FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions graphic with three pictures of small groups of students

Have questions about Villanova, the admission process - including on our test-optional policy, visiting campus or more? Check below for some of our most frequently asked questions. Last updated: February 6, 2024.

Don't see your question on the list? Send us an email!

VISITING CAMPUS FAQs

Villanova welcomes all prospective students and their families to visit us on the Main Line. To book your visit, you should check out our Visit Villanova page for more details on both in-person and virtual tours and upcoming programming.

A reminder that Villanova does not conduct interviews as part of our admission process, nor do we track demonstrated interest, so making a visit to campus will have no bearing upon your future admission decision.

No. Villanova does not conduct interviews as part of our admission process, nor do we track demonstrated interest. If you are unable to visit campus prior to applying (or attend one of our online sessions), it will have zero bearing on your application or admission decision.

Villanova University is located at:
800 E. Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085

Visit our Maps and Directions page for additional information including details on public transportation, lodging near campus and parking information.

We look forward to welcoming you to campus! We ask that guests who may need special assistance to please be sure to request accommodations as soon as possible in advance by contacting us at 610-519-4000 or gotovu@villanova.edu. We will work individually with you to ensure a positive visit experience.

The Office of Undergraduate Admission stands ready to assist you in your application process in any way that we can!  You can connect with us in the following ways:

Yes! Please see our Visit Villanova website for more information.

APPLICATION FAQs

For more information and a full listing of all our dates and deadlines, please visit our application dates and deadlines page.

Application Deadlines

  • August 1: Application Opens
  • November 1: Early Decision I deadline
  • November 1: Early Action deadline
  • January 15: Early Decision II deadline
  • January 15: Regular Decision deadline

Other Important Applications

  • December 1: Presidential Scholarship

Financial Assistance Deadlines

  • October 1: FAFSA Opens
  • November 15: Early Decision I financial assistance deadline
  • December 1: Early Action financial assistance deadline
  • January 15: Early Decision II financial assistance deadline
  • January 15: Regular Decision financial assistance deadline

If you decide after submitting your application that you would like to switch your admission plan from Early Action or Regular Decision to one of our binding Early Decision rounds, please email gotovu@villanova.edu. With that email, please attach a completed Early Decision Agreement Form.

Please note that our deadline for application plan change from Early Action to Early Decision I is November 10. Our deadline for deferred Early Action candidates or students who previously selected Regular Decision as their application plan to change to Early Decision II is January 31.

When submitting your application for admission to Villanova, you will be required to apply to one of our undergraduate colleges or a specific major: 

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Liberal Arts)

  • The only option available to applicants interested in the Liberal Arts is Exploratory Arts. Exploratory Arts leads to a major in: Arab & Islamic Studies, Art History, Classical Studies, Communication, Criminology, Cultural Studies, Economics, Education & Counseling, English, Environmental Studies, French & Francophone Studies, Gender & Women’s Studies, Geography, Global Interdisciplinary Studies, History, Humanities, Independently Designed Major, Italian, Latin American Studies, Liberal Arts, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Public Service & Administration, Secondary Education, Sociology, Spanish Studies or Theology & Religious Studies. Enrolled students in Exploratory Arts will declare one of the majors listed by the end of their second year.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Sciences)
  • Students will apply to one of the following majors: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Comprehensive Science, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Physics or Statistics.
  • Applicants to the sciences have the option to select Exploratory Science (undeclared science) as a second choice. This program offers students an opportunity to explore a variety of options during their first year. First-year Exploratory Science students enroll in one or two natural science courses with laboratory and mathematics. Please know that if you are admitted to the Exploratory Science Program, there is no guarantee that you will be able to enroll in your first-choice major. Placement into science majors is done based on space availability in each program at the end of the first year.
Villanova School of Business
  • Candidates interested in a business major will apply generally to the Villanova School of Business. A particular major will be selected within the sophomore year.
College of Engineering
  • Students will apply to one of the following majors: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
  • Applicants to engineering have the option to select another engineering discipline as a second choice. Please know that if you are admitted to your second-choice major, there is no guarantee that you will be able to enroll in your first-choice major. Requests for change of engineering major are done based on space availability in each program at the end of the first year.
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
  • The nursing major is a four-year, direct-admit program.

When submitting your application for admission to Villanova, you will be required to apply to one of our undergraduate colleges or a specific major. There is not an undecided option.

However, for students who are unsure what they hope to study, we recommend applying to Exploratory Arts (within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences).

  • 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.

Villanova requires one letter of 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 a second 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.

Students who achieve a qualifying score in the Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate Higher Level Exams may receive Villanova course credit. Please refer to each academic colleges' policies below:

  • The only option available to applicants interested in the Liberal Arts is Exploratory Arts. Exploratory Arts leads to a major in: Arab & Islamic Studies, Art History, Classical Studies, Communication, Criminology, Cultural Studies, Economics, Education & Counseling, English, Environmental Studies, French & Francophone Studies, Gender & Women’s Studies, Geography, Global Interdisciplinary Studies, History, Humanities, Independently Designed Major, Italian, Latin American Studies, Liberal Arts, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Public Service & Administration, Secondary Education, Sociology, Spanish Studies or Theology & Religious Studies. Enrolled students in Exploratory Arts will declare one of the majors listed by the end of their second year.

 

TEST-OPTIONAL FAQs

Villanova University will remain test-optional through the 2025-26 admission campaign (Class of 2030).

When evaluating applications, Villanova holistically reviews all the information provided, including: high school performance and rigor of curriculum (in context of opportunity), class rank (if provided), 1 teacher letter of recommendation, involvement and engagement, writing supplements, 1 optional counselor letter of recommendation and the results of SAT or ACT scores (if submitted).

Test-optional means exactly that. You have the option to submit your SAT or ACT score(s) if you would like. If you choose not to submit testing, know that the remaining components of your application will take on greater weight in your admission decision.

No. The admission review process at Villanova has always been comprehensive and holistic, meaning that standardized testing was only one criterion. Admission decisions for students who choose not to send their test results will be based on academic work, strength of curriculum, involvement and engagement, writing supplements and one letter of recommendation.

Applicants who choose to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their application 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.

Yes. When completing the Villanova Member Section of the Common Application, you will be asked whether or not you will be submitting test scores. If you decide later that you would like to change to the other option, you will have until November 10 (for Early Action and Early Decision I candidates) or January 31 (for Regular Decision or Early Decision II candidates) to complete the request form through your Applicant Status Page.

No, students who decide not to send their test scores can still be considered for all merit-based scholarships to which they apply, including the Presidential Scholarship.

No, students interested in the Honors Program can still be considered if they choose to not submit test scores.

Applicants who are homeschooled students or who have been homeschooled for two or more full academic years 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

Yes, international students can choose to apply test-optional. Those for whom English is not their native language will still need to satisfy English language proficiency, which can be demonstrated in a variety of ways. Please see our English language proficiency requirements page for more information. 

Yes, transfer students can choose to apply test-optional. Visit our Transfer Applicants page for more details.

Villanova University will be test-optional through the 2025-26 admission campaign (Class of 2030). We continue to have ongoing conversations about the future of standardized testing in our admission process beyond that time.

Office of Undergraduate Admission
gotovu@villanova.edu
610-519-4000

 

Office of Financial Assistance
finaid@villanova.edu
610-519-4010