Before attending or committing please read this. I went into this school thinking it would be an academic place where people cared about schoolwork, as they made it seem. I was in utter shock when I arrived to find that all anyone cares about is partying, drugs and alcohol. If you aren’t interested in greek life you are utterly alone. Almost every night of the week I was the only one in my hall, not in a frat basement. I am always open to a party and all that comes with it, but the way Lehigh University does it is disgusting. Only women are allowed into all the frat houses and if you are a guy, they won’t let you in without at least 3 girls. It is a demeaning and horrible system. As a woman I was treated like an object constantly. I never felt safe or comfortable. My mental health was obliterated. I tried talking to a counselor and- after they TURNED me away after begging for an appointment- they finally let me see a counselor who was no help at all. I became so depressed I couldn’t leave my bed and missed counseling sessions. There was no follow up or any care the faculty/ adults expressed when I was in a dangerous state. I had to leave and had nightmares about returning. Please please please think if this is the right environment for you. This is an extremely white and conservative campus where no one cares about you unless you are a hot girl who is drunk at a party. I would never want anyone to go through what I did. I wish someone would’ve warned me, so that is what I am attempting to do. Wishing you all the best.
If anyone has an questions about my experience I would be happy to share.
I’m sorry you are going through this. Have you been able to get help or improve since you left campus? (assuming you left campus?)
Are you intending to transfer for the Fall?
Yes i am so much better since leaving and will be attending a new school in the fall that will be a much better fit.
I am so happy to hear that. Kudos to you for proactively making a change.
Good luck as you finish this semester, and next semester at your new school.
did you try theme housing? Lehigh after dark? activities? Clean Living? outdoor club?
what happened when they closed down greek life?
Did you check out substance free housing? Academic clubs? Service clubs? It is unfortunate you did not have a positive experience but you are generalizing an entire university and trying to malign the school. You have done a lot of overgeneralizing which is really unfair and inappropriate. Good luck to you moving forward.
There is a lot of truth to OP’s concerns.
This is one instance where I wonder if the Fiske Guide To Colleges 2020 mixed up the reviews for Lehigh & Lafayette. Fiske gives Lehigh just 3 Telephones (out of a possible 5) for Social Life, and gives Lafayette 5 Telephones (party school). In the write-up, Fiske mistakenly refers to Lafayette as Lehigh with respect to travel abroad.
While Lafayette is quite social, Lehigh is very social.
I left before they shut down greek life. I would never makeup having such a terrible experience. I simply wanted to advise people like me not to intend an institution where they wouldn’t be happy. The school is just for a very specific type of person and I felt ill informed on what I was getting myself into
I just wanted to share my own personal experience. I did try everything possible but it was simply not the right place for me. All my opinions are simply based on my experiences. For some people this is a great fit. My intention was not to overgeneralize at all. I just wanted to give my honest perspective about the school.
I am sorry you had such a bad experience. I was asking additional questions because I am about to deposit. I’m not a partier but very social. I’m not joining a frat, but plan to join a lot of clubs. So I was wondering if you were involved in anything like Lehigh after dark, choice living, fitness clubs, or any clubs at all? That would help me a lot.
ps…good luck in your new school
I’m sorry that the op feels this way. Without discrediting the op’s experiences, I want to share that my experiences differ greatly. I’m a rising junior in the business school (M) and I’m not in a frat. I’m in a lot of clubs, I participate in a lot of Lehigh activities and my social life has been amazing. I’ve met all my amazing friends though my shared interests and clubs and none of us are in frats. This is my first time writing anything on this site, so I’m not really sure if there are any rules when commenting. I just want the incoming freshmen to know that although it could be overwhelming attending a party school, there are still many things to do. Also, all my friends and I have secured great internships so employment should not be a concern coming from Lehigh.
Nice post, @LehighLife — you did a great job of contributing to this thread at a time when prospective students will be making their final choices.
That’s so great to hear. Would you mind telling me about the STEM housing and some activities and clubs you have been involved in?
I’m truly sorry if any of you were offended by my post. That was not my intention AT ALL. I just wanted to share my experience and I wish you all the best in choosing your college. I know many people who have been happy to attend Lehigh. It is really just personal preference!
Not offended at all…just asking for a little more info, if you don’t mind sharing. like clubs or activities that you were a part of?
I don’t know anyone in STEM housing but I know a lot of people in other themed housing (CHOICE, Outdoor Adventure, Fit Living) and most of them love it. The themed housing floors only do formal events on occasion but from what I see the kids in themed housing are normally closer together and do a lot more normal stuff together as friends. I don’t talk to a single person from my freshmen hall anymore except for my roommate but my friends who were in themed housing still talk to their freshmen floor since they were a lot closer with them to begin with.
There are a lot of clubs at Lehigh and most of them are very active. They make it easy to join clubs and leave then later (or join clubs mid-way through the year). A lot of freshmen will join a bunch of clubs freshmen year and slowly drop them as they become more involved/interested in a few clubs and might drop even more when they gain leadership positions. I’ve been involved in a lot of clubs but I’ve only continued a few of them. For the most part, there is a club for everyone and if there is not it’s very easy to make a club (I have personally done this).
You can PM me for specific questions if you wanted (is that even possible on this site?)
@LehighLife Thanks so much. I’m definitely leaning towards STEM. Although all themes would be interesting to me I thought about Outdoor and CHOICE as well. I think Fit living isn’t open to freshman.
Are you involved in Lehigh After Dark? How is Taylor gym facilities?
Where are you considering transferring?
Did you apply to Bryn Mawr? There won’t be any fraternities there. Its close enough to Haverford and Swarthmore where you could also meet people at those schools.