<p>Is there any benefit from putting in the deposit early? From what I've read, housing applications aren't available until mid May. Is there any reason to do it now or should I wait for a more convenient time to come up with the money?</p>
<p>I sent in my deposit. You only get access to the “First Year Student” tab on the portal, which there isn’t much there that you need this month, and they send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your deposit.</p>
<p>Housing and other paperwork does not come until mid-May.</p>
<p>If you need a couple more weeks to decide, take your time.</p>
<p>Yea, that’s what I thought. I already made my decision, but it would be more convenient later in terms of the $500. Thanks.</p>
<p>Lehigh will advise that by sending in your deposit early you will acquire better housing. From info from friends and relatives it just doesn’t matter. As the saying goes…que sera, sera…but it will still be the best 4 yours of your life!</p>
<p>Yes, WaitingDad, that’s what the original letter led me to believe, so I figured I might as well send it in. But clearly it does not matter. I believe housing is first come first serve on the order of when you send in your HOUSING application, not the deposit.</p>
<p>Plus, I don’t understand what differentiates “good freshman housing” from bad. What dorms are people shooting for and which don’t they want? I mean it seems like there is standard and special living housing, and the standard rooms don’t appear all that much different from each other in terms of living area (from online). Maybe if I saw them in person…</p>
<p>…"Maybe if I saw them in person… :)</p>
<p>It won’t matter - a dorm is a dorm…nothing fancy about them. Hopefully you won’t get “stuck” in McCann. Guys only, not coed. Only positive - it’s right across from the dining hall (Rathbone).</p>
<p>Does anybody know what dorms they usually show on the tour? I forget, but it seemed pretty livable compared to the ones in some other colleges I visited.</p>
<p>Anyhow, if I get stuck in a non-coed dorm, I’ll die. I’m coming out of an all-guys school as it is.</p>
<p>Fetou, on the tour I was on, they took us into a dorm in Drinker house, which are actually second-year dorms I believe. However, the adjacent Dravo house is nearly identical and houses first-year students.</p>
<p>it does matter to send your deposit in as early as possible. they do the first come first served by when your $500 deposit is sent in. from what lehigh students have told me, the sooner you send in your deposit, the more square feet of room you have in your dorm. I have a friend that waited until may 1st to send in her deposit because she was so unsure, and she has a forced double (a room that is supposed to be a single but has two people living in it)… if you know you’re definitely going to lehigh you should send it in as soon as you can if you want a chance at even a slightly bigger room</p>
<p>So even though the housing application isn’t available till mid-May, they still go in order of first deposit? Makes sense to me, but I will call to confirm for everyone.</p>
<p>EDIT: Yea, they just completely agreed with the above poster, it can get you a bigger room.</p>
<p>I guess it’s really hard to guarantee exactly what their process is, but it seems as if that’s the case. They could be saying that as a house line to get people to make their decision to go to Lehigh faster, but I’m going to try to get mine in ASAP. She did check with the residential people for a minute, so it doesn’t seem like it’s just an admissions policy to say that it’s important.</p>