For Villanova, I again had the opportunity to interview my bestie's eldest sister Aileen! Her responses are so thorough and helpful if you are planning on applying to Villanova and I strongly recommend you to check her answers out! Also if you have any other questions or want to know more about Villanova, feel free to email her at amille91@villanova.edu
Thank you so much Coll and thank you so much Aileen for the amazing responses and willingness to help other high school students!
How would you describe the weather at Villanova? Does it frequently snow? What would advise students to bring when coming to Villanova?
"The weather at Villanova is actually really nice! On the sunny and warm days its really nice to have a great time on the quad or at the oreo doing work with some friends. In the beginning of the school year it is definitely really hot, probably around 85-90 so definitely bring your summer wardrobe with you. Also, like the saying, when it rains it pours. Philadelphia rain is INTENSE so be sure to bring an umbrella or rain jacket. It stays around this warm until end of September where it then is a perfect fall. In the winter it can get really cold, the customary outfit is a long winter jacket and jeans with boots. The spring is also beautiful so make sure to keep your shorts there all year long! The first day of spring usually calls for cute sun dresses for girls or tshirts and shorts for guys."
What makes Villanova so special to you? Was it your first choice and your dream school?
"What makes Villanova so special to me was the immediate sense of community I had felt when I got to campus for the first time. Villanova was not my first choice, I had actually applied only 5 minutes before the early action application deadline. Going to early action candidates day is definitely what made me choose to go to Villanova. People were lined up on the streets cheering in excitement, wanting me to come to their school. This selfless act seemed so small, but it was so welcoming. The community was so apparent and had made me realize that there was no other place than Villanova where I belonged. "
What was your reaction when you opened your acceptance letter?
"To be honest, opening Villanova’s acceptance letter was a surprise to me. As soon as I clicked then button, my screen filled with confetti. A wave of emotions fell across me and I was ecstatic beyond belief. Watching the president of the university, Father Peter, talk about the addition that my class was going to be the university it made me even more excited for any opportunities that I was about to receive by going to this school. "
Personally, would you recommend morning or night classes?
"I would recommend taking morning classes and late afternoon classes to see what goes better with your work ethic. Personally, I’m able to wake up early so it is easy for me to take morning classes and do my work throughout the rest of the day. However, if you’re not able to wake up in the morning late afternoon classes are also feasible if you are willing to stay up late at night to do your work. I feel like the workload I do get is a decent amount so do whatever you feel like will be the most productive schedule for yourself! The major downside about evening classes at Villanova is that there are so many clubs that meet during the day that are so valuable to your time at Villanova. I participate in a service group that goes to tutor in the afternoons once a week, so being in a night class would not work for an activity like this. The majority of clubs hold meetings at nights, but I would definitely take this into consideration when scheduling. "
What kind of classes would you highly recommend students to take in high school before going off to college?
"Take AP classes and take them seriously! My AP credits took me out of elective classes that I had needed for my major. The only classes that count toward your major for Villanova are Major specific classes, in my case I got out of Calc 1 & 2 when I passed the AP BC Calculus exam. I had taken AP Stats and passed, but because it was not my major it did not count. As well as that only APs that you receive a 4 or 5 on get you credit for the class. That is why it is so important that you are taking these classes so seriously in high school, it will save you both money and time. Do not waste your money on buying college credits from other schools like Adelphi if you are planning on going to Villanova. Villanova only accepts outside school credits if they were taken on the college campus themselves, so a class like CLEP or College Pre-Calc would not be taken as credit by the school."