Villanova University's wording, checked October 26, 2026“What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others at Villanova?”
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
- 1Show where you learned it before stating it.
- 2Make the lesson specific enough to surprise.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1The experience that taught you.
- 2The lesson, stated in your own words.
- 3Who at Villanova you would share it with, and why.
Where the 250 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The moment or example | about 100 |
| What it shows or changed | about 90 |
| Why it matters, or what you bring | about 60 |
Mistakes to avoid
- A proverb as the lesson.
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.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| One lived experience | It focuses on one specific aspect of the applicant's life or background, shown through a moment or detail, not a list of labels. |
| How it shaped you | It shows how that experience changed what the applicant thinks, does or notices, with evidence rather than a claim. |
| What classmates will gain | It makes clear what the applicant would bring to conversations, classes or campus life because of it. |
| Villanova's ask | It connects the answer to Villanova's community and does every part of what Villanova's question asks. |
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Questions
More on Villanova and this kind of question
- Harvard: Life experiences you will contribute · 150 words
- Yale: Essay: your personal experience · 400 words
- Princeton: Your voice: lived experience · 400-500 words
- Columbia: Your lived experience · 150 words
- Brown: An aspect of your growing up · 150-250 words
- Dartmouth: Let your life speak · 250 words