TRANSFER APPLICANTS

A group of students smiling with Father Peter

Villanova University welcomes transfer applications from students with previous college experience from other institutions.

General Eligibility Requirements:

  • To be eligible for transfer admission to Villanova, you must have enrolled in college as a degree-seeking student or a full-time student after completing high school. 
  • Transfer applicants must have completed one year of full-time college courses before they enroll at Villanova. You can submit an application to transfer during the second semester of your first year in college with self-reported midterm grades.
  • If you were previously enrolled at Villanova, you will need to contact the Dean of the college to seek re-enrollment.
  • Transfer applications will be considered for admission to specific majors within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Villanova School of Business and College of Engineering. The M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing no longer considers transfer applications. Refer to the College-Specific Details on this page for more information. 
  • For consideration, a minimum college cumulative GPA of a 3.00/4.00 is strongly recommended for all transfer students.

Admission criteria, eligibility, and prior course selections vary slightly depending upon the college and academic program to which you apply. Only completed applications will be reviewed, therefore students should review the requirements on this page and monitor their Applicant Status Page to view any missing requirements. All candidates will be notified of their admission decision through their status page as well.

APPLICATION DEADLINES 2024

FALL TERM:

  • The deadline to submit the transfer application has been extended to midnight on March 22.
  • The deadline to submit admission materials is midnight on March 29.

SPRING TERM:

Villanova will not be considering transfer applications for the Spring 2024 semester.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following application materials are required for all transfer applicants. International transfer students can find additional required application materials below.

Official College/University-Level Transcript(s)

Please submit an official transcript from EACH post-secondary school that you have attended. In order to submit official transcripts, you may:

  1. Request directly from your institution(s) to be submitted to Villanova University
  2. Request official transcript to be sent by a delivery service (Parchment Delivery Services, Clearinghouse, etc.)

Self-Reported Mid-Term Grades

Applicants must submit mid-term grades by March 15th. These grades can be self-reported through your applicant status portal. Admission decisions will be rendered based upon self-reported mid-term grades with the expectation that final grades will be similar in academic performance. Please note that any drop in performance may result in revisiting an admission decision.

Official High School Transcript

Please submit your official final high school transcript. Download the Final High School Transcript Request Form and have your high school forward directly to Villanova along with your official transcript.

The course catalog is required to submit the application. Please upload a Word document or PDF that lists all college classes that you have taken since your high school graduation along with a full course description for each one. To expedite application review, please provide a link to the course description if available. These course descriptions should be copied from each institutions online academic catalog for all colleges or universities that you have attended. Please do not upload an institutions entire academic catalog. 

To expedite application review:

  • Please self-report scores for any Advanced Placement courses taken during high school by uploading a copy to your Applicant Status Portal. Applicants sharing self-reported Advanced Placement courses will not be required to submit official scores unless they are admitted and choose to enroll. 
  • Feel free to upload any syllabi of courses you have taken to your Applicant Status Portal to supplement your application. 

Print and complete top portion of the Transfer Conduct Form and then provide to your Dean of Students to complete and submit directly to Villanova via mail or email.

At Villanova, we view our writing supplements as a unique opportunity for students to move beyond the transcript and introduce the individual behind the application. This section allows you to provide information about your background and experiences, as well as your interest in joining the Villanova community.

Writing Supplement Prompts:

  • Since your high school graduation, which activities, work experiences, or life events have been most impactful to you and why?
  • Why do you want to call Villanova your new home and become part of our community? 

Villanova University is test-optional for transfer applicants.

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 supplement, 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.

Applicants who choose to submit SAT and/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. The Admission Committee will superscore the highest subscores from the SAT and/or ACT from multiple testing dates.

$80

Eligible Pell-recipients or applicants meeting minimum financial requirements may request a fee waiver through NACAC.  Please submit the complete form to transfertovu@villanova.edu for consideration.

Please be aware that if you use Flywire to pay your fee, it will take a few days for us to update the checklist on the Villanova applicant status page. 

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 you will be considered as a domestic student for purposes of financial assistance.

In addition to the items above, international transfer students are required to submit the following:

  • Proof of English Language Proficiency is required for applicants for whom English is not their native language. English language proficiency can be demonstrated by submitting official test results directly from an in-person administration of TOEFL iBT or IELTS.  It is strongly recommended that applicants satisfy English language proficiency through either of these methods.  If an applicant is unable to access these tests, then the results from TOEFL iBT Special Home EditionTOEFL ITP Plus for China exam, or the Duolingo English Test (DET) will be accepted.
    • 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 for more than three consecutive years at an American or International School where English is the primary language of instruction.
  • Transfer students with international academic credentials must have their documents translated (if not in English) and evaluated. To find an accredited evaluation company, please visit www.naces.org.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Students applying to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) must have completed one year of full-time college coursework before enrolling at Villanova. Students can submit an application to transfer during the second semester of their first year in college with self-reported midterm gradesCLAS is only accepting applications into the following majors: 

Art History, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Communications, Comprehensive Science, Criminology, Economics, Education, English, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, French and Francophone Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, Geography, Global Interdisciplinary Studies, History, Humanities, Italian, Liberal Arts, Mathematics, Peace & Justice, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Sociology, Spanish, Statistics, Theology and Religious Studies.

Admitted transfer students into CLAS are not eligible to transfer internally to one of the other Villanova academic colleges. If you intend to earn a degree from the Villanova School of Business or College of Engineering, you must apply directly to that college.

Villanova School of Business

The Villanova School of Business (VSB) will only consider transfer applicants who have completed one year of full-time college coursework before enrolling at Villanova. Students can submit an application to transfer during the second semester of their first year in college with self-reported midterm grades.

College of Engineering

Due to space limitations, the College of Engineering is currently only considering transfer applications for Electrical Engineering majors.

Fitzpatrick College of Nursing

The Fitzpatrick College of Nursing no longer considers transfer applications. Transfers who are admitted into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may not request a transfer into the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing.

Transfer credit is reviewed and awarded after a student is admitted. While you cannot know for certain at the time of application which of your credits will transfer, you can compare individual course descriptions in your present institution's course catalog with Villanova's online course catalog. By comparing these descriptions, you may be able to ascertain the similarity of the courses and whether your present courses seem to correspond with any Villanova courses.

Villanova accepts a maximum of 60 transfer credits from other institutions. In order to earn a degree from Villanova, at least half of all major courses and the final 30 credits of a degree program must be taken at Villanova. You must earn a grade of "C" or better at an accredited institution in order for appropriate credit to be given.

Given the current pandemic and its impact on grading, Villanova still prefers to have letter grades for consideration. If, however, grades will be noted as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory or Pass/Fail, then students will need to submit an official explanation from the institution indicating what a Pass or Satisfactory is equivalent to (whether a C or a D).

Need-based institutional grant assistance for students seeking to transfer to Villanova University is limited. Students seeking need-based financial assistance should complete and submit their required documents by the stated deadlines, and the Office of Financial Assistance will determine eligibility for institutional need-based aid contingent upon funding available at that time.

Additionally, there are various options for financing a Villanova University education. Please review the Office of Financial Assistance's financing options page for more details.

Note: It is strongly recommended that transfer applicants who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents apply for both admission and need-based financial assistance simultaneously. Please do not wait until you hear of your admission decision to apply for aid. Villanova does not offer need-based financial assistance for international transfer students.

Villanova University is dedicated to assisting veterans and their dependents as they reach personal, professional and academic goals. We are committed to guiding each individual from admissions to graduation, and beyond. Please contact our Office of Veterans and Military Service Members for more information on using your VA Benefits at Villanova. 

As part of our commitment, we are waiving the application fee for service members and veterans who are applying as a first-year or transfer student.  Please complete the application fee waiver.

On-campus housing for transfer students is very limited and not guaranteed.

To assist with finding off campus housing, the Office for Residence Life maintains a web page with off-campus housing information, where you will find a list of apartment complexes in the area, a database that may help you find a roommate, and other resources. 

Please Note:  Several of the resources on the housing page are only viewable to Villanova students who are logged into the website. Transfer students will receive their log-in information shortly after their Admission Enrollment Deposit has been received.

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, you will be considered as a domestic student for purposes of financial assistance.

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.

Transfer students with international academic credentials must have their documents translated (if not in English) and evaluated. To find an accredited evaluation company, please visit www.naces.org.

Secondary School Records

Secondary school records are required for all transfer applicants. Transcripts of course work and grades/marks are required for the equivalent of secondary school study. 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, you will be required to provide the official results of the examination.

Proof of English Language Proficiency is required for applicants for whom English is not their native language. English language proficiency can be demonstrated by submitting official test results directly from an in-person administration of TOEFL iBT or IELTS.  It is strongly recommended that applicants satisfy English language proficiency through either of these methods.  If an applicant is unable to access these tests, then the results from TOEFL iBT Special Home EditionTOEFL ITP Plus for China exam, or the Duolingo English Test (DET) will be accepted.

  • 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 for more than three consecutive years at an American or International School where English is the primary language of instruction.

International applicants are required to submit the Certification of Finances Form and a recent bank statement or letter through their Applicant Status Portal after submitting their application for admission. These documents must be submitted at that time in order for an application to be considered complete.

It is important to note that Villanova does not offer need-based financial assistance for international transfer students.

Villanova University does not provide 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.

Transfer Committee
Office of Undergraduate Admission
Villanova University
800 E. Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Villanova is in the Eastern Time Zone.

Cabrini University Applicants

Cabrini University transfer applicants can now apply via the Cabrini-Villanova Transfer Application.

  • Cabrini transfer applicants will be provided with an expedited review process on a rolling basis. 
  • Cabrini transfer applicants will not be asked to submit essays as part of their review.

Transfer Information Session Recording (February 2024)