<p>Michelle, Call financial aid, you would receive support with your EFC! They may be still working on your package.<br>
Chardo if you are serious about Lehigh, I would also call financial aid to see what if anything can be done. We only get merit and were told to always apply for financial aid because they determine merit sometimes based on who they know will not be getting any other aid.</p>
<p>Hey michellejx33,</p>
<p>To give you an indication with the EFC, I’m not exactly sure but I think my EFC was approximately $5k as a freshmen, and around $6-7k for this year. Your situation seems similar to mine. For the next academic year, the FAFSA estimated that my EFC is going up again.</p>
<p>For everyone else,</p>
<p>I feel badly for the parents and students who got a raw deal from Lehigh on all of these threads. From my personal experiences, you have to “look as poor as possible” to get a fair financial aid package.</p>
<p>It disgusts me that my EFC has gone up just because I made some extra money working over the last summer. Lehigh thinks I’m going to spend all of this on tuition - God forbid I save it for a car or somewhere to live when I graduate and move into industry. </p>
<p>Truthfully, financial aid at Lehigh - and all institutions for that matter - creates a system that punishes success. The affluent should pay the full price, but the middle class frankly gets stiffed sometimes. Good luck to everyone as they grapple with the money-aspect of college - I hope you don’t think poorly of Lehigh because of your aid packages.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Alright, can you help me understand my financial aid offer?</p>
<p>There’s 5 sub categories but the total comes down to $24610/semester.
So Lehigh is going to give me $49220? That sounds too high</p>
<p>Hey AC24,</p>
<p>Work-study is separate in that it’s earned as spending money over the course of year. That might be throwing off your calculation. I can’t think of anything else. Did you add just for the semester and multiply by two?</p>
<p>Here’s a sample link of about how much it should cost. These are the 2011-2012 academic year numbers, though:</p>
<p>[Lehigh</a> University: Undergraduate Admissions: Tuition & Financial Aid: Tuition & Costs](<a href=“http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/tuition/costs.aspx]Lehigh”>http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/tuition/costs.aspx)</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Yea work study is only $1100/semester or $2200 per year</p>
<p>AC24,</p>
<p>Then maybe that figure is correct. Total costs including everything put the final bill around $52k a year. If your numbers are correct, I’d say you’ve got a good deal. I don’t know what else would make the numbers weird. I don’t think that number is “too high”.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Alright thanks a lot
One last question haha
Does financial aid relatively stay in the same range throughout the 4 years? Like If I got offered 49k as a freshman, is there a possibility I only get offered lets say $20k in the future?</p>
<p>AC24,</p>
<p>Aid is not consistent each academic year. But I’d say it only fluctuates around $1-5k when there aren’t any wild financial swings going on, assuming you don’t bomb your GPA or see a huge financial turnaround. You or your parents would have to see a huge salary increase. Or you could hit the lottery, strike oil, or get some inheritance! Other than that, your aid shouldn’t shift that dratically.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Hi again Mike,</p>
<p>Just curious how the cell phone reception is in the area for Sprint users. When my brother decided to attend Colgate, he had to switch carriers because there weren’t any Sprint cell phone towers there. My parents don’t want to deal with a similar situation if I choose to attend Lehigh.</p>
<p>Ho, sounds like you should choose another college with more cell phone selection then!</p>
<p>Sorry, couldn’t resist. Sounded like you were making a college decision based on cell phone towers.</p>
<p>@busdriver11
Just curious. My brother got kicked off Sprint after he used up 11 million plus units of “unlimited” data in one month. Lehigh is still my top choice, this won’t impact my decision.</p>
<p>I know Jenn, I was just kidding. It was the way you phrased it that I couldn’t resist. I’ll tell you, those cell phone plans sure get complicated, and when you’re trying to use them all over the nation it makes it tough trying to get decent coverage. I personally am curious how At&T does as far as coverage in the area.</p>
<p>No kidding, especially when you have contracts signed. I googled “Sprint coverage map” and it seems that I would be covered at Lehigh. I believe you can do the same with AT&T and it looks like you would be covered also.</p>
<p>Hey JennChen,</p>
<p>I don’t hear anyone complain about cell coverage for any network around campus. I personally have Verizon as my carrier and I’ve never had a problem up here. We’re in a relatively dense metropolitan area - Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton - so I don’t think any carrier would have spotty coverage in this region. Plus I believe there are cell towers on South Mountain, so that has to be a good sign.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>I’m currently a HS junior and I’m planning on apply ED for the Fall 2013 semester.
Lehigh is my first choice, the issue with that though is that my academics aren’t as strong as they could be.</p>
<p>SAT: Haven’t taken yet, PSAT was 1590 but going in for a pretty rigorous SAT class and PRAYING for a 1800-2000. Taking the test in May and June.</p>
<p>Rank: My school doesn’t do it because it’s so large and so many do so well, but I would say top 20-40%</p>
<p>GPA: Unweighted 3.67
Weighted 3.69 - Expecting to go up when I finish AP in a few days.</p>
<p>Class Work: I took 0 Honors/AP Freshman year, 1 Honors Sophomore, 1 AP Junior, and 2 AP and 2 Honors are scheduled for my Senior year.
I have a general upward trend in grades, and with rigor of classes.
Never ended a class with anything less then an 87 (Honors)</p>
<p>ECs- Good variety I would say.
IN SCHOOL:
Class Council- All years
School Musical- All years
Choir- All years
Key Club- 2 years
Bridges- 2 years
Habitat for Humanity- 2 years
Starting a chapter of Students for a Free Tibet with a friend, vice president of that</p>
<p>OUTSIDE SCHOOL:
Part time job at local retail store- Average about 20 hours per week, and work 5-6 hour shifts on school nights
Secretary of Youth Safe Communities Coalition (fighting drugs in the area)</p>
<p>I do well in English so I’m confident in my essay(s)</p>
<p>I’m expecting a solid letter of rec from my counselor, and I am going to ask my math teacher for a letter of rec and he is a Lehigh grad. I am confident he’ll give me a very strong letter as we have a pretty good relationship and he is an active Lehigh alum (plus his wife works for the school).</p>
<p>I’m a white female from a large, rigorous public HS in NJ.</p>
<p>Planning on applying to business school as a Marketing major.</p>
<p>I have an interview/visit scheduled and have emailed admissions asking for advice w/ senior year scheduling and plan on sending a thank you after the interview/visit. Also, plan on visiting more then once.</p>
<p>Do you think I have any sort of a shot? I know my scores are below average but I’m hoping my involvement, interest, and essays will make up where I am lacking!</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Hey purplepen1,</p>
<p>Let’s go over each topic and I’ll be as honest as I can:</p>
<p>SATs: Frankly, that’s a weird testing schedule for the SATs. I would have hoped you took them earlier. It’s hard to get an indication from PSATs because often high school students don’t take them seriously. Your PSATs don’t indicate much. See the link below with where your SATs ought to be. Consider taking the ACT and subject tests (SAT IIs) as well.</p>
<p>Rank: Everyone at Lehigh was in the top quarter of their class. So you fold in well with that.</p>
<p>Courseload: Frankly, the GPA is a little low for a Lehigh student, and you absolutely must take more honors and AP classes as a senior. Challenge yourself and take as many difficult classes as possible, and Lehigh will take notice.</p>
<p>ECs: You seem very well-rounded, which is always a plus.</p>
<p>Remember, Lehigh’s business school is becoming tougher to get into - it’s well-respected. I’m glad to see you’re showing strong interest by planning your visits well ahead of time. With an attitude like that, your chances are much stronger. Boost up that GPA, take difficult classes, get a decent SAT score, and Lehigh seems like a match.</p>
<p>Here’s the stats for this year’s freshmen class:</p>
<p>[Lehigh</a> University: Undergraduate Admissions: Lehigh at a Glance: Class of 2015 Profile](<a href=“http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/glance/profile.aspx]Lehigh”>http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/glance/profile.aspx)</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Thank you for your answer!</p>
<p>I have a follow-up question. It turns out that Lehigh gave you a pretty good financial aid package, but do you think the financial aid office can be flexible? And if so, what do you suggest I do to compromise with them? Lehigh is my first choice, but if the financial aid doesn’t improve, I’ll have to attend Penn State as well. All the info. is [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14115989-post24.html]here[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14115989-post24.html]here[/url</a>].</p>
<p>Sorry if I’m asking the wrong person, but you’re a current student here, and you’re relatively familiar with financial aid packages, so…</p>
<p>Thank you again! :)</p>
<p>Hey again thisismymingzi,</p>
<p>It looks like you’re in a tough situation. Lehigh does have an appeals process:</p>
<p>[Lehigh</a> University: Tuition & Financial Aid: FAQs & Resources](<a href=“http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/tuition/faq.aspx]Lehigh”>http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/tuition/faq.aspx)</p>
<p>Quote:
“Appeals, in writing, may be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid for review. If you feel there are extenuating financial circumstances and new information is now available that was not available at the time you first applied for aid, you are encouraged to provide this information. Additional funding will depend on the availability of funds.”
- Lehigh Financial Aid</p>
<p>So in theory you could call (visiting in person might seem more effective) and explain everything you’ve explained to me here. Frankly, once you get in, Lehigh doles out aid based on need - including scholarships in some cases. Just because Lehigh “wanted you”, that doesn’t mean they’re going to give you a free ride no matter how much your parents make.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to sound unfeeling, but your EFC was estimated at $40k, and Lehigh expects you to pay that amount. I payed slightly over my EFC for both my freshman and sophomore years, so that’s not unreasonable given your family’s level of income.</p>
<p>Gather the family, talk it over, and talk to the folks at Lehigh Financial Aid. Look at loan options or other private scholarships. You and your parents have to ask yourselves whether or not it’s worth the debt to go to Lehigh over Penn State. In my opinion, you will get a better education here, but as they say, it often comes down to the money. Good luck moving forward.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Hey dude,
I was just excepted to Lehigh. The school has everything I want but the only thing I am unsure about is a major. I know I can go in undecided and everything but I feel that Lehigh is super mathy and engineering based
you know what Im saying? I used to want to be a doctor, I one day hope to be a CEO or a position in charge but I dont really see a major that interests me. Are most students enrolled as people on the way to being someone in the mathematical field? Just help me out with the whole major thing I have been accepted into the regular college. I like bio and maybe poly si cut ahhh just give me some advice. I hate English and like arts, and theater and blah blah blah. Thanks
I am deciding between Lehigh and Wake.</p>
<p>Hey I wanted to know what the required courses were. I got accepted to the business school, would I be required to take a language or science or anything like that?
also how is the flexibility of scheduling? Like is it easy to only have classes Mon through Thu or something like that?</p>