FIRST-YEAR APPLICANTS

Students walking across the bridge from South Campus.

Villanova University takes a holistic approach to reviewing applicants to our undergraduate programs. When we read your application we will consider the complete picture – including your academic performance and rigor, activities outside the classroom, recommendations, writing supplements, life experiences and, if reported, test scores. We want to learn who you are as a student and as a person.

First-year applicants are students who are currently in high school, even if taking college courses. If you are attending a college or university, you will apply as a transfer student.

Application Timelines

Villanova University offers first-year applicants a choice of four application plans: Early Action and Regular Decision, which are non-binding and Early Decision I and Early Decision II, which are binding. We recommended reviewing the full details for each plan on Application Dates and Deadlines page as you decide on the plan that is best for you.

	Application Deadline	Notification Date	Reply Date
Early Decision I	November 1	by December 1	by December 15
Early Action	November 1	by January 20	by May 1
Early Decision II	January 15	by February 15	by March 1
Regular Decision	January 15	by April 1	by May 1

Please note: If you are having trouble completing your application by the deadlines above due to impacts from a natural disaster, personal extenuating circumstance or a school-related disruption, please know we are flexible with our deadlines. You can request an extension by contacting gotovu@villanova.edu or 610-519-4000.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

The following application materials are required for all first-year students. First-year international students can find additional required application materials below.

Application for Admission

Villanova University is a member of the Common Application. A complete application for admission will include:

Common Application with essay. Please be sure to fully complete the activities section of the Common Application, as supplemental resumes and accomplishments after submission cannot be added to your application.
Villanova Member School Section with Villanova Writing Supplements

Within 48 hours after your application is received, you'll receive information on how to set up your Applicant Status Page to track your application's status and to ultimately view your decision.

Application Fee or Fee Waiver

Villanova requires a non-refundable $80 application fee (paid via the Common Application). Eligible students with financial need may secure an application fee waiver through the Common Application, the College Board, ACT, NACAC or by completing the Villanova Application Fee Waiver request form.

If you use Flywire to pay your fee, it will take a few days for us to receive payment and update the checklist on your Applicant Status Page.

Secondary School Report and Transcript(s)

When completing the Common Application, you will be asked to provide the name and email of your secondary school counselor in order for them to complete the Secondary School Report and submit to Villanova along with a copy of your official transcript. If you do not have a school counselor, a teacher or school administrator may submit the Secondary School Report and transcript on your behalf.

Secondary School Report

The Secondary School Report provides Villanova with an overview of your high school, including coursework and rigor.

High School Transcript(s)

Villanova requires an official transcript detailing your coursework and grades starting in grade nine through your most recently completed term. If you have previously attended a different high school or taken courses at a local college, please be sure to have those grades sent to us as well. They may be reported on your current high school transcript or sent on a separate transcript from that other institution.

Villanova School of Business: past successful applicants have had at least one year/one unit of high school Calculus (beyond Pre-Calculus), if Calculus is offered at their school. If given the choice, we advise students to take Calculus over Statistics if only one can be taken.
College of Engineering: a Physics course is required for all engineering applicants. Calculus is strongly encouraged (beyond Pre-Calculus), if Calculus is offered at your school.
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing: applicants are required to have successfully completed at least one year/one unit of Biology and Chemistry during high school. Advanced levels of Biology and Chemistry are strongly encouraged.

Teacher Recommendation

Villanova requires one recommendation from a secondary school teacher who has taught you during your high school career. We suggest that you ask a teacher who knows you well and can speak, in detail, about your contributions in the classroom and interactions with classmates.

In fairness to all applicants, we will only consider the one required letter of recommendation from a teacher with an optional letter from a school counselor or college-access advisor.

Any additional letters will not be a factor in our application process and will not be added to your application.

Senior Year Grades

This is a requirement ONLY for:

Early Decision II applicants
Regular Decision applicants
Deferred Early Decision I applicants
Deferred Early Action applicants

As part of the admission process, we require updated grades from your senior year. Please update the form found in the Applicant Status Page with courses and grades in progress OR use the material upload tool to submit a copy of your current courses and grades OR your school counselor can send them on your behalf.

Optional: Counselor Recommendation

School counselor recommendations are optional.

When completing the Common Application, you will be asked to provide the name and email of your secondary school counselor should you wish for them to complete a letter of recommendation on your behalf.

In fairness to all applicants, we will only consider the one required letter of recommendation from a teacher with an optional letter from a school counselor or college-access advisor.

Any additional letters will not be a factor in our application process and will not be added to your application.

Optional: ACT or SAT Scores

Villanova University remains test-optional for applicants through the 2025-26 admission campaign. View our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

While SAT/ACT results have been a part of our application process, we have always taken a holistic approach to our decision making. Grades, strength of curriculum, writing supplements, extra-curricular activities and recommendations all remain important components of our admission review. Under this policy, students may choose whether or not to submit SAT and/or ACT results for consideration when submitting their applications.

Reporting Scores

Applicants who choose to submit SAT or ACT scores may share either official or self-reported scores. Scores can be self-reported via a form on the student's Applicant Status Page. Students sharing self-reported scores will not be required to submit official scores unless they are admitted and choose to enroll.

To be considered official, scores must be sent to Villanova University directly from the testing agency (Villanova's ACT code is 3744 and SAT code is 2959). Scores are also official if listed on the student's official high school transcript.

The Admission Committee will superscore the highest subscores from the SAT and/or ACT from multiple testing dates.

Testing Deadlines

Early Decision I and Early Action: test scores reported by November 10 will be considered.

Early Decision II and Regular Decision: test scores reported by January 31 will be considered.

Homeschool Applicants

Applicants who have been homeschooled for more than one full academic year in high school (this does not include virtual or online learning programs or applicants who had to learn remotely due to the pandemic) are required to submit SAT and/or ACT scores.

Optional: Financial Assistance Application

Applicants are not required to submit an application for financial assistance to be considered for admission. However, if you intend to apply for need-based aid, you should do so at the same time you apply for admission. Applicants must submit both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. Learn more about applying for financial assistance.

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

Villanova University's admission process is need-blind for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents. This means that submitting an application for financial assistance will have no bearing on the admission decision.

International Applicants

International applicants (Non-U.S. Citizens/Non-Permanent U.S. Residents) may apply for limited need-based financial assistance and be nominated for the Presidential Scholarship. Due to limited funding for international students, admission review is need-aware. This means a family’s ability to pay for costs associated with studying at Villanova will be taken into consideration in the admission decision. International applicants go through the same holistic review process as domestic applicants, with finances taken into consideration at the end of that review process.

Please Note

Villanova does not conduct admission interviews, nor do we consider demonstrated interest as part of our admission process.
We reserve the right to evaluate an application, including making a final decision, even if all parts of the application have not been received.
Villanova School of Business: past successful applicants have had at least one year/one unit of high school Calculus (beyond Pre-Calculus), if Calculus is offered at their school. If given the choice, we advise students to take Calculus over Statistics if only one can be taken.
College of Engineering: a Physics course is required for all engineering applicants. Calculus is strongly encouraged (beyond Pre-Calculus), if Calculus is offered at your school.
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing: applicants are required to have successfully completed at least one year/one unit of Biology and Chemistry during high school. Advanced levels of Biology and Chemistry are strongly encouraged.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania law mandates that Villanova University may be required to report incidents of abuse that are disclosed in applications.

INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

An international student is one who is not a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident and requires a student visa (F-1 or J-1) to study in the United States. If you are a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident residing abroad, your application will be reviewed by a member of the international admission staff but you will be considered as a domestic student for purposes of financial assistance.

Academic Records

All documents submitted must be official and in the original language. An official copy is one that bears the original signature of the Registrar or other designated school official, an original impression of the institution's seal and/or the signature or seal of the examining board. In certain cases, "certified" or "notarized" copies may be submitted.

Documents not in English must be accompanied by an official translation in order to be reviewed.

Secondary School Records

Secondary school records are required for all first-year applicants. Transcripts of course work and grades/marks are required for the equivalent of secondary school study, including IGCSE results prior to GCE, IB, 'A' levels, etc. Records should list subjects studied each year and the mark or grade of proficiency earned in each. A key to the marking system with minimum passing mark should be included.

If you complete secondary school in a country where a national secondary school leaving examination is administered or pursue a Cambridge Certificate, you will be required to provide the official results of the examination or predicted marks if the exams have not yet been administered.

Be sure the name and date-of-birth on your application matches the name and date-of-birth on your secondary school records.

English Language Proficiency

All international students are required to submit proof of English language proficiency. English language proficiency can be demonstrated by submitting an in-person test result administered by:

If an applicant meets one or more of the following criteria, the English proficiency requirement may be waived:

English is a native language and spoken in the home environment;
A 620 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing subsection or a 27 on the ACT Reading subsection is achieved; or
Enrollment of more than three consecutive years at the time of application where English is the primary language of instruction.

Financial Documentation

Admission review for first-year international students (Non-U.S. Citizens or US Permanent Residents) is need-aware, which means that an applicant's ability to pay for their education may be a factor in the admission decision. All international applicants are required to submit the Certification of Finances Form and a recent bank statement or letter through their Applicant Status Page. These documents must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admission by the designated deadline in order for the application to be considered complete. This is separate from financial aid requirements.

The Form I-20, which is required by the Department of Homeland Security, will be issued to enrolling students in the Spring prior to Fall enrollment so they may apply for the F-1 visa.

Interviews

Villanova University does not offer admission interviews to applicants. However, if you have completed an interview with an outside interview service such as InitialView or Vericant, you may request that your interview be sent to Villanova to be considered with your application.

WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY TO VILLANOVA?

CONSTANT SUPPORT

"Villanovans, literally and figuratively, hold the door open for one another. Just by simply choosing to go to Villanova, I have met so many great friends and also have so many cool career connections from people who want to help support other Villanovans." — Kiah Champion, Economics/International Business, Westhampton, NJ

GREAT FACULTY

"It’s very easy to work with the faculty here. When working on projects like Formula SAE where you’re building a race car, it’s great to have foundational support to see complex ideas through.” — Timothy Kubista, Computer Engineering, Severna, MD

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

"While Villanova is in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, it's a quick 20-minute train ride to Philadelphia. You get the best of both worlds: a full campus with a lot of green spaces, as well as the pluses of being in a big city." — Caro Perez, Comprehensive Science, Miami, FL