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How to Write Villanova's "Play Your Part" Equity and Justice Essay

What you have done to play your part in advancing equity and justice in your community.

250 wordsChoose 1 of 5Community2026-27
Villanova University's wording, checked October 26, 2026
“As Pope Leo XIV (Villanova Class of 1977) has said, “no one can single-handedly bear the weight of the challenges the world is facing, just as no one is so weak that they cannot play their part.” What have you done to play your part in advancing equity and justice in your community?”

Villanova asks for about 250 words and says not to stress about going over or under, as long as it is close.

How to approach it

  1. 1One specific action you took, even a small one.
  2. 2Why you took it.
  3. 3What it taught you about your part.

A structure that works

One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.

  1. 1The injustice you noticed in your community.
  2. 2What you did about it.
  3. 3What it taught you about playing your part.

Where the 250 words go

PartWords
The moment or exampleabout 100
What it shows or changedabout 90
Why it matters, or what you bringabout 60

Mistakes to avoid

  • Opinions about justice with no action.

The checklist our grader uses for this question

When you check your Villanova answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 250 words limit they set its readiness verdict.

AreaWhat a reader looks for
Answers the questionThe opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered.
The community, concretelyThe community is defined by a detail only a member would know (a place, a ritual, a person), not a label.
Your part in itWhat the applicant personally did or does in it is on the page, with "I" statements.
What it gave you and what you will bringIt says how the community shaped the applicant and connects that to how they will take part in the college's community.
Villanova's askGives what the applicant has actually done to advance equity and justice in their community.

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Questions

How long is Villanova's "Playing your part for equity and justice" essay?

Up to 250 words. Villanova asks for about 250 words and says not to stress about going over or under, as long as it is close.

Is it required?

Choose 1 of 5. Villanova's full set of questions is on the Villanova supplemental essays page.

Can I reuse an essay from another college for this prompt?

You can start from material you have, but rewrite it for Villanova's exact wording: answer every part of this question, and cut what it does not ask for.

Can Statementory write or improve my answer?

We never write or rewrite it: colleges ask you to affirm your essays are your own work. Our checker reviews it against the checklist on this page, quotes your own words, and asks the questions only you can answer.

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