Supplemental essays · 2026–27 application
Villanova University supplemental essays.
All 5 essay questions Villanova University asks this year, word for word, with the word limits and how to approach each one.
Checked against villanova.edu on October 17, 2026
What you write: Pick one of the five, about 250 words.
Your answer has to be different from your Common App or Coalition essay. Villanova says close to 250 words is fine.
Equity and justice
(The prompt opens with Pope Leo XIV, Villanova Class of 1977, on how no one can carry the world's challenges alone and everyone can play their part.) What have you done to play your part in advancing equity and justice in your community?
How to approach it
- Say plainly what the community is.
- Show your place in it with one real scene.
- End with what you’d bring to campus.
A lesson to share
What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others at Villanova?
How to approach it
- Pick one moment and stay there. Readers remember a scene, not a summary.
- Spend at least a third of the essay on what you thought and how you changed.
- Read it out loud. If a line doesn’t sound like you, it isn’t done yet.
Your new home
"Villanova" means "new home." Why do you want to call Villanova your new home?
How to approach it
- Name things you could only find at this college: a class, a professor, a program, a tradition.
- Tie every detail to something true about you.
- Swap test: if another college’s name fits your sentence, it’s too general.
Technology and the common good
Villanova embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a commitment to thoughtful, ethical use rooted in our Augustinian mission and values. How do you see technology helping you to lead, serve, and contribute to the common good?
How to approach it
- Pick one moment and stay there. Readers remember a scene, not a summary.
- Spend at least a third of the essay on what you thought and how you changed.
- Read it out loud. If a line doesn’t sound like you, it isn’t done yet.
Lending your strength
At Villanova, we often say "each of us strengthens all of us." Please detail a time when someone has borrowed some of your strength in their time of need.
How to approach it
- Say plainly what the community is.
- Show your place in it with one real scene.
- End with what you’d bring to campus.
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