Around 4,000 admitted students and their families will visit Villanova’s campus for Admitted Students Day on Saturday, April 12.
The tour guides of Blue Key are excited to welcome the Class of 2029 to campus.
“We’re super excited to…show them why we love Villanova so much, and that’s a really special thing,” Senior Director of Admitted Students Day Tyler Moore said. “It also is a really good time to recognize the work that our tour guides have done throughout the year.”
Since October, Moore has worked closely with Steven Marinelli, Junior Director of Admitted Students Day.
Together, they oversee a committee of 18 students who have worked hard to create a special day for admitted students. All members of this committee, including the two directors, are Blue Key tour guides.
For Blue Key, the day will begin before sunrise.
Next, the tour guides will head straight for the beloved spirit line. They will cheer as the admitted students and their families walk past them and into the Finneran Pavillion.
Many tour guides have shared that the spirit line is their favorite part about Admitted Students Day.
“We line the walls of that entryway into the Finn,” Blue Key President Miki Domeneghetti said. “It’s really early in the morning, but we’re making a lot of noise. We’re living it up.”
Many current Blue Key members attribute the spirit line to swaying their decisions in committing to Villanova.
After the admitted students are settled in the Finn, the opening presentations will begin.
Each year, University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D., gives a speech. He and the members of Blue Key also put on a skit to excite the admitted students. Whenever Father Peter says, “Blue Key,” the tour guides respond with eager cheers.
“I think [admitted students] should expect, you know, a lot of energy, and a lot of passion for Villanova,” Moore said.
After the presentations, the students and their families will have a variety of activities spread throughout campus to partake in.
There will be information sessions for each of Villanova’s four colleges. There will be a catered lunch from Wawa on Mendel Field, campus tours and residence hall tours on South Campus. There will also be a Resource Fair outside the upper level of the Connelly Center with representatives from about 20 to 30 resource offices in attendance.
Current members of the Villanova community will also welcome the Class of 2029 at the Involvement Fair. The Quad will be lined with tables from more than 85 student clubs and organizations.
On the Café Nova Patio, there will be an event called “Going the Distance.” This will give those traveling from far distances the opportunity to connect and learn more about what becoming a Villanovan entails.
Additionally, the First Year Frenzy will feature the Student Orientation Program, as well as Parent and Family Relations. This will take place at the Riley Ellipse. Here, students ready to commit and #GoNova will learn what next steps to take.
The day will conclude with the annual Admitted Students Day Mass, which will take place at 4 p.m. in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church.
The Blue Key tour guides understand the importance of Admitted Students Day in deciding which college to attend. Marinelli said after his Admitted Students Day, he knew he was going to commit to Villanova.
“That was the final thing that I needed to tell me this place is for me, and that I want to be here,” Marinelli said. “The feeling of, like, being on campus that day, and interacting with students and families and other people on Villanova’s campus made me want to come here and, like, find my home here.”
The Blue Key tour guides will continue to prepare and ensure a positive experience for the incoming Class of 2029.
