optional.
We hope this information has encouraged you to work harder. If Villanova is the school of your dreams, we hope you can get the results you’re looking for.
