Accepted students and their families descended upon Villanova’s campus last weekend as the University held its annual Early Action Candidates’ Day. Events took place from Friday afternoon to Saturday.

Hosted by the Villanova Ambassadors and the Blue Key Society, Early Action Candidates’ Day offers accepted high school seniors a chance to visit the campus and attend a variety of events centered on the academic philosophies and opportunities at Villanova.

Everything kicked off Friday afternoon with an optional presentation titled “The Philosophy of Education.” Taking place in the Villanova Room in Connelly Center, the presentation was more relaxed and featured speeches and a question-and-answer session with professors from all four colleges.

Current students also gave short speeches about their experience at Villanova.

After the presentation, which lasted roughly an hour and a half, the candidates and their parents were offered the opportunity to eat dinner with members of Blue Key at Donahue Hall. While many current freshmen noted that the quality of the food was better than usual, it nonetheless gave the candidates a chance to experience a traditional college meal and interact with other students.

The day began bright and early Saturday morning, with members of Blue Key and the Ambassadors arriving at Connelly Center before 7 a.m. to set up and decorate for the candidates.

At 9 a.m., the high school seniors and their families flooded into the Pavilion as they registered and ate breakfast.

Students were then separated based on the college that accepted them, but each followed the same basic itinerary.

The day opened with a welcoming presentation.

Following that, students and parents attended several different academic presentations where professors discussed different majors, departments and the overall quality of academics at Villanova.

The candidates were also led on a campus tour, which was more in-depth and specific than a general tour because they were separated by college.

Many tour guides even opened their own rooms up for the groups to see, allowing for a more personal view of Villanova life than traditional tours.

Near the end of the day, the campus set up a general open house. There, representatives from Financial Assistance, Campus Ministry, International Studies, Health Professions and Career Services offered information sessions.

The day closed with a Campus Ministry Mass in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church.

Most visitors seemed to enjoy the weekend, noting that the enthusiasm of current students and the overall feel of the event was a huge boost to their overall opinion of the University.

They shared their thoughts with each other through Facebook in the group “Villanova Class of 2013.”

Members of Blue Key said they were trying to create a warm welcome for the propsective students.

“What we’re trying to showcase most with Candidates’ Day is the amazing community feeling Villanova embodies,” said Hannah Smith, secretary of the Blue Key Society. “It really feels like home to us.”

“We also try to emphasize that, unlike the majority of colleges and universities, our tour guides are not paid but are still willing to come out at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday just because they love Villanova so much,” she said.

The University hosts Candidates’ Day for all admitted students in April.