Laughable Visit

Colleges & Universities A-Z Lehigh University
1

<p>I visited Lehigh last weekend and was shocked by my experience in Bethlehem (went to engineering school tour). Wondering if others had such a poor experience?</p>

<p>My Experience:Flew in from California, nice flight and all (JetBlue w/ Directv.) Picked-up a nice rental and stared the drive from JFK. All was fine until we arrived in Bethlehem. To start off I found the town generally depressing (fine, could live w/ that if the school was spectacular.) After dinner decided to drive around campus before next day's tour, this is where it starts to falter. We get stopped at what appeared to be a DUI checkpoint upon entering campus. Now I must say, if a college is looking to recruit students who are visiting with their parents, maybe having a drunkenness checkpoint the night before is not the best idea, considering that would be the time many long distance students would arrive.
Now that was friday, but saturday was worse. To start off it was raining, not a good omen. We arrive, sign in, and venture down to the auditorium for the welcome presentation. The dean of the college was walking around prior to the formal introductions, interacting with students, a nice gesture. It wasn't until the presentation started that I realized the rain did hold some truth. The first large presentation was the dean. Wow. He just read slide after slide listing the fields of engineering offered. Now I'm not quite sure what the college is used to, but I would hope that the students would be able to read on their own the list of fields one could pursue. Now finding fault with the dean's presentation ability is now reason to disregard the school, so I kept an open mind waiting to hear what the other speakers had to contribute.
(Now I have forgotten the exact orders of the speakers, and have chosen to leave out some of the more insignificant talks as well)
Next up we had the professor from the freshman general engineering course. Now I forget exactly what he said, but the "model" students were the memorable portion of this section. First up we had this one female student who thought that everything "was like sooo cooool," and was impressed that the faculty trusted the students enough to "like go visit a factory and like look at all the like sooo cooool stuff that they make." Wow, if this is one of the model students I would sure hate to imagine what some of her less apt peers are like.
The next fellow was also a freshman who had taken the class. He seemed to hold himself together better than the previous speak, but what he said was all the more chilling. Now this might just be a personal sentiment not shared by the greater college going public, but I grew (and unfortunately still here until June) in Chico, (look it up if you don't already know of its reputation) and hearing what he said sent the hairs on the back of my neck straight up. Lehigh students, according to this one "model" student, "study hard, and party harder. For me that was it, goodbye Lehigh, and I can't imagine how such a comment would fit into an introduction to perspective students and their parents.
(I realize I'm being a bit long winded, so I will just list some of the other low points)
Professor thought it necessary to define the word 'tenet'.
A student startup had an out of date idea, which they still had yet to bring to market.
A student life staff member talked about how everyone is your friend at Lehigh.</p>

<p>Again, would love to here other experiences, and feel free to add anything that I left out. There was just so much, and I forgot to take notes.</p>

2

<p>Hopefully my experiences with Lehigh help you, because I had a similar impression of the school after my first visit. I went on a rainy day, wasn't impressed with the student body, was tired from travelling, didn't find the academics very memorable, etc... In fact, I hated the school. I thought the trip wasn't worth my time, and was mad that I had spent the $60 applying. </p>

<p>Then, a few months later, I went back for an on-campus interview. Before my interview, my dad and I walked around campus, peeked in classrooms, talked to students, explored the university center, and, surprisingly, I was impressed. I wasn't overwhelmed by a sudden love for Lehigh, but I was impressed. </p>

<p>In march, I was accepted to Lehigh. I went for a THIRD visit to the Lehigh Life day, where there are a bunch of programs/info sessions/classes for admitted students to attend. I actually found the dean to be refreshing and interesting- he even remembered one student's essay from the thousands he's read! he mentioned it in front of about 100 students when the student introduced himself. talk about impressive! anyway, the third visit secured the deal and I decided to enroll. </p>

<p>In short, I did a complete 180 with Lehigh, from really disliking the school to deciding to attend next year. Just keep an open mind- maybe first impressions can be deceiving. If you have any specific questions, feel free to pm me</p>

3

<p>HopefulPentz - </p>

<p>I must say that I have had the complete opposite experience as you, which makes age136's post even more helpful. After I was accepted to Lehigh, I decided to attend a Lehigh Life Day in order to get a feel of what the school was like. I didn't really know much about the school (being from the midwest), so I was interested to see what it had to offer.</p>

<p>The first thing we did on that day was to have breakfast at the President's house. I concur with age136 in that I was thoroughly impressed with the President. It is unheard of for the leader of a university to even be seen, much less invite people into him home. My dad and I were able to speak to Mr. Farrington three other times that day, as he was about the campus in many of the same places we were. Also, there were various staff members present at the breakfast, all of whom were more than anxious to talk to as many students as possible. They were legitimately concerned about what I had to say, regardless of what subject they taught.</p>

<p>The second activity was the presentation by the admissions staff. Eric Kaplan, one of the admissions officers, gave a presentation about the school and all it has to offer. Also, I was shocked when he could name specific details (high school names, places of residence, hobbies) for SEVERAL students chosen at random from the audience. I had never seen anything like that before, and it blew me away. For the admissions staff to read 11,000 applications and still remember those types of details is astounding.</p>

<p>Next I went over to the chemistry department to speak with one of the professors about the department and tour the building. The professor gave up an hour and a half of his time just to sit down and talk with me - which to me shows genuine appreciation for students. We actually were on the time schedule and had to leave to attend another piece of the presentation.</p>

<p>The three students that they brought in to speak to us were quite different from those you mentioned. They were all very intelligent, and spoke very well. The information they gave to us was widely varied (based upon all sorts of questions from students and parents), but also very helpful. What they were able to tell us about Lehigh was something that I was able to gather from being on campus - that it combines an excellent blend of academics and social life. I don't believe that what the student you heard said was meant to reflect an unhealthy social attitude, but rather an appreciation for the balance at Lehigh. It is true that Lehigh does have an excellent social scene, but it is also true that it is highly respected in terms of academics. Maybe that student misspoke, or didn't realize what he said. Everyone that I have spoken to about the university indicates that the students are very happy to be there, have unrivaled school spirit, have a good time, but also do very well academically. </p>

<p>I am sorry that this is such a long post, but I thought that I should provide my perspective on the visit to possibly help you achieve a broader view of Lehigh. After the day that I spent there, there was no doubt in my mind that it was where I should attend, and I submitted my deposit before leaving that day. I am sorry that you had a bad experience, but maybe revisiting like age136 did - and also keeping an open mind - will help you gather more information. Like age136 said, if you have any questions, feel free to pm me or post something else. I hope my information has been helpful, and that you do not have any further poor visits.</p>

4

<p>I was at a Lehigh Life day also, and found the Dean very refreshing as well... however, I must say I was sort of bored with the presentation they gave us in the beginning in the large lecture hall - this guy just kept talking and talking and talking about biotechnics (?), something that doesn't interest me very much. (He seemed like a great guy, but it just seemed unnecessary.) However, Lehigh was redeemed during the Student Life panel... in contrast to you, Hopeful, I found the students very outgoing, honest, and articulate. The campus tour was also good, I thought... my tourguide was just the c/o of 09 president and was 'like sooooo' enthusiastic. :p</p>

5

<p>I was actually at the same engineering day as the poster, and though some of the story seems exaggerated, his point is valid. I didn't like the dean of engineering and the two freshmen students were just probably nervous. These type of days at any college are aimed to get you to the school, and I think many schools try too hard. Obviously Lehigh did not (their presentation definitely included some filler). Although, most of the professors and upperclassmen I encountered, whether they were feeding propaganda or not, were extremely knowledgeable and interesting. I can't say that the show they put on for me that day was inspiring, but I won't trust just one day. What I can trust is that Lehigh continues rank as one of the best universities in the country and all the people I know that go there love it. One of these girls turned down Cornell and Dartmouth for Lehigh.<br>
I can understand that different colleges for some reason just dont appeal to different people, but it seems unfair assume the school is not academically serious by one visit (and the part about the rain, even anecdotally, isn't rational to me).
I will be attending Lehigh next year</p>

6

<p>qazxswedc - </p>

<p>I agree with you completely. I cannot say anything personally about the engineering presentation or the dean of engineering. HopefulPentz - it may be worthwhile for you to visit Lehigh on a Lehigh Life Day. The presentation is more comprehensive, and I found it to be enjoyable. I agree both that Lehigh is an excellent intstitution, and that it is unfair to judge it off of one visit.</p>

7

<p>My daughter and I attended on a Lehigh Life Day. I was impressed with the professors at the President's house and the two classes we attended. I hated the admissions guy though. Clearly he knew who had signed up to attend the day. And he asked for people who had traveled far to be there. Such as the kid from Seattle. How many kids are from Seattle on that specific day? I am sure he reviewed each of the reigstered kids from far away places. We were really turned off by the late afternoon visit to Frat Hill. It was a beautiful day and these young men were grilling and drinking which I could accept. But to have them yell stuff at my daughter was too much, that definitely was one of the turning points of our visit.</p>

8

<p>I was at the engineering day that the original poster was at, and personally your explanation of it seems greatly exaggerated. First off, there is a difference between reading info off of a sheet and having someone tell you about it in person (the dean explaining the different departments). Especially when the bulk of the day focused on visiting two of the departments, you want someone to explain to you what each one is. And yes, the first two student presentors seemed nervous and they weren't neccesarily the best, but oh well, they don't represent the entire body. And the professor who talked was fantastic (big guy with the white hair). He seemed enthusiastic and excited about his work. And I don't know what you're thinking when you say that his two students' student startup was out of date. There is absolutely nothing like it on the market. If i remember correctly they said that it was had a 3x larger range than CURRENT models... how again is that out of date? Also, how could you have thought they didn't try to impress? They had their marching band play for all of the students as they walked into the lunch hall. </p>

<p>Anways, its fine that you don't like the school, but I don't think you gave it a valid assessment in your post. It seems like you were just going in to find flaws. There was plenty exciting and great things about that day which you just happened to not mention.</p>

9

<p>If you go to enough orientation events you will start to realize that they are very uneven and don't necessarily reflect the true nature of a school one way or the other.</p>

<p>Also, I'd be happy about the sobriety checkpoint. All these schools, and Lehigh is certainly no exception, have a terrible problem with too much drinking on campus and the fact that they are unashamedly dealing with it is OK.</p>

<p>That said, thank you for posting your experience.</p>

10

<p>HopefulPentz,</p>

<p>Our family shared your disappointment with Lehigh. And we really wanted it to be the best fit for our daughter, because they had given her a scholarship, and we knew that she could easily change into her major. </p>

<p>We attended Lehigh Life Day, and even though the President opened his house, and the campus has beauty, my husband could not embrace Lehigh. He wondered how far the kids had to go to find recreation as in tennis courts or a place to throw a football. And there was a significant party atmosphere. There were many things that we liked about the buildings, and the academics made it a strong contender. But the safety issue and the fraternity locations worried my husband too much (in that so many were far from the dorms). In the end, he felt that peace of mind for her safety and quality of life was more important than money.</p>

11

<p>My son is a freshman at Lehigh. My first introduction to Lehigh was through the very old residential section of Bethlehem. I was very turned off. However, once we parked on campus and walked around...it was incredible (and...we had visited some of the top schools in the North East). My son turned down some very reputable schools (in fact, one is ranked about 8th or so in the country) to attend Lehigh.</p>

<p>Lehigh has been the greatest thing to happen to him. Do you know that the Business School has been ranked by Business Week as the #18 Business School in the country?</p>

<p>Lehigh is not for the feighnt of heart. You need to be tough. You need to be extremely smart. You need to balance the social and academic life. Many kids can't handle it, and those who don't, know it and don't choose Lehigh. If you can't party hardy and study hard...then you don't belong here. Go to Amherst or whever....spend your Saturday nights holed up in a room studying. The kids at Lehigh are learning just as much, if not more, and they are making friends and contacts that will last for years and years. It's called Alumni. Not fake Alumni. But real, honest to goodness buddy Alumni. Lehigh has one of the strongest alumni systems going. And you do know why? Because the students love the school and their friends.</p>

<p>Lehigh doesn't need you.....they have enough students.. If you don't get the "feel", then don't go there.</p>

12

<p>I think that was a little harsh momwithquestions. There are good and bad points to every school, and just as many subjective opinions. That's so great your son is so happy there but it's probably not necessary to put someone down so harshly just because they're sharing an opposing opinion to yours.</p>

13

<p>lovecollege - I agree with you.</p>

14

<p>Well, I'm certainly glad to know that my daughter did the right thing in turning down Lehigh and its wonderful scholarship and internship offer. Although she is "extremely smart" she doesn't party hardy. Nor does she spend her Saturday nights holed up in a room studying. And "the kids at Lehigh are learning just as much, if not more" than whom? Wow, momwithquestions, you are certainly not momwithanswers. With friends like you, Lehigh doesn't need enemies.</p>

15

<p>Threekids-- Your D sounds like my D. I think my D made the right choice in turning down Lehigh also. She has two friends who will be attending, one who likes to party and one who doesn't. It will be interesting to see how they do.</p>

16

<p>We all have to party sometimes. It's a natural thing for all creatures in nature to socialize; otherwise, they'll be depressed.</p>

17

<p>Of course they socialize! But "party" in this context usually means drink and/or drugs involved to some extent. Most of the kids who describe themselves as not partyers do not mean not social, and most of the kids who describe themselves as partyers either do drink etc. or do not mind being around those who do.</p>

18

<p>I don't think I was harsh. The original poster was putting down Lehigh. In fact, I beieve he trashed it. He deserved what I said. And, if you think Lehigh wasn't good enough for your daughters, then so be it. But I believe some people on this post were acting a little snooty too. </p>

<p>Let me repeat this. Lehigh is one of the top universities in the country. It is also a great, great social place to be. If you don't like it, fine. But there are 5000 kids on that campus that are very happy.</p>

19

<p>Now do you really think our daughters would apply if they didn't think it was "good enough" or if they didn't "like it"? Why are you so defensive? It is a wonderful school and excellent for many majors, but it also has a reputation for being one of the biggest party schools in the nation, and has a reputation for hard liquor. This is not to take away from its academics, but when deciding on schools for the next four years, our kids take all of these things into consideration.</p>

20

<p>Just don't hang out with partiers. It's as simple as that.</p>