<p>Hey tangbinh,</p>
<p>Follow everything on that page as best you can. Use the Printable Checklist on that page to go through everything. That gives you all the documents you need to have. Call up Financial Aid if you’re confused.</p>
<p>From personal experience, I forgot my parents W-2’s when I applied. They’re lenient if you forget stuff and they alert you right away. But look over everything and make sure you’ve got it all.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. Being a walk-on, there is always a chance that I could get cut so I’m considering all possible outcomes. How would you compare the non-Greek but drinking social life vs the greek social life? would I find myself excluded from a lot of events? When does the entire process usually occur?</p>
<p>Hey again johnny2,</p>
<p>Going to a party as a Greek prospect is not at all different than going to a party just for the sake of going. I’d say for most of the year, it doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>During recruitment at the beginning of the spring semester, things change a little. Fraternity prospects will be heavily involved in rushing, meaning that non-Greek students and students who don’t want to go Greek have a harder time getting into parties, since they’re being dominated by prospects.</p>
<p>This is probably during the first 2 or 3 months of the spring semester. Other than that, the party scene stays fairly constant.</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>HI LehighChemE…thaks for your reply…had not checked this thread for a few days.</p>
<p>Thank you, LehighChemE. Can I get your email address? I just want you to have a look at my short answer for Lehigh application. It’s kind of unique aspect of Lehigh that I think it would be better to hear comments from you.</p>
<p>And one more question. I know that Lehigh lies on a very steep hill. How do you think about that? Besides the benefit of staying in shape, what are other advantages you can get from climbing up ever day? Do you have more chances to discuss with professors? etc. I am trying to look seriously about this characteristic, so please answer me as specifically as you can. Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Hi, my name’s Linh from Vietnam, I will apply to Lehigh under ED2 and I have some questions about Lehigh, hope you guys can help me. As Lehigh is an university, does my choice of major influence my chance of admission? I’m very interested in Lehigh’s IDEAS program, but would my chance of being accepted decrease if I choose IDEAS as my intended program (because maybe many students have the same choice as mine)? </p>
<p>If I choose “undecided”, would it still be reasonable if I put IDEAS as one of the reasons why I like Lehigh in my why essay?</p>
<p>Thank you so much in advance!</p>
<p>@linhkn: I think if you really want to pursue certain fields, fill them in. If not, you should left blank.</p>
<p>I also want to ask you about financial documents. I am apply to Lehigh too. Will we have to include Federal Tax Return and W-2? Though they are in the checklist ([Lehigh</a> University: Undergraduate Admissions: Tuition & Financial Aid: Apply for Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/tuition/apply.aspx]Lehigh”>http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/tuition/apply.aspx)), but I don’t know how to get that. How have you dealt with those?</p>
<p>Hey tangbinh,</p>
<p>I’ll send you my Lehigh email address in a separate private message. I’d love to read over your essay.</p>
<p>As to your second question, yes, Lehigh is on the side of a mountain. You can’t go anywhere without hitting a few flights of stairs. When I visited campus, students bragged that Lehigh freshmen don’t gain the “Freshmen 15”. And it’s true. Personally, I don’t mind the stairs. In fact, we’re so famous for our hills, that a Lehigh alum invented the escalator. Pretty impressive. Other than physical exercise, there’s no advantage to having a school on the side of a mountain.</p>
<p>However, dealing with the hills doesn’t in any way negatively affect your academics. You’re still able to meet and talk with professors in office hours and during reviews for exams. I know a lot of my professors personally. In one of my lectures, my professor knows almost everybody’s name, and the class has about 200 people. The hills in no way affect your ability to learn and to talk to your professors or TAs.</p>
<p>As to the financial aid question, the tax returns and W-2s are forms done by the U.S. government. Since you’re an international, I don’t know what Lehigh expects of you. I’m not sure how you could get these forms if you’re filing taxes, etc. back in Vietnam. Call up financial aid and ask them, maybe there are equivalent forms done by the Vietnamese government.</p>
<p>Looking forward to the essay,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Hi Linh,</p>
<p>Let me try to answer some of your questions.</p>
<p>It’s not so much the major as it is the college you apply to that makes a difference. In general, it’s easiest to get into the Arts and Sciences college. The Engineering college is the hardest to get into, and the Business college is somewhere in the middle.</p>
<p>IDEAS is relatively tough to get into. A lot of people apply and only a few dozen get in. You can still apply to IDEAS, not get into IDEAS, but be accepted to Lehigh.</p>
<p>I would recommend to apply for a major/program based on your interests, not on how likely you are to get in. If you’re passionate about IDEAS, apply and see what happens. Writing down undecided but talking about IDEAS in your essay will confuse your admissions reps and will probably backfire. I don’t think you should do that.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Hi Mike,</p>
<p>I applied ED1 and got deferred 
. Any advice?</p>
<p>Hey dns732,</p>
<p>I looked up your stats from your previous posts, and Lehigh seems to be a RD match for you. Don’t let not getting in ED1 discourage you or make you lose interest. It’s important to show Lehigh you still want to go there, so email your admissions rep explaining how much you want to go to Lehigh. Try to visit campus and attend any other events.</p>
<p>Other than that, all you can do it wait. Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Mike,</p>
<p>Thanks for looking at my stats and for your advice. I thought ED1 would have increased my chances. By the way, I’m a biology major.</p>
<p>Hey Mike!
I’d like to first say thank you for helping out with this. You have no idea how many of us appreciate your help while we are trying to find answers through this mess of college apps.
Next, I have a 2200 on the SAT, a component I feel is strong. But when I compared my stats with admitted/rejected kids from my school, I saw that noone above a 2150 had been accepted. They were waitlisted/rejected. Lehigh was the first campus I had visited, and I had immediately fallen in love with it. You have no idea - I was talking about it nonstop for a week. But this discovery makes me a little apprehensive…
Also, I am applying for the 7yr dental program there. Do you know anyone who is currently in it and would be willing to answer my questions? Do you think my stats (3.85 gpa, pres of animal club, founder of club for underprivileged children, tons of volunteering, but not many sports (quit them all by junior year because of physical injury), and experience with shadowing dentists) would satisfy for the program?
And, after I did visit other campuses, my love for Lehigh subsided. Honestly, it did not seem too different than other campuses. What makes Lehigh unique for you and what do you love the most about it? I see that it has only 150 clubs; is that enough?
Laslty, I am indian. I would like to go to a school with a good diversity. How does Lehigh react or support other cultures? Are there cultural clubs, indian dance teams, or something else there? How diverse is it there?
Thank you so much!</p>
<p>Hey imbrown,</p>
<p>It’s great to hear you’re interested in Lehigh, and I’m glad you’re finding this thread helpful. Let me try to address all of your concerns.</p>
<p>To start, I didn’t even know Lehigh had a 7-year dental program, and I’m afraid I don’t know much about it. Although I don’t know pre-dental students, I do know several pre-meds. Our pre-med program is top notch, so I’m sure the pre-dental is, as well.</p>
<p>Your SAT is well above average for a Lehigh student. Admissions works in mysterious ways, and the people you know with SATs below 2150 must have been waitlisted for other reasons. I don’t think your SAT will hold you back, it’s really high.</p>
<p>A lot of people are starting to ask about what makes Lehigh unique. By my understanding, this is an essay question. Answer this in your words, not mine. When you visited and were blown away, what struck you the most? Why did you apply to Lehigh in the first place? Those are the kinds of questions you have to answer yourself.</p>
<p>I think Lehigh is the perfect blend of big school versus small private school. We’re big enough to have great sports teams, be well-known globally, and have the latest technology for research. But we’re small enough that you’ll run into the same people all the time and you’ll be able to have one-on-one contact with professors.</p>
<p>150 clubs is more than enough, and more are being created all the time. Personally, I’m a web editor for The Patriot - Lehigh’s political newspaper, I play in the Marching 97, and I work for the Global Union. So there’s never a dull moment on campus. There’s a club fair at the beginning of each semester where you can sign up for stuff and get involved.</p>
<p>Diversity has been a controversial topic on campus. Some say Lehigh isn’t diverse, but I think it definitely is. Like I said, I work for the Global Union, an umbrella group that funds Lehigh’s internationally-oriented student organizations. My work at the GU has shown me that there are dozens of cultural groups on campus. There are many Indians on campus, and there are also many Indian clubs on campus, too.</p>
<p>Let me know if you have any more questions.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>Thanks, that reassures me.</p>
<p>And true, I do have an idea of why I like Lehigh. I like that small town feeling, the fact that it is nearby Delaware Water Gap and other nature escapes, has optimistic happy students, and a nice campus. But I wanted to hear about it from someone who goes there.</p>
<p>I like that professors and students have a relationship. It makes me feel more personal and that I would learn more.</p>
<p>And wow, you’re involved in a lot of clubs. That suggests that I will hopefully have time to do what I would like to do in college. </p>
<p>Diversity is an issue discussed a lot, which is why I asked. But its good to know that there are cultural groups, I would like to continue my culture even if the place isn’t so diverse. </p>
<p>I do have one more question - as I did more research into Lehigh student life, I found that most of the kids are involved in greek life and are hard partyers. I am not a party person and would most likely not be joining greek life. I just want to go to a party occasionally, but i like small gatherings with friends at nearby small shops, dorms, and movies. Will I feel socially left out because I do not like to party. Please be honest with this, because there are people who say that I would and others who say I won’t. I really do not plan to get drunk, and attend partys every night and want to make sure I would fit in and still be happy with my social life. </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Hey imbrown,</p>
<p>I’m glad I could answer those questions. Let’s talk about Greek life and partying.</p>
<p>One-third of Lehigh is Greek. However, that also includes students in “Greek” honors societies, so the amount of students involved in the Greek organizations responsible for the partying and drinking is actually less than 33%. Most of the students on campus are NOT hard partiers. A good amount engage in it responsibly, and there are many who don’t drink at all. The problem is you only hear about the couple losers who get smashed every night.</p>
<p>I personally tried the Greek partying scene when I was a freshman and I hated it. I’m not interested in it at all anymore, and I still have friends, and I still have a great social life. Lehigh doesn’t revolve around drinking, you can still find a lot do without drinking. There are even residential substance-free communities that have get-togethers, like CHOICE. Even regular housing students have activities planned. Look into them for more info.</p>
<p>If you find clubs and activities to get involved with and you get to know your hallmates and responsible people, you’ll be fine. At the end of the day, we’re all here for the degree, and for many students, that’s what matters - not being drunk.</p>
<p>Let me know if there’s anything else,</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>hmmm okay because that was my biggest concern. I feel better and more determined to finish the app. thank you so much for your time and help!</p>
<p>Mike,</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your answer. I’d like to ask you about Lehigh’s why essay. As the supp form says, the essay should be between 150-250 words, but they accept uploaded essay, so should I submit an essay of 450 words? Will the adcom have bad impression on me, or will the worst happen, that means they won’t even read my essay?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance!</p>
<p>Linh</p>
<p>If it says they want an essay of a specific length, you should probably adhere to the requirement. They wouldn’t make the word limit what it is if they thought a good essay couldn’t be that length. If your essay is 250 words longer than the word limit you probably can cut it down by a lot, I would say even 100 words longer is too much. My guess is they would read your essay (but who am I to say? Only the admissions people themselves could tell you) but they might think badly of it because it doesn’t follow directions.</p>