Questions/Chances for IBE program?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Lehigh University
1

<p>So I'm stuck between applying for the Integrated Engineering and Business Program with an Engineering focus or to the Regular College of Engineering for either Bioengineering or Chemical Engineering.</p>

<p>I think I may be interested in Business school after getting a BS in engineering but I'm still not sure (I'm also considering med school or getting a masters in engineering), so I thought this program would be a good way to get a feel for the business/management aspects of engineering. The problem is that it's an honors program, and since Lehigh is competitive enough already I feel my stats aren't strong enough.</p>

<p>My questions:</p>

<p>1) If I apply for the IBE program and don't get in, can I be considered for admission to the regular college of engineering?</p>

<p>2) If I do get in and I realize that I don't like it and want to switch to regular engineering, is that doable? How much overlap is there between the two?</p>

<p>I guess I should post some of my stats:</p>

<p>GPA:<a href="what%20I'm%20worried%20about%20the%20most">/u</a>
UW: like 3.4ish/4.0 (school doesn't give exact unweighted) on a huge upward trend (9th: 3.1, 10th: 3.3, 11th: 3.8)</p>

<p>All honors in 9th/10th and 2 APs (Physics and US history) junior year and 3 APs (Bio, Calc AB, and Statistics) senior year</p>

<p>For rank, my school uses deciles so I could be anywhere from 20% to 29%, but I think I'm closer to 20% </p>

<p>Test Scores:
SAT I - 2240 total - 1450 M+CR
W: 790
M: 740
CR: 710</p>

<p>SAT II US History - 700
SAT II Physics - 660</p>

<p>ECs...again this is something I'm worried about. I have 300+ hours of volunteer service at hospital/nursing home/food shelter and a few miscellaneous clubs and stuff but that's about it.</p>

<p>Essays/Recs should be okay.</p>

<p>The SAT I'm not worried about since that's pretty good, but I feel my GPA/ECs could keep me out of honors.</p>

<p>I think I'm gonna play it safe and apply to regular engineering, but I'm open to the suggestions and info you guys have.</p>

2

<p>Go ahead and apply. I honestly dont think your stats are as bad as you think they are. Im applying to the IBE program too and I have a ~3.5-3.6 unweighted and a 4.0 weighted but only a 2040 on the SAT. Your SATS are way above average so thats definitely a boost.
And also you still get considered for admission to the major you want to focus in. I had an interview with an admiasions counselor who told me they consider you for regular admission even if you dont get into IBE. So basically theres really no drawback in trying to get in. Goodluck(:</p>

3

<p>Hey yankeesfanatic,</p>

<p>Let me go through your questions first:</p>

<p>1) If I apply for the IBE program and don’t get in, can I be considered for admission to the regular college of engineering?</p>

<p>Absolutely. IBE is an honors program and it’s considered a separate application. So don’t feel like you’re ruining your chances of getting in to Lehigh by applying. If you’re into the business side of engineering, you should definitely try IBE.</p>

<p>2) If I do get in and I realize that I don’t like it and want to switch to regular engineering, is that doable? How much overlap is there between the two?</p>

<p>As a freshman, it is probably fairly simple. All engineering curriculum for Lehigh freshmen engineers is identical. Freshmen declare engineering majors in the spring. This way, we are able to be certain we’re picking the right field. Putting off a switch out of the program past freshman year might be difficult, but I think you would still be able to graduate in four years. Don’t forget IBE has a five-year option.</p>

<p>Here’s some more info if you need it: [IBE</a> FAQ](<a href=“http://www.lehigh.edu/~inibep/FAQ.html]IBE”>http://www.lehigh.edu/~inibep/FAQ.html)</p>

<p>Now let me go through your stats:</p>

<p>SATs: You have stellar SATs so you do not need to worry about them at all. Subject test scores are decent.</p>

<p>GPA: Good GPA, looks fine so far. The upward trend is interesting to note.</p>

<p>Rank: Rank is important, but only about a third of Lehigh students went to high schools that reported it. Most of us were in the top 10%.</p>

<p>Courseload: Good courseload of APs and honor classes. This works in your favor.</p>

<p>ECs: It’s about quality of your ECs, not quantity. You don’t have to do a million things to get into IBE, you just have to be passionate about a couple of things you do in your spare time. 300 hours of community services is definitely impressive. Lehigh will pay attention to that and I think you can really focus on that as your main “EC” so to speak.</p>

<p>Best,</p>

<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>

4

<p>@kelleyxw/LehighChemE</p>

<p>I appreciate all the helpful info. Now that I know I can still be considered for regular admission if I don’t get into IBE, I’m definitely more inclined to apply. I’m still deciding though.</p>

5

<p>Hi, I’m currently a Junior in the IBE program.</p>

<p>Your GPA and APs look good to me, similar to what I had.</p>

<p>Your class rank looks a little low. I was 7%.</p>

<p>Your SAT scores look good.</p>

<p>ECs are good.</p>

<p>Mike hit the nail on the head.</p>

<p>Best of luck to you.</p>