Hey!
I would like to know if drexel or Lehigh university is better for finance major/for me? I have gotten accepted to drexel with one coop, Accelerated MBA, and honors. For Lehigh I’m still waiting on results, but just wanna see which be a better fit. I am from Texas so I really have no idea about the north, but so far Pennsylvania seems like a really fun place with major cities like New York being only a couple hours away. I am also a person of color(south Asian woman), and I’m just a little hesitant if this big of a move for undergrad will be worth it. I want my social life and academic life to both play equally in my college journey, and drexel and Lehigh are one of the top schools for me, just don’t know which one would be better in terms of resources,academics, and social life.
Academically I want opportunities that will help me grow myself,network, and just life after college. I want to establish good relations with professors, and just have help when needed.
Socially, I’m not really a frat party type of person, I like to meet new people and keep my circle close but still wanna go out and explore with those close people and have fun.
Drexel is in Philly, neighboring Penn. Lehigh is out by itself.
Most would consider Lehigh the superior name - and I would not do an accelerated MBA. You should ask to see outcomes and income. If you do an MBA the right way, you’ll get a few years work experience and come out at a much higher salary. When you don’t have work experience, it’s not worth nearly as much. Yes, you’ll have a Co Op - but that’s not enought.
Have you been to both? I’m sure you can meet your goals at both. Lehigh will be more Greek/Party but you can still find your crowd.
Frat parties are a huge part of Lehigh’s not-too-distant past. (Supposedly there was a crackdown & Covid has interrupted much of college social life.) Drinking is as prevalent at Lehigh as at any campus in the nation, and more than most.
Lehigh has better academics, while Drexel emphasizes real world co-op experiences.
Lehigh grads in business & engineering have solid post undergrad employment opportunities. I am not as familiar with Drexel’s placement for finance majors.
My worry is that you might be disappointed by both schools based on your posts in this thread.
P.S. While Drexel Honors is a meaningful benefit, an accelerated MBA program suggests that undergrads do not place well. An accelerated MBA is the opposite of what many think brings value to an MBA experience.
S20 applied to Drexel business. We visited and liked it. I was impressed with LeBow. The kids at the honors session were impressive. Very focused and used the co-op as a springboard for jobs. Philly isn’t the safest city nowadays.
Congratulations, and enjoy your trip up here looking at both schools! My son applied to both as well. Drexel is very urban and you have all of Philly as your campus. The trimester experience is something you should think about, because it puts you on a different schedule than most schools. Some would prefer a more traditional college experience. Lehigh has a pretty campus and Bethlehem has an artsy small city vibe which is walking distance from campus. I graduated from Lehigh a “few” years ago and Bethlehem has really stepped it up, since. Parties have moved from “the hill” to off campus, but those we know who are attending there now, are loving the experience. I wish I knew more about how the “coop” experience at Drexel impacts long lasting relationships. My son really likes the more urban environment at Drexel but somehow I worry he will be missing out on the tight-knit campus experience. Maybe someone who went to Drexel can weigh in on that. Oh…and Lehigh has an excellent business school and great connections to NYC. If you prefer Philly, as a city you may want to stay connected to, maybe Drexel is a better fit. Good luck making a decision. Both are great schools.
Honestly in best hopes do wish to go to a college in Pennsylvania, and since I have only seen both schools virtually, I too am a little worried that I may be disappointed when I visit. But I do have some options for colleges in other states, so it’s more that my preference is leading towards Lehigh and drexel, but I’ll keep an open mind and essentially choose whichever college offers the best overall. Thank you for your feedback!
Yes I do! The other school I am also looking into is University of Georgia-Athens campus. I’ve heard it was a good school for finance and it also has a decent program for a minor(public health) I’m interested in (Lehigh and drexel have it too, but I believe it’s better at UG)
If you are planning to eventually land in NYC for finance, Lehigh may be a better path as it’s alumni and recruiting are more weighted towards NYC compared with Philly for Drexel