<p>With first-year students moving in on Thursday and college application season about to come, I figured I'd post here to answer some questions. Ask anything, no question is stupid and I'll do my best to give a good answer!</p>
<p>Thanks for taking questions. I’ll be moving in Thursday, so I’m trying to finish my packing. What items are a must-pack, and what common things can I just leave at home? I’ve read the checklist that the school gives but I want to hear from a student. Also, what are some easy meals to make with the micro-fridge that I got through Lehigh?</p>
<p>Do Bring: A desk lamp, a dustpan/dustbuster, lots of hangers, removable wall hooks.
Don’t bother: A full size lamp, a whiteboard.</p>
<p>I initially brought a full lamp, but there just wasn’t enough room. A small desk lamp will be fine, just make sure it is the right kind of light bulb. For some reason, only certain types are allowed. I got fined $25 this past semester for it. For occasional light cleaning, it’s great to have a dustpan or dustbuster, I used a 6 inch dustpan to clean my room for move-out. Hangers and hooks are good for making space, which is definitely needed in M&M (McClintic Marshall House), which is where I was and had the tiniest rooms. A whiteboard seems like a good idea, but honestly after the first week it’s just going to be perpetually covered in dicks, so don’t bother.</p>
<p>I had the microfridge, but honestly barely used the microwave at all. While the dining hall food is very subpar, there is enough to fill you up. I had microwaveable Kraft Mac and Cheese, but once I finished the box early on in the year I never really got anything else. The only food I really had was breakfast bars, which I’d say is a must if you’re not really a morning person. Most days I got up about 20 minutes before class started, which left me little time to go to the dining halls for breakfast.</p>
<p>Do you plan on going out/drinking a lot/often? Because if so there’s a few more things I’d like to mention. Let me know</p>
<p>Awesome, I had packed the things you mentioned first. And I also don’t see myself using the microwave often, but who knows. I think I read that the halogen bulbs aren’t allowed in lamps, which was probably where your fine came from. Lesson learned the hard way!</p>
<p>I’ll be in Lower Cents, so hopefully I make out better than what you describe from M&M. Can you tell me more about the dining hall food? I’m not particularly picky about quality because I can’t make anything for myself, but edible food would be nice! I also don’t want to be relying on the campus restaurants ($). I’ll have to look out for those breakfast bars though. And I plan on going out but not drinking too often. I know lame.</p>
<p>I’m a prospective student (rising senior in high school) and I have some worries about going ED with Lehigh. I’ve heard that Lehigh is a “good old boys school” in that if you aren’t a white, upper-middle class male than you won’t reap the full benefits of the school. In addition to this I’ve heard of some criminal activity like break ins and assaults if you live off campus. Lastly, the whole fraternity scene seems to be very sketchy. It seems like they do what they want whenever they want and are quite ignorant and close minded individuals (the majority of them, at least). I’ve only heard this opinion projected from three similar sources but it’s enough to make me seriously reconsider applying ED or maybe at all. </p>
<p>NewDivide:</p>
<p>To my knowledge, Lower Cents has slightly bigger rooms than M&M, so you should be fine in that regard. The dining halls are very… eh. The first few weeks is pretty awesome. Unlimited french fries, chocolate milk, and ice cream is good enough for most people. Once the initial excitement wears off and you’re looking for real food, the monotony of the dining halls starts to set in. In my opinion, about 1/4 of the food they offer is tasty and something I would voluntarily eat. This is not nearly as bad as it sounds. With you being at Lower Cents, you’re right next to Rathbone, the much bigger dining hall. There’s three different stations for food, as well as a deli bar, cereal station, salad bar, and a few other things. There will be so many options that there’s no way you can’t find something you enjoy. The other dining hall, Lower Cort, is much smaller, but has the same types of options as Rathbone. The general consensus is that Cort is better food, but Rathbone has better options. </p>
<p>Since you don’t seem averse to going out and drinking, I’m pretty sure you will end up doing both much more than you think you’re doing. I came in as someone who drank once every 1-2 weeks the summer leading up to Lehigh, and found myself going out every night that I had finished all my homework and didn’t have early class the next day. Right now, you can’t even comprehend the amount of free time you have during college. If your classes end at 2, other than homework you’ll have absolutely no commitments for the rest of the day. I’d definitely recommend finding a club or something to keep you occupied, as well as to meet new people.</p>
<p>monroelemon:</p>
<p>I think you’re too readily accepting the opinions of those who you’ve spoken with, and not allowed yourself to come up with your own opinion of the school. Sure, most of the guys here are white and upper-middle class. That doesn’t mean anything. Nobody cares what your background is. A lot of my friends come from money, and a lot don’t. It had no impact on whether or not I wanted to be friends with them. Same goes for race. Although a majority of students are white, there is enough diversity that no one is shut out simply because of their race.</p>
<p>The off-campus crime is definitely an issue. The events don’t happen that often, considering that thousands of students live off campus, but it is a bit unsettling. For the most part it is only during the night that this is an issue, and can be easily prevented by walking in groups and being smart.</p>
<p>Finally, as a member of the Greek system, I disagree 100% with what you’ve been led to believe about them.</p>
<p>“Lastly, the whole fraternity scene seems to be very sketchy. It seems like they do what they want whenever they want and are quite ignorant and close minded individuals (the majority of them, at least).”</p>
<p>I’m not sure who exactly your sources for this are, but I would guess that they are people that didn’t fit in with the Greek population, and are now inherently against it. Greek life isn’t for everyone, shown by 40% participation. While this number is large relative to other schools, you have to realize that it also means that a majority of students, 60%, are NOT a part of greek life. You will definitely be able to find people that you fit in with, and they might even be Greek! Obviously some houses are full of “Frat Douches”, there are definitely houses full of people that never intended to go Greek, but ended up doing so because the fit in so well with the brothers of the house. And for the last part of your statement, you are absolutely wrong. Members of Greek houses absolutely do NOT have free reign to do whatever they want. The actions of the Greek community are much more closely scrutinized by the university. Because they live with little-to no supervision, they are held accountable for anything that goes wrong with the house. Greeks are held to a tight leash by the university. I’d really like for you to come into Lehigh with an open mind about the Greek system. Not everybody dresses like this <a href=“http://alivecampus.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/frat-guys1.jpg”>AliveCampus.com is for sale | HugeDomains; and I’ll bet 90% of what you know about Greeks is a stereotype.</p>
<p>Thank you for such a detailed response! I definitely think you’re right about me too readily accepting negative opinions about schools (because this isn’t the first time). The person I was talking to was certainly not the most outgoing or involved person I’ve ever met and didn’t seem to appreciate the aspects of Lehigh that I most love about it (i.e school spirit).
It’s really great hearing your opinion on the school since I’ve really loved it for a while and those negative comments I heard about it caught me off guard. With a little more research, and while constantly reminding myself to take every opinion with a grain of salt, I think I’ll come to my own conclusion about the school. Again, this really helped so thanks! </p>
<p>monroelemon:</p>
<p>I would highly recommend applying ED to Lehigh. I went ED1 this past fall and thankfully got the nod. It was so nice being able to go into winter break knowing I was guaranteed a spot at a place where I really wanted to be. You get the whole process with over with sooner than most of your friends. The only drawback to going ED is that it’s binding so you don’t get to compare financial aid packages if you would qualify for need-based aid, but otherwise it’s a great way to increase your odds if you have your heart set on it. US News says that in the past they have accepted around 2/3 of ED applicants compared to 1/3 from RD. Now, some of ED comes from athletes and legacies (alum parents/grandparents of LU) so the number looks big, but it’s still almost double the odds. You sound well-versed enough that you should have a great shot. Good luck!</p>
<p>LUsoph:</p>
<p>Thanks for your candid response. I can’t wait to utilize the free time you mentioned, sounds like I’ll have a lot of options to get involved. One last sort-of unrelated question: I’ll be in the engineering school and recently read about the awesome incentive that Lehigh offers of a free 5th year to pursue a graduate degree for achieving a 3.75 during undergrad. Although that sounds great, how likely of a possibility is this for the average engineer? I know average GPA might differ between schools within Lehigh, but from your experience what percent of kids do you think hold that minimum? I know earning a number close to 4 is a lot tougher in college than in high school (:</p>
<p>A 3.75 is incredibly hard, unless you plan on spending all your time doing work/are a natural-born genius. The average gpa sits right around 3.0, with most people in the 2.5-3.5 range. It’s definitely possible, but like I said it won’t be easy. I don’t really know any numbers on the subject, but I do know that a 3.75 as an engineer is difficult.</p>
<p>LUsoph, </p>
<p>Wow, are your remarks so representative of my son’s experience at Lehigh!!!</p>
<p>He was an engineering student. He went to Lehigh completely sure he wouldn’t join a fraternity. And exactly as you said he ended up really liking the guys in one fraternity and joined. It was a great choice for him. And you are right the fraternities are diverse - I saw the groups photos each year and they are not just a bunch of white kids. I agree the whole “nothing but rich kids at Lehigh” is also not true. </p>
<p>The peer pressures of high school just don’t exist in college. Everyone is so busy doing their own thing no one really cares what you choose to do. Their will be many social groups to choose from. And they all exist independently of each other. So relax and be whoever you want to be! </p>
<p>He never took the lamp we bought at Bed, Bath and Beyond of of the box. He didn’t use the microwave but the girls he was friends with used it all the time to make their tea. </p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to help the next class!</p>
<p>quoting monroelemon:
I’m a prospective student (rising senior in high school) and I have some worries about going ED with Lehigh. I’ve heard that Lehigh is a “good old boys school” in that if you aren’t a white, upper-middle class male than you won’t reap the full benefits of the school. In addition to this I’ve heard of some criminal activity like break ins and assaults if you live off campus. Lastly, the whole fraternity scene seems to be very sketchy. It seems like they do what they want whenever they want and are quite ignorant and close minded individuals (the majority of them, at least). I’ve only heard this opinion projected from three similar sources but it’s enough to make me seriously reconsider applying ED or maybe at all. </p>
<p>In response to your comment, sounds like your best fit would be a community college that doesn’t have a Greek system. Since no one I know at Lehigh focuses on race like you do, it probably wouldn’t be a good fit for you. There just aren’t that many students there that sit around in the basement whining about fellow students that are sociable and able to get along with a broad range of people without any consideration to the racial or economic background of those around them. When looking around for community colleges, put great focus and consideration on very remote locations away from urban areas, because crime is in every urban area. Don’t even look at the areas surrounding some of the ivies. There’s only one person that comes across as quite ignorant and closed-minded, and that’s you. It would be quite a stretch to call some Greeks that are school leaders and philanthropic members of the community sketchy. </p>
<p>Hello. I am about to begin my senior year in high school. I visited Lehigh and I am very interested in attending. I would like to study business, but am concerned that my grades may not be good enough to get into the business school. Would I be better off to apply to Arts & Sciences, which I understand may be easier to get into, and then switch to business? How easy is it to switch from Arts & Sciences to business? How is that done? Many thanks for any advice.</p>
<p>For any prospective students reading the nonsense by monroelemon, please be aware that this person is spewing the same exact garbage at another college’s thread, too. Sounds like someone talking smack from a competing college. None of what monroelemon has written rings true for the great college and community of Lehigh. It’s pure rubbish, and looking at the four comments he/she has made since joining in January, it’s apparent the motives of this person.</p>
<p>Hi,
Do you know anyone in or details about the rigor of the Business/Computer Science program there? I have a high school senior who visited the campus early this summer and really liked it. He is still “undecided” and didn’t realize the program existed until we researched the school later so didn’t ask during the tour. BTW, our tour guide at Lehigh was the best of any school we visited - it was an engineering student who was very honest and didn’t just give us the admissions office spiel! </p>