<p>i have a question, does this "racist" thing play a role in admissions? there should be a reason why the school's predominantly white. could it be simply b/c less asians apply to the U for starts or...b/c the school tend to favor caucasians over others...okay don't get mad idk how else to phrase it</p>
<p>not at all. lehigh's admission actually now favors diversity so it would be anti-racist if that makes sense. i'm in the class of 2012 and if you view the ehtnicity breakdown on lehigh's website white's make up 77% of my class. yes, that is predominately still white but in my opinion lehigh is really trying to step up its diversity recruitment to better its reputation amongst international and minorities alike.</p>
<p>i checked online and according to statistics, lehigh's median SAT range is not really that high.
but when i went to my HS and looked at past students who applied to the univ, it seems like they literally ask for 3.9 GPA + 2300 SAT's or somethin...</p>
<p>Yournamehere -- You said "there should be a reason why the school's predominantly white."</p>
<p>I think part of that has to do with the fact that 75% of the US population (according to the 2000 census) is white; although, indeed, that percentage is dropping.</p>
<p>According to the Profile of Lehigh's class of 2012 66% of the incoming class identified themselves as white. Another 7% chose not to report ethnicity. Even if all of them were white that still leaves the white percentage at 73%, which is roughly in line with the census data adjusted for post-2000 change. </p>
<p>7.5 of the class is Asian-American (and another 5%+ is international). Not sure how that stacks up against the percentage nationally.</p>
<p>Jobe011,
I'm asian n thinking of applying to lehigh. so, am I correct to say that the interracial interaction isn't so bad? I mean like u can easily make friends regardless of race in lehigh? because some of the posts here imply as if there's some degree of racial or, (maybe class?), segregation.</p>
<p>just googled “lehigh is not racist” in quotes. no results found LOL</p>
<p>Interesting thread, to say the least. I am Half African American/ Half Puerto Rican. I went to Lehigh University for it’s Diversity Achievers Program. When I was situated in the dorms, I was with a a Korean - American and an Irish American. They seemed fine, the hall was nice and everyone got along. Mind you this was a freshmen hall. </p>
<p>After reading a majority of the post, it seems ignorance and one’s comfort zone is the biggest issues. Being a minority, living in a impoverished area, I can attest to things not being easy for us out there and sometimes statistics show (and agree with that). No matter where you go to, there will be some type of bigotry, rather it be to one not being familiar with someone else who isn’t ‘white’ so to speak. The best thing you can do, is be yourself and out there. Find a common ground and realize that everyone is at Lehigh for the same reason, to garner an education and new life experiences whilst having fun.</p>
<p>I’m going to Lehigh, and I am a minority. This thread does not scare me off, or make me worried. Nothing that I haven’t seen already, and I’ve got to see a lot. Just remember we are all learning and College is going to be a new for all of the new classmen. Just be yourself, I can’t stress enough. Things work out for the best if you are willing to step outside of the normal and just ready to make new friends and experiences.</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughtful post, Criticals. Made me feel a little better about the climate at Lehigh. Between this Lehigh thread & one about drinking, I was getting a bit concerned. (Lehigh is one of my S top choices.)</p>
<p>so what about joining a sorority if you’re asian? is greek life open to minorities, or is it pretty much reserved for the Caucasians?</p>
<p>I have to say that I heard about Lehigh’s racism issue about a year ago and officially crossed it off my list because of that. I did the same with Richmond.</p>
<p>Mpex66, Greek life IS open to minorities. I know some Asian-American and African-American students who belong to sororities. I don’t know how many minorities decide not to rush or how many are turned away, however. I think it’s more a matter of who your friends are and how outgoing you are rather than the color of your skin or your ethnic background.</p>
<p>Mpex66, Momwaitingfornew is certainly correct. Even though the majority of lehigh students are european-americans the fraternities and sororities are both widely accepting of all minorities. My S frat president was an african-american and my D sorority has asian-american sisters. Join a sorority…you’ll have the best time of your life!</p>
<p>Waiting Dad, Greek Life is not everyone’s cup of tea. Not everyone wants to play follow the leader. My D eventually turned down Lehigh, in large part because of the large Greek footprint on campus. She’s a freshman at a very selective LAC that has no frats or sororities and loves it there.</p>
<p>I suppose that Lehigh is more in the business of producing people who make the world work so that people cocooned in LACs can enjoy their self-indulgent pursuits. It’s interesting that a teenage girl and her father seem to harbor such hostility toward something they know precious litttle about. Regardless of how outsiders choose to employ their fertile imaginations, fraternities and sororities are at their core an outlet for highly social INDIVIDUALS to enjoy a sense of community on a larger campus. I mean, the ultimate irony is that there was far more individuality in my jock-heavy fraternity than there is among my subsequent social circle of writers, artists, filmmakers and musicians in New York City. There are no bigger sheep than people who fancy themselves to be free-thinkers, and certainly no more closed-minded and miserable lot. I’m not prone to quoting Ayn Rand, but she once said “There is a level of cowardice lower than the conformist: the fashionable non-conformist.” Truer words were never spoken.</p>
<p>Dipthong, your writing style seems to indicate that you went to a very good LAC :). I think your response was appropriate given the cheap shot taken by Plainsman. I have one son who graduated from a very well regarded small LAC in the northeast and another who will be attending the engineering college at Lehigh in the fall. Lehigh was considered but not felt to be a good fit for my older son and the well known LACs in the northeast were considered but not viewed as a good fit based upon the interests and strengths of my younger son. </p>
<p>My very simplistic point to Plainsman is that just because your daughter for whatever reason feels that a LAC, as opposed to Lehigh, is better suited to her interests doesn’t mean that one is good and the other is bad. They are different and if it makes you feel better to bash one to justify a decision to choose another then that’s your insecurity and your problem.</p>
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<p>Sorry for being away so long; I don’t visit often. It doesn’t surprise me at all that a Lehigh proponent would quote the queen of “self-interest.” The crazy woman who defended selfishness as a virtue. She fits Lehigh’s narcissistic Greek culture perfectly. Any university or college in which 70% of students are involved in Greek life (many because the culture is so strong they feel they have no choice) is NOT a free-thinking culture. That, my friend, points to the true cowards: people who fear the non-conformist.</p>