Villanova University supplemental essays

The prompts, one by one

1. Playing your partup to 250 words · Community

   “As Pope Leo XIV (Villanova Class of 1977) has said, 'no one can single-handedly bear the weight of the challenges the world is facing, just as no one is so weak that they cannot play their part.' What have you done to play your part in advancing equity and justice in your community?”

   What it's really asking

   Two things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Villanova University because of it. The second half is where most drafts stop short.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Describing the community instead of your role in it, or choosing the one that sounds impressive rather than the one that changed you. "Diversity" as an abstraction, with no scene.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Pick a community you can describe with a scene, not a label. Show one moment where it taught you something or asked something of you. Spend the last third on what that means you'll do at Villanova University: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."

2. A lesson to shareup to 250 words · Open prompt

   “What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others at Villanova?”

   What it's really asking

   Whatever matters to you that the rest of the application hasn't shown. Villanova University is giving you the floor; the question is what you choose to put on it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Using the space to summarise achievements, apologise for a weakness, or restate the personal statement. Choosing a topic because it sounds like what colleges want.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One subject the reader couldn't guess from your file, told through a specific scene. Keep it in your own voice; if it sounds like a brochure, cut it. End on something still unresolved.

3. Why Villanova: new homeup to 250 words · Why us

   “'Villanova' means 'new home.' Why do you want to call Villanova your new home?”

   What it's really asking

   Not "why is Villanova University good" but "what will you do here that you can't do elsewhere, and what in your past proves you'll actually do it." The reader already knows the school is good.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Opening with the campus, the ranking or the "world-renowned faculty." Every sentence that would survive with another school's name swapped in is wasted. Listing three programs with no explanation of any of them is the second trap.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Start with the specific thing you've already been doing. Name one or two concrete Villanova University resources (a course, a lab, a program, a professor's actual work) and say what you'd do with each. End on the next step, not on a compliment.

4. AI and the common goodup to 250 words · Community

   “Villanova embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a commitment to thoughtful, ethical use rooted in our Augustinian mission and values. How do you see technology helping you to lead, serve, and contribute to the common good?”

   What it's really asking

   Two things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Villanova University because of it. The second half is where most drafts stop short.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Describing the community instead of your role in it, or choosing the one that sounds impressive rather than the one that changed you. "Diversity" as an abstraction, with no scene.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Pick a community you can describe with a scene, not a label. Show one moment where it taught you something or asked something of you. Spend the last third on what that means you'll do at Villanova University: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."

5. Borrowing your strengthup to 250 words · Open prompt

   “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.”

   What it's really asking

   Whatever matters to you that the rest of the application hasn't shown. Villanova University is giving you the floor; the question is what you choose to put on it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Using the space to summarise achievements, apologise for a weakness, or restate the personal statement. Choosing a topic because it sounds like what colleges want.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One subject the reader couldn't guess from your file, told through a specific scene. Keep it in your own voice; if it sounds like a brochure, cut it. End on something still unresolved.

Every US applicant also writes the Common App personal statement: 650 words, seven prompts. Don't repeat it here; the supplements are for what the statement didn't show.

A self-check before you submit

Cover the school name and read the essay. Then cover your name and read it again. It should fail the first test (it only makes sense for Villanova University) and pass the second (only you could have written it). If it passes the first test, it's a brochure. If it fails the second, it's a template.