Villanova University

Date: Jan 29 2009
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
When applying to Villanova, I knew I wasn't in for the most fun ride. After all, it is an Augustinian school in the middle of the PA Main Line. I had no idea, however, exactly what I had gotten myself into.

For the most part, my professors have been cool, but that isn't enough to save the University in my opinion. The campus is beautiful… from the street, but once you're on it, the huge diversity of architechtural styles (for example, Bartley v. Connely v. Kennedy v. Mendel v. White v. Ceer v. Tolentine…) makes the school look like it was planned out by a five year old with mood swings. Somehow, everything is uphill, I don't know how they manage to work it out but no matter where you go, there will be signifigant uphill walking. Parking likewise sucks, especially if you have to park on South Campus, which is at the bottom of a hill which is at the bottom of another hill which the campus sits on.

None of this makes me despise the university as much as I do, however. My main concern is the student body. There are about eight or nine down-to-earth people on campus, the rest are snobby, stuck-up Catholic private school children (yes, Children, as none of them have the necessary social adaptative skills to be considered adults) who judge other students based on both personal appearance (do you wear J. Crew? Is your hair greasier than a good cheesesteak? Collar popped?) but how much money your family has. As I come from a not-so-wealthy family, to say the least, naturally I am not very liked. They also seem to be very unfriendly with opposing viewpoints, for example, I had a very heated argument about whether you should pursue your interests in life or merely what you are good at. The girl insisted that you should do what you are good at, as you'll eventually "learn to love it." I almost wanted to ask her what she knew about the real world, growing up with parents who make more than my entire extended family combined, but I didn't. I digress, however. People are very stuck up and know-it-allsy. Maybe I just butt heads with people like that, but I didn't get along with many people.

There is no social life on the campus, all the parties are ticket parties, meaning you have to pay some exorberant fee to go into a dilapidated appartment and drink cheap vodka (at like expensive nightclub martini prices). Greek life is a joke and pointless, as they aren't allowed housing by the University.

The food is also overpriced and substandard. It may have something to do with living on the Main Line, but I got better food at a diner up in Dublin, PA (45 minutes from 'nova) for signifigantly less money. The coffee is weak and the bagels suck if you are from Northern New Jersey, though that can be said to be true of anywhere in Southeastern PA.

Lastly, there is no diversity among the student body, whatsoever. Look up statistics if you don't beleive that well over 90% of the college is white. I still think that the admissions process is somehow racist, though I have no substance to back up those claims and they are merely a personal opinions of mine.

In short, don't go unless your family makes over 250,000 a year, you drive a BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes, wear J.Crew, Uggs, and the North Face (both genders), like annoying, whiney, stuck up people, and don't feel like maintaining meaningful human relationships for four years of your life.