Wait-listed? Is Lehigh padding acceptance rates?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Lehigh University
1

Dear CC Community,

Stats:
3.7 UW GPA (Sharp increase – 4.0s during 11 and 12th grade with IB Course Classes)
2350 SAT
800 Math 2, 790 Chem, 770 Physics, and 750 US History.
ECs: editor of literary magazine, Frisbee, student gov’t, 80 hrs of volunteering,etc.

Accepted: Williams, NYU Stern, BU, Wesleyan, Carnegie Mellon, few more

I am curious what was missing in me that resulted from a waitlist. Did I perhaps not demonstrate enough interests in my essays? Is lehigh ruling out my types with the assumption that I would not enroll for the purpose of decreasing their acceptance rate? Any opinions are helpful!

2

Maybe (said this in 2 other lehigh forums, but it’s relevant here): A kid in my class w/ amazing stats (top 1-2% classrank, many ECs, etc) got waitlisted RD for ChemE; he’s applied to CMU, Princeton, and a ton of other top schools (hasn’t heard back yet). Another kid in my class w/ a 1460 CR+M on SAT & top 10% of class also got waitlisted, for CivilE. They both live near Lehigh (about 1 hr away), so we (friends & I) think it’s because Lehigh wants top students who live near Lehigh to visit it (for interest?), or maybe it’s something else.

3

Wow, congratulations on all the colleges you got accepted to. Great job!

That said, I really don’t see why you need to start a thread accusing Lehigh of padding their acceptance rates just because YOU were waitlisted. Since the Freshman class is around a thousand students there just isn’t room for everyone who applies. And, there are only so many slots for the different colleges, different majors etc. And, on top of that the Admissions Department has other goals they need to accomplish regarding a diverse student body - economic, geographic, gender, racial, etc. It is really a pretty complicated affair that none of us can really judge since we don’t have access to all the information.

You will be much happier if you try to focus on all the great opportunities that are available to you!

Best. K

4

I posted this on one of the other threads, if it helps:

Another variable you may not be aware of is that last year Lehigh’s yield rate was much higher than normal, and over 100 more students (over 10%) accepted their offers of admission than they had spots for (explaining why only 2 came off the waitlist). My guess is that they are being much more conservative this year by waitlisting more deserving kids who might have been accepted in prior years. Seems like this is the case at many schools this year, since I see a lot of waitlists for incredibly accomplished students. I can tell you if you want a shot off the waitlist at Lehigh, let them know it is your #1 choice, TALK to your admissions counselor, and if you live within a reasonable distance, VISIT the campus and request an interview with the counselor (go directly to the counselor to request this, not the secretary who might tell you they aren’t doing interviews currently). The counselors DO advocate for those students who make the effort. They really want students who want to be at Lehigh. Best of luck, Lehigh is an incredible place!

5

Why would you start a thread with such an inflammatory title, and even worse, why would you choose to start this thread with a title that is much, much, much, much more unlikely and incorrect and defamatory than true?

You are college-aged and should have better judgment than this. You are not five-years-old and taking your ball home so that no one can play with it. You are old enough to know better than to post stuff like this about an amazing and prestigious institution without having absolute proof. Even if you attempt to deny your adult responsibility by posing it as a question, your intentions seem to be that you are accusing them of something terrible that I’m convinced neither the counselors nor the institution as a whole DO NOT DO! There’s no rational reasoning that I can think of that they would ever even consider doing something like that.

What in the world would make you think they would even have to ponder such a thing? They have to turn down so many qualified students, and I’ve seen amazing students on CC waitlisted and denied an acceptance that are more qualified than you. I’m somewhat surprised that with your stats you are apparently assuming that Lehigh, or any of the colleges you names, are safety schools. The students I know that have been given acceptance invitations have greater stats than yours. Plus, you extra curricular activities are objectively weak from what I’ve seen of the pool of students applying to schools in Lehigh’s tier.

Just because you got an acceptance at some of those schools doesn’t mean you’re a slam dunk. Those schools saw something that they liked and/or needed to fill from your application. It’s never a good idea to blame others for not getting something that one didn’t earn. It’s an even worse idea to accuse either people or institutions of improper behavior or actions.

Lastly, why do you think “your type” is ranking up there with the top Ivy League and most selective college applicants?

6

Can a moderator shut down this thread? My genuine intentions are taken wrongly by others and I apologize sincerely to anyone who believes I am disrespecting the school. But I will not retreat from the great truth that ranking gaming within colleges does indeed exist

7

I’m proud of you for asking that this be shut down, and hopefully, deleted if you single out any particular college without proof that THAT particular college participated in that action. You are within your rights to feel that some colleges participate in that behavior, but please do not link it to a named college unless you have proof. If you do have proof, then present it. Otherwise, keep it generalized and unnamed if all you have is suspicions, please.

8

Honestly, your EC’s are a little weak. I know Lehigh looks for the well rounded student and demonstration of time management skills. They want to see you can be super involved in the school and still pull off stellar grades. Your other stats are awesome. Lehigh was just very tough to get in this year, especially for engineering.

9

I am a little confused.

You say your intentions were taken wrongly then you double back with the “I will not retreat from the great truth that ranking gaming within colleges does indeed exist”

Hmmmm, OK, I think it might be nice to use your thread as teaching tool.

  1. "Defamation—also calumny, vilification, and traducement—is the communication of a false statement that harms the reputation of an individual person, business, product, group, government, religion, or nation as well as other various kinds of defamation that retaliate against groundless criticism."
  2. Speak up for an individual person, business, etc. that is being defamed.
  3. Once you post hurtful statements on the Internet is is very hard to EVER take them back.
10

I agree, kikkydee.

Ghentsphenze wrote:
“Can a moderator shut down this thread? My genuine intentions are taken wrongly by others and I apologize sincerely to anyone who believes I am disrespecting the school. But I will not retreat from the great truth that ranking gaming within colleges does indeed exist”

So he/she blames others for taking his defamatory comments wrongly, not that what he wrote was wrong and inappropriate, but that everyone else is the problem. Then, apologizes to anyone that believes he’s disrespecting the school, when in fact, it’s not that others believe he/she disrespected Lehigh, he/she did disrespect Lehigh and threw out a serious allegation that he/she doesn’t seem to have any proof whatsoever to substantiate.

The truth of the matter is that this applicant did not earn an outright acceptance, based upon his stats and ECs. I can only imagine the essays and recommendations based upon the comments. Just more proof that this applicant doesn’t get that it’s not the fault of other people. The suggestion that his/her stats are so amazing that Lehigh would not think there was any chance he/she would accept an offer admission because he/she is too good for Lehigh is comical.

The comment: “Is lehigh ruling out my types with the assumption that I would not enroll for the purpose of decreasing their acceptance rate?” I thought this was a joke, but I think he/she really believes this.

If you are adult enough to apply for college, you should be mature enough to take responsibility for your achievements and actions and not blame others. Best of luck to you in finding a good match for college, and best of luck in life in general.

11

The other day I skimmed through the MIT acceptance thread and saw many students with SATs in the high 2300s who were rejected and others in the 2200s who were accepted. You have to understand that colleges use a great deal more factors than just your SAT scores and GPA to determine best fit for a given class. Anyone who has filled out a college application should be well aware of this. Why do you think they ask for all the things they do?

It is also no secret that schools want to accept students who actually want to attend that institution, again for a multitude of reasons. Above all, when an institution can fill their class with the best students who truly want to be there, it improves the morale and atmosphere at that institution and the overall experience for everyone. Lehigh places a premium on this. If they don’t think they are a student’s first choice it is very likely that student will not be granted admission, no matter how impressive qualifications they may have. If Lehigh got the sense that they were your safety school, it certainly would have worked against your application.

Lastly, the yield (% of accepted students who enroll) is a factor used by US News & World report rankings. Given that many students are applying to over a dozen schools, but can only attend one, many schools are trying to identify students to whom they are truly a first choice. Don’t look for anything sinister in being waitlisted despite your amazing qualifications. Why are you so upset? Everyone of the schools you listed above that you were accepted in are more selective than Lehigh. If Lehigh was truly your top choice you could have applied early decision. There is no better to demonstrate interest in a school than than. Wherever you decide to go, make the best of it. You have some of the best options to choose from.

12

akin67, your first Lehigh post? I found your thoughts on Lehigh are really accurate and fair. I look forward to reading more posts from you; we can all benefit from your perspective. Welcome!

13

I will demonstrate how Lehigh is pretty unique in it’s admissions process.

If you go to
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-university-search/lehigh-university
and click on the apply tag, you see some really unusual things.

Very important

  1. Recommendations
  2. Rigor of secondary school record

Find me another school, where the outcomes in your academic record don’t make it to very important.

Next, lets continue
Important
Application Essay
Character/Personal Qualities
Extracurricular Activities
Level of Applicant’s Interest
Standardized Test Scores
Talent/Ability
Volunteer Work

Finally, and this one is the most telling
Considered:
Academic GPA
Alumni Relation
Class Rank
First generation college student
Geographical Residence
Interview
Racial/Ethnic Status
Work Experience

Academic GPA and class rank is only “considered”?!?!
It’s not that important?!?
Whoa!

Lehigh admissions officers plainly state in their info sessions that they want to admit students who want to attend Lehigh. If you put 2+2 together, it seems like it’s the ideal place for people who bite off more than they can chew - most rigorous courses - VERY IMPORTANT, standardized test scores - IMPORTANT - Academic GPA (CONSIDERED i.e. NOT THAT IMPORTANT). They care more that you shot for the stars than if you are successful in that venture. Lehigh wants risk takers. Those people eventually become leaders. That is simply Lehigh’s culture.

Demonstrating that you are really smart through your SAT and taking a rigorous course load with some flaws actually works in your favor here because those flaws demonstrate your penchant for risk. How many people are afraid to take that brutal course with the teacher who never gives As. This approach seems to be uniquely Lehigh.

So while the net result is the same, it looks like they are punting on high stat kids in favor of lower stat kids, but really, instead of making their seats available to the most qualified students, they make their seats available to the qualified students who a) most want to attend there, and b) who demonstrate the fearless character that causes them to pursue the most rigorous courses even though the results may not approach perfection.

It’s very likely that you didn’t demonstrate enough interest and instead of you, they took someone who demonstrated more interest and experienced more failure. i.e, someone who would fit right into the Lehigh community.

14

Great comment, ClassicRockerDad. One thing, though, I’m not sure they’re choosing lower stats over higher stats, meaning, those aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s possible for someone to be dynamic and very intelligent…I’d say that’s a very accurate description of my child. He’s definitely a risk taker and almost always successful, yet humble and caring about others along the way. If his effort or risk wasn’t successful to our way of looking at it, he will without a doubt consider it a success because he learned something along the way.

It probably took Lehigh a few minutes to look at him and they knew he had “IT”. This is the kid that will be inventing and tweaking and bringing new and exciting things to the world. He will be the leader, just like many of his well-adjusting and outgoing peers at Lehigh. His background, recommendations, course choices, community work, essays, all had to show how rare he is today. They weren’t the only college that really wanted him, but Lehigh is the college that he chose where he’ll shine like a diamond…today and in the future.

Not once has my son been on CC, or any online college forums. He’s been too busy using that brilliant brain of his expanding his wealth of knowledge and experiences. When the work is done for the day, he’s off to enjoying life to the fullest. Not one moment of his life has been spent accusing colleges of manipulating admission decisions for acceptance rates. He really couldn’t care less about things like that. The saying “work hard, play hard” describes him appropriately, and I think Lehigh, and life in general, will be good for him.

15

@marky95 Your son sounds amazingly like mine… incredibly bright, well rounded, a leader, plays club soccer and in a fraternity, likes to have fun, very humble. Oh, and most week nights is in the library until 11-12, and is on deans list. One thing you left out is the fact that these kids aren’t afraid of hard work, which is one reason they are so highly sought after by employers. He also had some phenomenal options to choose from two years ago, but Lehigh had the whole package for him. I told him before he left for Lehigh I don’t care if he goes out every night of the week as long as he gets his work done and his academics remain his priority. He has, but he is learning much more about life as well. From what I have seen, Lehigh admissions has done a very good job zeroing in on that type of student. I went to Lehigh over 30 years ago, and although many things about Lehigh have changed since then, that aspect has not. S2 was just accepted to Lehigh IBE and most likely will attend as well.

16

Congratulations, Yocco1! That is such an honor to be accepted into that program! Talk about hard work, too, but worth moving into the library. hahaha! Yep, my son lettered in three sports, statewide youth leadership, in a fraternity on the board, tutor, always surrounded by friends, but by far, spends most of his time studying, researching, and getting his hands dirty designing and building something new and cool. Like my son, I’m betting your son also spends time giving back and helping others, too. He tutors and mentors local kids and is always busy doing something like mowing the lawns of elderly neighbors, etc. Lehigh really does get the cream of the crop, the most well-rounded and brightest. My fingers are crossed that S2 will be at Lehigh in the fall.

17

Thanks marky95. Yes, all the same stuff… varsity letter in 2 sports, captain of soccer team, soccer scholar-athlete award, did American Legion Keystone Boys State, President of Leo Club (community service), Good Citizenship Award, etc. He is seriously considering offers from three great schools - Lehigh, Bucknell and Washington and Lee. He already nixed Villanova. Money about the same from all three, recruited for soccer at W&L, but IBE and Lehigh in the family blood could tilt the scales.

18

I find the WL curious too. I looked at our highschool Naviance charts as well as those from three other schools, and that info makes you an outlier. Given your acceptances to other schools, your essays and recs were most likely good. I’d give you a solid 90 on a 100% scale for admissions to a highly selective school which is consistent with your acceptances. It doesn’t fit with your WL at Lehigh.

I am only guessing that demonstrated interest was important and lacking. Your short answers and indicators that you had given the school serious consideration might have been lacking. It is also possible that something in your app hit the reader there the wrong way, or that person felt that you’d turn down the accept. I do not think it is systematic of Lehigh because I know too many kids accepted there this year and last, with very high stats, who are going to go Ivy or other highly selective school… Also know a few who are likely to go to Lehigh with those high stats because they’ve been turned down by their first choices. If the school were systematically protecting the yield, more of them would have been turned down.

19

I got into Lehigh (ED2; sent my deposit) & Villanova (withdrew in feb), and it was a big surprise for me. Here’s what I think I did right:

reference (stats): http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/lehigh-university/1723258-lehigh-ed2-chances.html#latest

  1. very rigorous high school schedule
  2. Very strong counselor & good teacher (2) recs
  3. Very strong peer recs (3; Dartmouth, Cornell, & Vanderbilt admitted students)
  4. Used max word limits on common app essays, and made sure I showed my interest in Lehigh & a passion for learning
  5. Did a private tour.

Even though my SAT score was low (didn’t want to get into extremely rigorous, competitive school, so didn’t study that much), didn’t take SAT2s, had below-average ECs, submitted my common app a day before the deadline, submitted my ED2 request a day before that deadline, no interview, and didn’t have guided tour w/ info session, I still managed to get into Lehigh. Why? Because of its unique admissions process (as shown in ClassicRockerDad’s post).

20

Our son received a Dean’s Scholarship from Lehigh.

During high school he took Spanish from 7th to 11th grade. He rarely got A’s in his Spanish classes. But it was more important to him to put the time in to really learn the language than to have a perfect 4.0 GPA.

My son did not participate in ANY high school activities. However, Sophomore summer he volunteered to be an aide for his high school teacher during summer school classes for elementary school kids. Junior summer he volunteered for 20 hours a week at a non-profit all summer. For a while he worked at Best Buy.

We did drive a huge distance to visit Lehigh the during his Junior summer.

Our son was a leader, the leader of his group of friends that hung out and played video games on weekends and the majority of them have all gone on to become engineers!

Sure our son had very good ACT scores in math and science. English, ehhh not so much. LOL

Lehigh was his top choice. And it probably was a reach school for him.

I just want to share this because it is important for parents and students to know you don’t have to have an application filled to the gills with accomplishments before Lehigh will want you.

We are eternally grateful to Lehigh for all the support, friendships, experiences and opportunities he had there as a student and is continuing as an alumni.