She is from Atlanta, interested in psychology or history probably. I think she can get in if she applies ED due to geographic diversity and being female and a non business or engineering major. She has a 3.7 GPA. ACT 28 which she is retaking.
Lehigh is a great school. Have you visited, or will you have an opportunity to visit?
We haven’t visited yet but it sounds great so we will have to visit soon if she wants to apply ED.
Glad that you will visit before applying ED. The campus is gorgeous but it is very hilly. We loved the hills, but some may not.
You are right about the school wanting geographic diversity. That will definitely increase her chances of acceptance. Lehigh has (had?) a reputation for being very Greek. That could be a positive or a negative…depending on the student.
I think she wants to join a sorority. Is the town of Bethlehem nice and can you walk there from campus? She loved Elon as a school but she did not like the town.
We visited the school a few times several years ago…my memory for the town is a bit blurry. We also attended 2 local events. The campus is gorgeous and I remember an area just off campus with a few restaurants. Demonstrated interest is very important…attend local events if there are any, etc.
It’s important to demonstrate interest for Lehigh, so visit, interview while you are there, get on the email distribution list, meet with the AO if they visit your D’s HS. Also, read the student newspaper–this is a great way to learn about a school and the current issues from the eyes of students.
Only apply ED if it is your D’s first choice and it looks affordable per the NPC. https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/lehigh
We also loved the hilly campus, and the library too. As noted above, Greek life is a significant presence at Lehigh, with all the associated pros and cons. Good luck.
Good and bad parts of town, but not that different than anywhere. There’s an area pretty close to campus that is sketchy at best so avoid that. Just use common sense and it’s fine.
Can’t imagine it’s riskier than lots of schools in cities.
Does anyone know the difference in acceptance rates for ED1 and ED2?
We are in PA and Lehigh is popular with my kids’ high school. I’ve been to the campus for many XC meets, and I think the campus and sports complex are beautiful. Bethleham is an old steel town so there are remains of that atmosphere. The Lehigh Valley is very pretty and about 1.5 hours from Philly & New York.
If you can visit Lehigh, perhaps take a look at their rival, Lafayette College, while you’re there? The same kids who like Lehigh and Lafayette also seem to like Bucknell, but I think the town around Bucknell is very small.
Here are the stats for Lehigh: https://www1.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/profile. Note that they fill over half their class ED.
IMO, if that ACT score doesn’t come up, it’s a long shot even for ED.
We though campus was lovely but were underwhelmed with the town of Bethlehem. There was one nice stretch but it’s really not adjacent to campus but on the other side of the river.
For my D, Bucknell felt way too small - both the university and the school and while we did visit, she didn’t apply. Lehigh though was a top contender.
As noted upthread, demonstrated interest is very important to Lehigh, and they are upfront about that. They also are one of the few schools that do interviews with their adcoms and not alumni volunteers. We visited campus and then had a regional interview with her adcom.
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Can anyone compare and contrast Lehigh and Lafayette?
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Applying ED is the best way to show demonstrated interest as you’re saying it’s your top choice and will attend if accepted so I wouldn’t worry too much about that. The following link shows their ED and RD acceptance rates. It’s safe to say it’s significantly harder during the RD round.
http://www.personalcollegeadmissions.com/early-decision
Also, I’d consider the SAT. A 28 would be tough for a competitive school even during ED.
Thanks, I was aware that ED is essential to maximize odds. My question is whether there’s a difference between ED1 and ED2.
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@Freester I just checked our school’s naviance. A 28 ACT for Lehigh is on the low end for accepted students between 2016-2018, but not out of the question. A number of accepted students were from Regular Decision so likely not athletic recruits. Admissions seems to get harder every year, but as you said, your D will have some geographic appeal and is not interested in business or engineering.
I have not been to Lafayette, but I know it is smaller than Lehigh (maybe 2500 undergrads) with no grad program. It has a reputation of being a bit work hard/play hard with a preppy, energetic atmosphere. The schools are a 30 minute drive from each other.
FWIW the Lehigh/Lafayette football rivalry is supposedly the oldest in US, predating Harvard/Yale. There are many cool traditions and loyalties at both schools.
They both track interest and I believe very thoughtful, individualized essays will be important.