Villanova Honors
Students who earn distinction in core courses may apply to be considered for Honors or Advanced Placement classes. Additionally, students may earn a place on the Headmaster’s list (4.0 or above) or the Villanova Honor Roll, published at the end of each quarter.
Additionally, many Villanova students are active in the following Honor Societies:
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society (NHS) is a national organization of 12,500 high schools and is run by the local chapters. A chapter was first established at Villanova in 1950.
The objectives of NHS are to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service to the school and community, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in the nation's secondary school students.
NHS membership is a distinguishing item to list on a college or university application. Members of the Villanova Chapter of the National Honor Society will receive a special seal on their diplomas and on their permanent transcripts.
To qualify for membership, a student must demonstrate scholarship, service, leadership, and character. The student must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, must have a record of service at school or in the community, must have demonstrated a willingness to be a leader at school or in the community, and must have a record of honorable conduct both in and out of school.
Juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.5 or above will be invited to complete an information sheet for membership. A five member faculty panel will review sheets that are properly completed and submitted.
The panel will be composed of Villanova teachers, whose identity will remain anonymous to all except the NHS faculty moderator and Villanova's administration.
California Scholarship Federation
The California Scholarship Federation (CSF) stimulates interest and fosters pride in high standards of scholarship.
CSF has an extensive program of college relations and provides students with information regarding available scholarships. A list of colleges and universities throughout the United States, which earmark scholarships for Life Members, is compiled and made available annually.
Individual membership in the Villanova Chapter is based on grades earned each semester and on citizenship. A student must apply or re-apply for membership each semester. In general, if a student has three semester grades of 4.0 or above and one semester grade of 3.0 or above, with no grade below 2.0, he or she will qualify academically for CSF. The faculty is asked to review the list of applicants and determine if the student meets the citizenship requirements. A student who is a sophomore, junior, or senior may qualify for full membership in CSF. Freshmen may qualify for associate membership.
Students become Life Members, or Seal Bearers, if they are members of CSF for four or more semesters in their last three years of high school, one semester of which must be in their senior year. Information about the application process will be provided by the CSF moderator shortly after the beginning of the academic year. Copies of report cards must be provided when applying for membership; the School will not produce an extra copy for that purpose. Membership dues are $3.00 per semester, payable after good citizenship has been confirmed by the faculty.
Citizenship - The student is expected to maintain exemplary behavior. Exemplary behavior is considered to be conduct in keeping with the philosophy of the Villanova code of student conduct as stated in Section VIII of the Student Handbook.
Visit the CSF homepage on Edline by clicking here
The Clare Boothe Luce Scholar Program
Playwright, novelist, first U.S. Congresswoman from Connecticut, Ambassador to Italy. Born in New York City, Clare went to work as an editor of Vanity Fair, traveling 72,000 miles as a correspondent, and wrote the first of several plays, The Women.
In 1935 she married Henry Luce, co-founder of Time Magazine and later Life Magazine. In 1941 Clare Boothe Luce agreed to run for political office, filling the seat held by her late step-father, Dr. Austin. She won the election and in 1949 was re-elected. While in Congress she was named to the powerful Committee on Military Affairs. Throughout her term she attacked President Roosevelt's foreign policy and management of the war effort. As the war ended, Clare issued a warning about the threat of aggression from the Soviet Union. At the request of President Eisenhower, she was named Ambassador to Italy in 1946. She was a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board under Presidents Nixon, Ford and Reagan. She was devastated by the death of her daughter in an automobile accident and, following the death of Henry Luce, Clare lived in Hawaii much of the year, returning to Washington in the 1980's where she died in October 1987.
According to the content of her will, Clare Boothe Luce designated part of her estate as endowments to twelve universities, including: Boston University, Boston, MA; Colby College, Waterville, ME; Creighton University, Omaha, NE; Fordham University, Bronx, NY; Georgetown University, Washington, DC; Marymount University, Arlington, VA; Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA; St. John's University, Jamaica, NY; Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA; Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ; Trinity College, Washington, DC; University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
The only secondary school included on the endowment list is Villanova Preparatory School. The Clare Boothe Luce Program stands alone as the single most significant source of private support for women in science, engineering and mathematics. She appreciated, however, that many women face obstacles in their chosen professions. In her magnificent bequest establishing this program, she sought “to encourage women to enter, study, graduate, and teach” in the sciences (including mathematics) and engineering.
Villanova’s Clare Boothe Luce Program Seeks To:
* Identify Young Women with an Intellect and Interest in Math and Science
* Foster in Young Women a Passion for Excellence in Math and Science while at Villanova
* Enter College or University Degree Programs in Math or Science
* Become Role Models for Young Women in Math or Science
A "Clare Boothe Luce Scholar" at Villanova:
* Attends "Women in Math and Science" Career Lectures
* Receives Role Modeling from Clare Boothe Luce Teachers on Staff at Villanova
* May Apply for Summer Study Grants
* May be Eligible for Clare Boothe Luce Scholarships at Villanova
* Receives Assistance with College Planning and Placement in Math or the Sciences
Visit the Clare Boothe Luce homepage on Edline by clicking here