Here are some observations after attending an information session and participating in a tour of the campus yesterday at Villanova:
Villanova is truly a midsize institution and may offer a more evenly weighted mix of small college and big university features than larger schools claiming the midsize label like Boston College (BC). Despite its size, Villanova offers nationally recognized programs in fields such as business and engineering, in addition to offerings in the liberal arts and sciences.
Most students will conclude that the Villanova campus is welcoming and attractive (as I did), although here I think BC is a little more impressive overall. Like BC, first-year students live in residence halls that are located away from the main campus. For some, the opportunity to bond with other first-year students will be seen as a plus; others might consider it an inconvenience.
There are some intriguing academic opportunities: an Honors program, optional Learning communities and first-year seminars much like those now found at many liberal arts colleges. The difference at Villanova is these are called Augustinian & Culture seminars, although the range of topics can be wider than that heading might suggest.
On a related note, students who are not Catholic, or who are not religious, should certainly consider Villanova despite its church affiliation and may, in fact, find satisfaction in the Augustinian history and its principles at work here. To put it another way, any mildly interested student should visit the campus and then decide if the university's commitment to academic excellence, personal attention, community spirit and service to others outweighs a potential aversion to the Catholic symbols in evidence, the presence of a church and monastery on campus or other features seemingly influenced by the affiliation or the makeup of the student body.
Villanova is truly a midsize institution and may offer a more evenly weighted mix of small college and big university features than larger schools claiming the midsize label like Boston College (BC). Despite its size, Villanova offers nationally recognized programs in fields such as business and engineering, in addition to offerings in the liberal arts and sciences.
Most students will conclude that the Villanova campus is welcoming and attractive (as I did), although here I think BC is a little more impressive overall. Like BC, first-year students live in residence halls that are located away from the main campus. For some, the opportunity to bond with other first-year students will be seen as a plus; others might consider it an inconvenience.
There are some intriguing academic opportunities: an Honors program, optional Learning communities and first-year seminars much like those now found at many liberal arts colleges. The difference at Villanova is these are called Augustinian & Culture seminars, although the range of topics can be wider than that heading might suggest.
On a related note, students who are not Catholic, or who are not religious, should certainly consider Villanova despite its church affiliation and may, in fact, find satisfaction in the Augustinian history and its principles at work here. To put it another way, any mildly interested student should visit the campus and then decide if the university's commitment to academic excellence, personal attention, community spirit and service to others outweighs a potential aversion to the Catholic symbols in evidence, the presence of a church and monastery on campus or other features seemingly influenced by the affiliation or the makeup of the student body.
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