Thanks @novanationer12 for your candid answers. Hopefully you are still active on this thread.
My DD is a HS Jr and we toured yesterday. She LOVED it! We visited 3 years ago with her older sis and she was excited to return as a prospective student. It went beyond her expectations. But there’s wasn’t a lot of info on academics.
What can you tell us about your classes — big/small? Seminar style or mostly lecture? Is it easy to register for the classes you want/need? Any sense of grade inflation or deflation?
She is considering pursuing medicine or dentistry and I’m concerned VU may not be the best choice. Meanwhile she’s considering ED!
Thanks again!
Hi @Cof22mom !
Sorry for the delayed response!
I am a Biology major who was also pre-med for a long time so I can give you some insight into classes in this area. Classes range in size based on the level of the class you take. Introduction courses such as General Biology/Chemistry/Physics usually range from 50-80 people and are mainly lecture style. Upper-level Biology courses that I have taken ranged from 10-40 people based on the subject and course difficulty and are also mainly lecture-based. Most other courses that students take for the “core curriculum” or electives are seminar style and are usually smaller, averaging around 25 students. One thing I love about Villanova is that professors make an effort to learn the names and interact with all of their students, even when the classes are large and lecture-based.
Villanova does a good job making registration as easy as possible. Through MyNova, students are able to access a feature called “Nova Schedule Builder” where you can view courses offered next semester, search for courses that satisfy certain requirements, and build multiple theoretical schedules. Registration times are based on the amount of credits you have earned so far, so it can be difficult to get classes that you want especially if you are a freshman/sophomore - priority is given to seniors to ensure they can take the courses they need to fill their graduation requirements. However, having multiple planned schedules improves your chances of getting a schedule you like and often you have a chance to be written into a class if the professor is willing/allowed to or if you need the course to graduate.
As for grading, I am not aware of grade inflation or deflation. The professors are very fair in grading and truly want students to understand the material and succeed in the class. Professors are accessible outside of class and are always willing to help!
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions, and good luck to your daughter in her decision process!
- novanationer12
Do any of you know what questions may be asked during a scholarship interview?
Please explain how student ticketing for basketball games, both on campus and at the WF Center, works.
Hi @mylittlestallion and @My3SonsSD !
Unfortunately, I don’t know what type of questions might be asked during a scholarship interview. Sorry I couldn’t help, but anyone else feel free to chime in!
For basketball tickets, there is a student lottery system for each game through the “Nova Athletics Student Tickets” app on your phone. For both on campus games and games at the Wells Fargo Center, you go on the app, find the game that you want to attend, and just hit the button to enter the lottery. The app will notify you if you receive a ticket or you will be put on the waitlist. As you attend more basketball games (and other sporting events around campus), you build up points which improves your chances of receiving a ticket in future lotteries.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
- novanationer12
I am an incoming freshman biology major on a pre-med track.
Unfortunately, I was not accepted to the honors program, can you join later or was this my only shot?
Also, what do you think about the core curriculum? I’ve read varying views.
Should I get super involved in all of the opportunities that Villanova has to offer right off the bat, or wait to get accustomed to college level learning and college in general before getting super involved in multiple organizations.
I’m not wealthy, I am from the upper middle class, will I have trouble fitting in? I know I should be thankful for my above average financial situation and that Nova students are super nice, but I’m scared that I won’t be able to afford to do things that others can and that it will make me stand out!
Thanks!!
Hi @lifeguard77 ! I apologize for the delayed response, congratulations on being accepted to Villanova!
I am not exactly sure about the Honors Program… according to the Honors Program website, it seems like you may normally be able to apply later but there is a note that says “Due to size of the Honors Program, we are not currently accepting mid semester student applications for the Fall or Spring Semesters.” Unfortunately I don’t know much about the Honors Program but I’m sure if you reach out to the Admissions department or Honors Program contacts from the website they will be able to provide you with more information!
The core curriculum is certainly an area that receives varying opinions. I personally appreciated the core curriculum, for the most part. There were some courses that I didn’t particularly enjoy, but your experience with the courses also depends on the professor and your classmates. There are many positives to the core curriculum. With some core requirements (history, fine arts, etc.) there are multiple course options to fulfill the requirement and you are able to pick which one you would like to take. This allows you to focus on topics you are more interested in while still completing the requirement. Some courses even fulfill two requirements at the same time. As someone who was also a Biology major, I appreciated and enjoyed having the core requirements each semester as a break from the difficult Biology major requirements.
As for joining organizations, the timing really depends on your personal preference. From my experience, I would recommend giving yourself at least the first semester to become accustomed to the college experience and academics, especially as a Biology major where the first semester may be particularly difficult. It is okay to join a few organizations, and you could look into organizations where you apply in the fall and become more involved in the spring (like Blue Key), but make sure you balance academics and other involvements so that you don’t become too overwhelmed during your first year.
I don’t think your financial situation will affect your experience at Villanova. No matter their financial standing, Villanova students are very down to earth, friendly, and respectful of their fellow student’s personal finances. I never felt any financial divisions or discrimination between students at Nova. You will meet people of diverse financial backgrounds, but everyone connects as a community of Nova college students. Everyone is able to find their own crowd of friends and I’m sure you will be able to as well. Between students, faculty, and alumni, everyone really bonds together as one Nova Nation!
I hope my response was helpful! Good luck and enjoy your freshman year!
GO CATS!
- novanationer12
Thank you for getting back to me! Do you have any recommendations for classes to take in biology for pre-med once I get to electives? Also, I placed out of at least Calc 1 and I know medical school will require another class in place of this, so any recommendations for math courses (I may also place out of Calc 2). Thanks again!
My advice is to use your electives on what you think you will like. I did not anticipate enjoying biochem as much as I did so I ended up taking a lot of the upper level biochem classes as a plain bio major. I can tell you my course load at Nova was brought up favorably in multiple interviews, but that’s just one component of the application. Don’t force yourself to take classes just because you think it will be perceived well by admins, you will hate yourself. Graduated a few years ago so I don’t know if some courses still exist, but some upper level science classes I enjoyed included aphys, cell, micro, and the biochem series that biochem majors take.
I personally am ambivalent on the core curriculum. Some classes I thoroughly enjoyed while others I dreaded attending.
Again, things have probably changed since I graduated, but stats was the easiest class I ever took in college by far.
@lifeguard77 Your academic advisor and the members of the Biology office (including the health professions advisor) will be able to guide you through which courses to take as a pre-med and I would definitely ask them for course recommendations. However, some biology courses that I enjoyed include Animal Physiology, Cell Biology, General Microbiology, and Animal Behavior. For math courses, I would recommend that you ask your academic advisor and the members of the Biology office to see what they suggest, especially if you have AP credits as you want to ensure that the math course you choose does not conflict with your AP credits.
Hope this helps!
- novanationer12
Hi! I’m applying ED to Villanova for business and was wondering what the work load is like. How time consuming are the classes? Is there a good balance between social life and studying?
Hi @student5092021 !
I’m so sorry for the delayed response. The forum was in read-only mode for a bit and I was unable to respond.
Unfortunately, I am not able to provide much input regarding the business school curriculum as I was not part of the business program and I don’t know many people in the program.
However, I can say that from my experience with my own classes and from the experiences of my friends, there is generally a good balance between social life and studying. Villanova is a high academic school and many of the courses are very demanding and time-consuming, but it is important to have a balance between academics and your social life. I am not sure what the scheduling process is like in the business school and how much choice you have over what classes you take, but the ability to balance work and fun also becomes more manageable when you are able to create your own class schedule and create free time that may be used for studying or for socializing.
I’m sorry that I cannot be more helpful regarding the business program, but you can always reach out to the Admissions department for more information and to potentially contact a student in the business school who can provide you with more insight.
Good luck with your college applications!
GO CATS!
novanationer12
Hi! I’m a junior and I might apply ed next year with a 3.7 w gpa, good ecs/recs and legacy. Can someone let me know if they got in with similar stats because im getting nervous since everyone’s stats are so high. Thanks!!
Hello, I am going to be an incoming freshman next year. I know that underclassmen are not aloud to park cars on campus, however, I was hoping someone had information about a possible off campus parking location? Thank you!
hi! prospective student here, how would you say the faculty/staff are supportive of your academic decisions. how is the social scene at villanova? is it cliquey? preppy? thanks for answering in advance!
Sorry for the delayed responses!
@novanation2025 Hello! Yes, unfortunately underclassmen are not allowed to park on campus without a medical excuse. I don’t know of anywhere to park off-campus, and Villanova also discourages off-campus parking in the area surrounding campus. This statement is from the Villanova website: “It is important that non-eligible resident students DO NOT bring their vehicles to campus or park in the residential areas surrounding Villanova since adjacent townships prohibit non-residential parking on many local streets. Non-eligible resident students found parking in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus may be subject to disciplinary action through the Dean of Students Office and may be prohibited from obtaining a permit in their upperclassmen years.”
However, Villanova does offer many great transportation resources. There is an off-campus shuttle that provides transportation to many locations, including Suburban Square (a shopping center), King of Prussia Mall, and Giant or Wegman’s supermarket. There are also a few ZipCars parked on campus that you can rent for the day, and the option of using Uber/Lyft.
@gumball0901 Hi!
I would say the faculty and staff are very supportive of students and their academic decisions. The professors are very welcoming and open to providing advice or letters of recommendation for future jobs or academic endeavors. Villanova also has a great career center with staff members that help connect you to alumni and other resources, and they have advisors for career development and graduate program advising.
The social scene at Villanova is similar to other colleges. Students tend to group together based on academic year and major as well as extracurriculars (athletes or members of student organizations), but I wouldn’t say it is cliquey or preppy. Overall, I believe Villanova students have a strong sense of community that makes them unique from students at other colleges. When I first went on a tour of Villanova as a prospective student, I was surprised by how friendly and welcoming all of the students were, smiling and holding doors open for others. It may seem small, but I did not experience that from students at other colleges that I toured, and it made Villanova students and Villanova University as a whole stand out for me.
Hope this helps!
GO CATS!
- novanationer12
1 Like
Hello. I hope anyone reading this is still at VU. We are visiting the college on June 15 and couldn’t get an in-person tour. We signed up for the self-guided tour. If you are still on campus and are willing to show us around for a bit, we will gratefully compensate you. We are all fully vaccinated. Thanks for your help- Sheila (mom of student)
Hi @novanationer12 I am wondering how financial I fit in at nova. I am wondering how much I will pay around if my household income is around 195,000? Thank you for the help.
Hi @JZAPOLSKI08. I apologize for the late response. I’m sorry, I’m not able to answer questions and provide advice regarding financial aid. I would recommend that you contact the Villanova University Office of Financial Assistance for more information! Here is the link with contact information: OFFICE OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE | Villanova University
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
novanationer12
hey @novanationer12 i’m pretty sure you aren’t responding to this thread anymore since it’s old lol but what is your favorite part about villanova? i visited and loved it and applied ea so if I get in I will very seriously consider!