Villanova University Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Peter

there is a very high percentage of upper class white people. tables- frats athletes sororities others

Brittany

None

Parker

Everybody really gets along. There are some stereotypes, but you'll find that anywhere. There is a lot of financial and opportunites for scholoarships. People who are very eccentric might have a hard time fitting in, but overall people find their niche. People are VERY politically active here - both wings. We had McCain, Michelle Obama, and Ron Paul here to talk.

Jaimie

There is a such thing as a standard Villanova student and this is what it is: a white kid from a wealthy family and good upbringing who can range from being really stuck-up or one of the nicest people who will ever meet. Obviously there are many deviations from this but that is the typical person you will find on Villanova's campus. I feel like African American students stick to their own groups and don't mingle too much with the preppy white kids but the African American students that are here are really smart kids and probably among the nicest people you will meet at nova. The majority of girl students wear dresses and cute outfits to class with their hair and makeup perfectly done. The boys are more casual with their outfits and there are some people who just don't care... I definitely wore pajamas a lot to class but I stopped doing that because I just stood out so much and felt like it really was not okay... and I got a lot of weird looks. Villanova Students are mostly from New Jersey and Connecticut. There are a lot of East coast kids although I have met quite a few people from California and other various states.

martha

The kids at villanova are all somewhat similar, and diversity is not blatantly evident, but it exists and there is no problem with diversity. Dress code for classes is much less casual than at other colleges as i have learned from friends at other schools. Most students are well off financially, but that only plays a factor if you let it. The school is not overwhelmingly political and most students are conservative. All students are driven to be successful post-graduation.

Courtney

see above sections.

Maria

EVERYONE IS VERY NICE :) There may be some rich kids, I'm definitely not one of them but who am I to judge anyone for something like that? If they are rich, the stereotypes about rich people being snotty is all wrong. No one is snotty. Kids just mind their own business and there is a difference. But the parking lot is full of cars that DON'T look like they cost a million billion dollars haha. So I don't know if a lot of people are rich. But that doesn't matter. What matters is how people are on the inside. And eveyone is so nice that I can't complain at all. You'd be very surprised at the manners and kindness of everyone. Everyone is smart and considerate. I don't always feel like I fit in...I am a little weird I guess haha because I am an artsy kind of a person. But if you can be yourself and be comfortable with that then you are fine. I think if you are not comfortable, like me (but it's probably my own fault because I'm not involved enough so don't worry), people are going to notice because everyone at Nova is so calm, content and comfortable all the time... or at least that's the way it seems. 3 words that describe Villanovans: CALM, CONTENT, COMFORTABLE But people don't judge for the most part. I don't think.

Courtney

Villanova is an overall attractive student body. We have a lean towards preppy clothing but what Catholic university doesn't. In the springtime the average Villanova girl is wearing a sundress while the average boy is in plaid shorts and a tee or polo. Because of how expensive Villanova is, most students come from upper middle class families however, I don't know of any students who openly discuss their economic backgrounds. Politics are not huge at Villanova, but they can be if you want. This past year we had Chelsea Clinton, Michelle Obama, and John McCain all come to campus so students could get the information they wanted or needed to vote. Villanova isn't very cliquey and because of that the students here end up making so many more friends. The only kind of student who may feel out of place is a sloppy, drug addict who slacks and never goes to class, but really, even they might find a few people who find them amusing.

Gretchen

The students here are awesome. While they do sometimes seem to fit the eastern stereotype, most of the time they are super friendly and want everyone to love Villanova as much as they do, because everyone seems to love it!

Austin

If you don't fit in at Villanova, you don't fit in. The student body is so limited in variation that sometimes I feel like just shaking someone next to me and yelling "What the hell is wrong with you?" I would say that 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the population here comes from an extravagantly wealthy family. Lots of very conservative Christians who come here to be with other conservative Christians, just for the sake of being with other conservative Christians. Lots of white people. Style here is preppy without taste, or glamor without any real conscious knowledge of glamorous fashion. In other words, you see a lot of Ralph Lauren, J Crew, old Chanel, white Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses, and Lilly Pulitzer. Lots of Lucky Brand, True Religion (yet only for girls), and Seven. Overall, the fashion is so self-righteous without any reason whatsoever.

Mark

Very white Catholic community, however Villanova is very accepting of every ethnicity, race, and religion. Some people dress up for class, but it's definitely not necessary-sweats / pajamas are definitely seen a lot. A lot of people from NJ, but it doesnt really matter to people.

Stephen

As stated before, there is a "Villanova Student" stereotype. While many (including myself) live outside of this group, it is still present on campus. If you tend towards the extremes of counter-culture you may find yourself alone or in a small minority on campus. That being said, ALL students at Villanova interact. It's an outgoing campus in that sense. I've found out that between any two people on campus, there are only about 3 degrees of seperation instead of the standard 6. Villanova is politically active, but not in you face about it. We recently have had Michelle Obama, Chelsea Clinton and Sen. John McCain on campus and they've all found the students well-informed and intelligent regarding politcal discourse. Being a Catholic school, most students claim they tend toward the right, but there are plenty of staunch Democrats, Republicans, Populists, Libertarians and Centrists for anyone to be satisfied.

Chris

I think there is a variety of different people at Villanova. I think there are an astonishing amount of racists who attend the school, but also that there are many strongly against racism. I feel that there are few who stand in the inbetween area. Most students seem to be from the east coast so it could possibly be because of the way they were raised. Politically, i would say Villanova is predominantly right winged.

Joe

There are not a lot of different races that go to Villanova therefore thats why we have the nickname Vanilla Nova. Villanova always tries to talk about diversification but its like their beating a dead horse. How about they spend some of that money they waste on stupid days like balloon day and use it to better the campus. Mostly everyone at Villanova has some money. parking lot is full with BMW, Audi, etc. It's all about money at Villanova.

josh

there is some racism not alot mainly just cause its predominatly white, the student body has a vast variety of student though nerdy preppy athletes pretty girls smart dumb its all over, not everyones as smart as they think

Brett

Villanova's Student Body ranges from all over. You name it and Villanova has it. I believe that most students interact with one another (I know personally that it does not matter to me who you are), but you get those groups of students that "push" themselves away from others at Villanova. They does this but yet they say some of us are racists. They are the ones that close themselves off to others not the other way around.

Dana

I never had issues with people pn campus and barly involved with campus activities. I play sports and i participate in every event that relate to sport. I found myself getting along with athletes then nonathletes during my time in Villanova.

Tate

The student body as a whole is just incredibly friendly. Most people dress pretty preppy, and it is not uncommon to see the same outfit in different colors, because everyone basically has the same sense of style.

Rachel

Most people dress up for class. Most are rich and politically involved.

Molly

Villanova is very conservative, and for the most part, white. Students mostly come from middle- to upper-class families. Most students are Catholic, and you can always bet that each of the Masses on Sunday nights (6pm, 8pm, and 10pm) fill the entire church.

Rory

Most students who go here are upper-middle class and white. There are always the exceptions though. Not everyone is white, and not everyone is rich. A large portion of the students here are from Jersey or Long Island. It's hard to make a generalization though, because my room mate is from Maryland, a girl down my hallway is from Texas, and another girl is from India... and that's only in my hallway. I've met people from California, Singapore, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia too.

Ann

There are virtually NO LGBT kids here, and if there are they sure don't talk about it. Kids dress pretty well in class, sometimes to the point that's a little ridiculous. The school isn't too cliquey and it's definetely not like high school, but it's certainly got social groups that don't often mix. Most kids are pretty wealthy and from the Northeast, and you can definitely tell.

bill

nice people. of course wherever you go there are clique types of groups but everyone is really open minded here

Brett

i think that there is a very wide range of students here from all different backgrounds and from all over the world. it is a very diverse campus, and generally everyone gets along with everybody else. it is a pretty welcoming and close community.

Katie

Certain stereotypes about Villanova may be somewhat true, but I have found that all different kinds of people are accepted and can find a niche through some group whether it just be of friends or of an extracurricular, etc.

Chris

The school itself is primarily white, Christian, heterosexual, above average income students. Now that is not to say that all students are intolerant of people from other groups. I have never seen any racial crimes, or anyone harassed for being a certain race, or having a certain characteristic. In general the student population learns from St. Augustine and from the Christian church to be tolerant of others no matter who they are and to accept them as brothers and sisters. With that said students who are not white, Christian, heterosexual, or earn an above average income may find that there are less people like you at this school. However, you will not have problems making friends, because there are people at the school like you, you just have to search them out a bit harder. Most students are very dressed up to class here. That's one of Villanova's things, you can't walk out your door looking unkempt even if you are going to the store or the gym, you have to have makeup on, and look good. Most student at Villanova are from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York with other from the surrounding eastern coast states: Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, there is also a large contingent from Puerto Rico. Predominantly, students being more of the conservative Christian type are more right-winged politically. But that's not to say that left winged people are non-existent because they are as well.

meg

Villanova is trying to become more diverse within their student population. Most of the students at Villanova are from New Jersey and surrounding areas. However, they are also trying to make this statistic more diverse by accepting people from Puerto Rico and Southern States.

Michelle

This is a Catholic college so religion holds a strong presence on the campus. There are student-run Sunday night masses which are attended by an overwhelming number of students every week. In terms of race, the student body is predominantly white but there certainly is diversity too.

Beth

The student body at Villanova is awesome. Everyone is cheerful, friendly, and willing to lend a helping hand.

Steve

There is diversity on campus, but it seems that at least 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students are white. I'm not sure what percentage of the student body is Catholic but I would say it may be around 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. There is a large puerto rican student presence on campus (I believe Villanova has a sister high school in puerto rico). As far as LGBT goes, I know there is a lesbian gay straight coalition (club) on campus but they aren't too vocal. There are a lot of kids from rich families that go to Villanova. In the winter a lot of students wear sweats to class but during the nicer months kids like to dress up, the girls especially. By the way, the girls at Villanova are by and large a very attractive group, who like to look good and do look very good most of the time. Most students at Villanova come from the Northeast, hailing from states like PA, DE, NJ, downstate NY, CT, MA, as well as from the midwest, FL and CA as well. The students are politically pretty mainstream. The kids I know don't talk about how much they will earn upon graduation, but I only know a few business students.

Ashley

there is ZERO diversity. people are very religious. church is packed on sundays by students. students dress up for class which gets kind of annoying but not everyone does. most student from ny, nj, pa, mass and those surrounding states. everyone is richhhhh. most students are republican. most students are NOT politically aware as far as i know

Cameron

I dont like that Villanova is such a homogenous community. It lacks religious diversity as well as with people. Everyone here dresses the same, and it just lacks a diversity. Since it is a catholic university, many of the students are catholic, however this prevents us from getting a more global view since many have similar viewpoints. Most students stick to their racial groups so the Indians stay together, the blacks stay together, the whites stay together as well as the latinos. There isnt much racial integration on campus. The majority of students here appear to be from middle to upper class white homes. Therefore, student that may not be able to afford Uggs and Northfaces may feel out of place to know that they cant keep up with the majority here.

Kathy

The student body is not very diverse, but their is a lot of culture on the campus. Everyone has come from many different places and as a lot to offer. Many of the kids are very well off, and it can be hard for a student who does not have that kinda of money to fit in. At least with girls, it seems very important to have the most up to date clothing.

mandy

Villanova has a predominantly white, upper middle class student population. The school is working to improve its diversity--in this sense, it defines diversity as minority background. Although there are few minorities on campus, there is diversity of financial background and culture. It may seem like a very homogeneous place, but upon closer inspection, you can find people of all types on campus. Students are generally more apathetic than I would prefer. However, with the 2008 primaries, politics are becoming more talked about and students are more interested. Villanova is a Catholic school, and as such the majority of the students are Republican. There are organizations available for LGBT students; they are not very visible on campus, though. A program called Diversity Peer Educators exists. Aside from presentations at Orientation and other 'transition' events for incoming students, the DPEs do not seem to do much on campus. The multicultural student league puts on several awesome events. However, a lot of times the right people aren't in attendance. Only the minority go, and the choir gets preached to. Diversity tends to be one of the more talked about things on campus.

Cody

illlmatic

Liz

Villanova is most upper class white Catholic kids from the Northeast. Many of whom went to private high schools. There are generally conservative (almost annoyingly so). Students here are not particularly interested in politics as much as fashion. Although I must commend Villanova for having Michelle O'Bama and John McCain speak on campus.

Alex

If you can't stand yuppies, then don't come here.

Kate

Wide variety of students, there is little diversity, but it's getting better. There are certainly the rich, but not everyone acts like it. You will be able to find a group of people that yo uassociate with, and there are lots of groups on campus to help that.

christina

i absolutely love the friends that i have found here at villanova. i had close friends in high school, but after coming here, i have found friends that i have become even closer with. we've seen each other through everything from hard ass teachers and sorority/fraternity recruitments, to deaths in the family and boyfriend/girlfriend breakups. the friendships that i have made here are unparalleled. i am also not your stereotypical villanova girl. i don't own ugs (but i do have a black northface :) haha) and i don't wear designer clothes. gap, old navy, and marshalls/tj maxx are my shopping places of choice. i still feel like i fit into villanova's student body like a glove, and i feel like i couldn't be happier anywhere else.

Jesse

Most people at Villanova get dressed up for class, they wear their hair straight and look like they took hours to get ready. The same pretty much goes for the majority of the guys on campus. The northeast is where the majority of Nova kids are from. I would say that probably one in four kids you meet is from NJ or NY. If you look in the school parking lot you will get a good feel of the financial backgrounds of most of the students at the school, upper-middle class/wealthy. However, that is not to say that everyone at school is wealthy. Many students do have part-time jobs around campus or off campus.

Amy

Students are white, upper middle class kids from private prep schools. Enough said.

Mari

There is no diversity at all

Ellen

There is not a ton of racial diversity on campus but it still exists. Students wear everything from high heels and polo shirts to sweat pants and a t-shirt the next day. No one should feel out of place at Villanova though there is a very Catholic presence. I am athiest and do not feel out of place but it should be considered when thinking of attending Villanvoa. I wish there was more religious diversity.

Kevin

Tend to be upper middle class, white, tri-state area. However, diverse interests, talents, attitudes.

Jess

Villanova students for the most part are from the surrounding areas. You find the majority of the kids from NJ, NY, and PA, and then probably one in every 10 kids will be from somewhere like MA, IL, CA, MD, etc. The school does represent 49 states and 60 countries, but the majority of people are from the surrounding area. It would be nice to have a little more geographical diversity. Also, the majority of students are Catholic or at least Christian which of course is due to the fact that Villanova is a Catholic school. Also, because Villanova is Catholic, you find that there are a lot of conservative students here. I personally am a liberal half-Jew (half-nothing) and I love it here. I was a little nervous at first and really had no idea that this was a predominately conservative campus, but I have never had a problem fitting in. No one judges you for not being Christian and you will definitely find that there are liberals on this campus.

Beth

i dont think anyone would feel out of place. students seem to be very aware of cultural, etc. differences and very respectful. typical nova student is upper-class white student from the tri-state area/ny. not a big deal. some focus on amount of money earned, but more focus on doing something to help others.

Jennifer

A large majority of Villanova students are white. However, there are many different ethnicities on campus and there are many multi-cultural grousp to join. Most students dress appropriately to class. They either wear appropriate casual attire or sweatpants and/or sweatshirts. Most Villanova students that I have met have been from New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Bridget

i think there are a good amount of very different organizations on campus and there is a little bit of something for everybody. Most students are pretty well off and still on their parents credit cards and for the most part dress very nicely. Most villanvoans are from new jersey or connecticut and there are also quite a few puerto ricans. I think a lot of the students parents or siblings went to Villanova also or are going to attend if accepted, and I do think that the majority of the students come from a wealthy background.

Christine

-although there may not be as much exposure on campus to different lifestyles, villanova is very good at representing them and including them in our education -i would say that it might be difficult to adjust to nova if you cant afford the ridiculous trends that you see here -some students dress up, others wear jeans and tshirts -different types of students interact, typically thru service and classes -1- the sorority/fraternity table-2-the athlete table-3-the service table-4-the involved people table -most villanova students are from new jersey, new york, pennsylvania, connecticut, and massachusetts -middle and upper-middle classes are most prevalence -students are politically aware for the most part; there is a good split of support -i do not hear much talk of money in the psychology department

Katherine

Villanova is an Augustinian University, so there is a Catholic undertone to a lot of things on campus, but it is by no means forced upon anyone. There are both philosophy and theology courses required by all students, but these are not limited to Catholic theology courses. If you are Catholic, there are several masses that are available and tailored toward students on Sunday nights, and they are always packed. Students tend to dress in a laid back manner for class. Students generally either wear sweatpants/t-shirts or jeans and casual tops to class. Some girls wear casual dresses/skirts, especially in the spring and summer. Boys wear khakis and oxfords/polos often.