<p>If Lehigh is very high on your daughter's list, it might be advisable, as mentioned, to have her schedule an overnight visit. That way, informed as she is now, a visit could dispel or corroborate what she has heard. Lehigh has much to offer, and as the proportion of female to male students continues to move closer to a 1/1 ratio, the aforementioned behaviors may diminish more rapidly.</p>
<p>It seems like you are all very interested in how much drinking goes on at Lehigh and what that means for the social scene here. So, I don't think any other current students have posted and it's time for all of the high school seniors to be making decisions so I'll try to help out...</p>
<p>A lot of the "social scene" at Lehigh involves visiting fraternities on the hill or going to parties at off campus houses. Both are pretty entertaining and in their own ways. First, not everyone goes to these parties. Second, not everyone who goes to these parties drinks.</p>
<p>There really are a lot of other things going on at Lehigh, especially on the weekends. There are several guest speakers (this year's commencement speaker is Maya Angelou), University Productions (a student-run group) has movie nights each weekend in Kenner Theater, there are plays in Zollener Arts Center, and several other ways to get involved, ranging from club sports to political groups to The Brown and White (campus newspaper). We're even getting a 24-hour diner on campus this winter. Oh, UP also sponsors Sundaze (an outdoor concert) each year. This year we're having Cake and Gomez. Students interested in "women's issues" often get involved in the women's center and we also have very active sexual assault awareness groups. You can also apply to be an R.A. your sophomore year. And, don't forget about the most-played rivalry in college football--Lehigh v. Lafayette.</p>
<p>For those of you who are nervous about being surrounded by alcohol, you can opt to live in substance-free housing your freshman year. For the most part people who live on sub-free opt not to drink (unless their parents put them there to try to control them). They find other ways to have fun and the university provides their halls with additional funding so their R.A.s can run more hall programs.</p>
<p>Lehigh is what you make it, which is what makes it so great.</p>
<p>thanks for the insight katydid...much appreciated</p>
<p>how is the surrounding "city"? is there much to do?</p>
<p>are there any clubs or cool hangouts within an hour or so? (philly's only an hour away right?)</p>
<p>thaaaaanks</p>
<p>Bethlehem is a pretty cool place--it's really just a small city. Sometimes I hear other students saying that there isn't anything to do in the city or that it's dangerous, but I really don't think that either is true. The south side, where Lehigh is located, is a lower income area than most Lehigh students are used to seeing, which is why I think they have misconceptions about it.</p>
<p>There are a lot of great places to eat on the south side, including a couple campus bars/restaraunts like the Tally-Ho and McGrady's, among several others. One of the coolest things about the south side (and even all of Bethlehem), I think, is that it isn't filled with chain restaurants. You can find chains, of course, but there are a lot of other more interesting and less expensive options too. I plan on getting a small meal plan next year because I want to try more Bethlehem restaurants.</p>
<p>I don't really know about a club scene in Bethlehem but I'm not 21 yet and clubs don't really appeal to me. And, yes, Philly is an hour away. Another thing to keep in mind is that Bethlehem isn't just home to Lehigh, but Moravian and Muhlenberg are both in the city, so the city does cater to college interests.</p>
<p>Lehigh runs shuttles to the Lehigh Valley Mall and movies on the weekends for freshmen who want a break from the south side but don't have cars. I'm never bored here.</p>
<p>thanks again katy :)</p>
<p>one more question lol...which residence hall would u recommend (and do any of them have rooms with their own bathrooms? it's not a big deal but would be very nice!)</p>
<p>My son is a freshman engineering student who is very happy with his choice of Lehigh. He does not drink/party or visit the "hill"...but he knew going in that the greek life was a strong presence on campus. It did not deter him. College is what you make of it. It doesn't matter which school you choose, you will have to deal with alcohol. It's up to you whether or not you partake. Like a previous poster said, the academics are tough and if you don't crack the books, you won't be there very long. S knows of a few in his dorm that are in academic trouble because of it.
You need to visit Lehigh to appreciate it. Yes, it is very hilly, and if you don't like to walk up and down the mountain, maybe Lehigh is not for you. Freshmen are not permitted to have a car on campus.</p>
<p>Umoja House - Diversity on campus
<a href="http://www3.lehigh.edu/News/news_story.asp?iNewsID=355&strBack=%2FNews%2Fnews%5Farchive%2Easp%3F%5B/url%5D">http://www3.lehigh.edu/News/news_story.asp?iNewsID=355&strBack=%2FNews%2Fnews%5Farchive%2Easp%3F</a></p>
<p>Rooms with bathrooms - don't think there are any, at least for freshmen, anyway.</p>
<p>Having just visited Lehigh the other day (I am writing under my son's name), I knew going in about the reputation Lehigh had. However, we sat in on a few semianrs for the business school, plus some on the engineering school too. We met with some kids who are dual business/engineering students, who must carry a course load of 137 credits.....when do you think these kids have time to party and keep up their GPA? My bet is that they don't party too much.. How could they?</p>
<p>We just came back today from an overnight trip to Boston College. Ugh!!! both my son and I prefer Lehigh over Boston College, and mainly because of the intensity of the curruciulm at Lehigh, and the general nature of the kids also.</p>
<p>I also got into lehigh but did not get any Financial aid (although i got 13k in grants from villanova, which does not make sense).</p>
<p>Anyway, I will probably be going to TCNJ for accounting. Lehigh is a great school and they are definentely more well-known than TCNJ but both schools offer a similar comprehensive education in an intimate setting. TCNJ is 17k, Lehigh is 42K. I think I am going to save my parents money.</p>
<p>As long as people go to a decent school, which is well-regarded and has ample resources, you will be successful no matter what.</p>
<p>We are not talking about the difference between Harvard and tcnj and lehigh.</p>
<p>I am a mom whose son posts on these boards. He has a choice between BC, JHU, TCNJ and Lehigh. TCNJ is going to give him a free ride. We don't qualify for any financial aid. His ride is on his schoalastics.</p>
<p>I think for him to have any type of chance in the world of i-banking after college, he needs to rule out TCNJ. That means I have to shell out big bucks for him. We have visited BC, and my son didn't like it. I didn't get a good "oh gosh!" feeling either while there. To me it seemed like a blow-up version of our local catholic high school.</p>
<p>When we drove to Lehigh, I was shocked at how poor the surrounding area is. It is right out of "The Deer Hunter".</p>
<p>Our tour guide a Lehigh was a tart, who didn't make the whole campus that appealing. IN fact, our tour only lasted about an hour. We didn't see much.
However, we went to the Rouch Business center and POW!!! It knocked our socks off. We met with some of the business professors. Again POW!!!! I believe the education my son gets out of this school is going to be amazing.</p>
<p>Will it be worth the $$$? I think in the long run, it will be. My husband and I will be paying for it now. I honestly believe in my son, and I know that he will make a fortune in the future, and if he wants to compensate me in any way, (like paying us back or buying us real-estate or something), then so be it. However, he is a kid who has worked so hard for the past 12 years of school and has made me proud every day of his life, that he deserves the hit it is going to put on us financially. And if he doesn't compensate us, well, then, he won't be getting any inheritance (because there won't be anything to inherit!!! ha-ha)!)</p>
<p>Seriously, I can't speak for other people, but I can't wait to drive out to football games, etc., at Lehigh, something I wouldn't be able to do at BC or JHU. (my son doesn't play football, by the way). Lehigh is only an hour away from us.......too far for him to come home......but close enough to keep in touch.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>MommyPain- If your S chooses Lehigh, you will get a kick out of the football games. They have a large alumni following for both the home and away games and it can very interesting chatting with some of the old timers about the "good ol' days" on campus. </p>
<p>Also, during Family weekend in the Fall there is an architectural tour of campus that I recommend taking.</p>
<p>Lehigh's business school is not that prestigious. It is ranked at about 100. Its ranked around Rutgers. I dont think that it will provide any special recognition for MBA or for hiring. Lehigh is a great school but there business program is not widely known.</p>
<p>Also, remember i-banking is not a job you just fall into. People have to prove themselves for years and years before they get a break and at that point where you went to college is not that important. Ivy league schools are the top recruited for i-banking straight out of college, which is unfortunate for most of the business students at other schools.</p>
<p>BC has a decent business school. Better than lehigh.</p>
<p>Good luck with coolege choice.</p>
<p>MommyPain - </p>
<p>If your son qualified for a free ride at TCNJ and your EFC is high ~ then he must have a minimum 1500 SAT AND he had to be ranked in the top 5% of his class. That is the minimum standard for a full ride, if no financial aid (need) is forthcoming.</p>
<p>If that is the case, then I would think he would have earned quite a bit of merit aid and perhaps some grant money from Lehigh. So it is not a question of paying all at Lehigh or nothing at TCNJ.</p>
<p>I don't want to get into cheerleading here for TCNJ as my daughter is torn between three schools - Lehigh, Villanova and TCNJ, and all are very good schools and all offer something different. I would be delighted if she attended any of them, although financials are a major consideration. TCNJ, as the one public school, has a built-in cost advantage because of the state subsidies.</p>
<p>I wanted to address a statement that you made about TCNJ's business program. The implication is that it is inferior, at least in relation to Lehigh. I think that is an unfortunate inference. Not sure if you are from New Jersey, but when prospects indicate that TCNJ is in the middle of nowhere, they neglect to say that TCNJ is 10 minutes from Princeton.</p>
<p>Princeton happens to be home to Merrill Lynch, Dow Jones, and the following have a major presence in the area: Ernst & Young, Hewitt Associates, Chubb Corp., KPMG, McGraw-Hill, Wachovia Securities. The following pharmaceuticals are prominent and all are within 30 minutes, some within 10 minutes: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Ortho McNeil, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Schering-Plough, Ciba, American Cyanamid, etc. The Rt. 1 corridor is renowned for its business and technology interests. Phila. is 35 minutes away, and NYC is less than an hour by train.</p>
<p>My son attends TCNJ as an underclassman, is a Marketing major, and as a result, I am aware of at least three senior business majors who have jobs already lined up with three of the aforementioned companies, all >$70K, with one just shy of the $100K mark. If you are a very competent finance or accounting grad, there is no shortage of opportunities for you.</p>
<p>Again, everything is relative. If you are a serious student, aspire to great things, and confidently pursue your goals, you will do well. Conversely, if you spend your four years going through the motions, your reward will be commensurate.</p>
<p>It seems that many of us are encountering the same issue. What value do you place on an education at the respective schools? It is the ROI equation, however, the subjective (human) variables involved certainly serve to complicate matters.</p>
<p>I need to clarify about TCNJ. It isn't a full ride, it is $10,000 a year plus a computer.........but to me, that's a full ride being that it would only cost me $5000 a year instead of $32 or $42K. </p>
<p>At Lehigh, he is getting a Deans Scholarship from Lehigh which is $10,000 a year.</p>
<p>That being said, I was led to believe that since Lehigh now has a "state of the art" business program (meaning their link to wall street stuff....) it was going to "put them on the map". Was I just being hijinxed?</p>
<p>Also, if my son gets into the IBE program, (it is a cross between business and engineering), we have been told that the big companies are interested in kids like that and it is mainly for their skills at logic, statistics, etc.....</p>
<p>So.....does anyone have anything good to say about the Lehigh business program? Should we consider Johns Hopkins instead?</p>
<p>We are from NJ, so we do know where TCNJ is. In fact, we were there a couple of times....once when he was being interviewed for the scholarship program that he was a candidate for, and then again at a special luncheon for academically talented HS students. The campus is beautiful (ok, I am campus beauty shallow).</p>
<p>I just get a better feeling about Lehigh. My son's main interest is who is going to hire him when he gets out....so that he can later get into a good MBA school, or what teachers will give him the best recommendations if he changes his mind and wants to go to law school. As far as internships go, we live smack in the central part of NJ, so he can live at home during the summer and either commute to the Princeton area, or NYC.....</p>
<p>Did our parent's have it this rough?????</p>
<p>Has you son been accepted to IBE (or trying to transfer into the program)?
My husband is a program manager for technical projects and he said he would hire IBE grads 'in a heartbeat'. He is always looking for business people with tech saavy, or tech trained people with business sense.</p>
<p>No, he hasn't been accepted yet. We didn't know about the program until we visited the school last week. Once he heard about the program, he was hooked. He has e-mailed, and I have called the gentleman in admissions that could oversee him getting in, but, unfortunately, he is out of the office either until Friday or next week.</p>
<p>I think my son has a good chance of sliding in as a last minute candiate. He has a pretty decent SAT, top either 5 or 10% of his class (top 10% as of the end of Junior year, but I think it has climbed dramtically this year....4.2 GPA)</p>
<p>Just curious: What is it about IBE students that is attractive to companies......I think I know why, but I would like to hear someone elses' opinion.</p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p>Just a side note, if you were shocked at the area surrounding Lehigh, what did you think of the area surrounding JHU? I can't say I was shocked by Bethlehem or Baltimore but then again I went to school for three years in Camden so maybe I am unshockable. </p>
<p>Four years is a long time to spend anywhere if all you are interested in is who's going to hire you or write recommendations for law school. If that truly is all your son is interested in, he should probably go with the highest ranked school. But I think I would want to factor in other "subjective variables" as one poster noted.</p>
<p>Lehigh is an excellent school, but they are not know for business. I am very interested in study business, so I have researched all of my school's business programs closely. Lehigh's business program is ranked at about 100, so I dont think any high tech innovations are going to put it on the map immediately, at least not enough to get it into the top 50. Especially, with other schools making their own innovations and vying for recognition.</p>
<p>Someone commented that TCNJ graduates will be making big bucks. I agree with that because I was a little skeptical at first of TCNJ's ability to attract recruiters, but my host had gotten a job from Price Waterhouse Cooper, a big four accounting firm, and has already been hired. He had many oppertunities to intern at other big accounting firms, and he said all of his friends had gotten job offers from their internships. He was given a 10 k trip to disney wrold once he signed, and PWC is paying for his CPA test and eventually his MBA.</p>
<p>TCNJ is very, very competitive and the people there are very bright, so being accepted from both schools, I see that they both offer relatively similar opperutunites. If money is important, definentely think about TCNJ.</p>
<p>THis being said, I have not made my final decision, but TCNJ, unlike other privates schools, seems to offer many aspects of private colleges at 2.5 X less the cost.</p>
<p>Both schools will attract top recruiters. Recruiters know TCNJ and so do fellow colleges, based on their grad school, top grad school, success rates.</p>
<p>wow, interesting info on TCNJ.</p>
<p>MommyPain</p>
<p>The engineering-business combination at Lehigh is a dynamic concept. If your son qualifies for the program, kudos to him. </p>
<p>In an engineering, scientific, or medical field, the one who possesses business acumen in addition to prowess in his/her specific discipline, typically will progress more rapidly to middle and senior management positions. </p>
<p>That is, if that is their predilection. Many would still rather be specialists than generalists, however.</p>
<p>Lehigh business school is ranked 87th. But US news does not do a really good job with their rankings anyways. </p>
<p>Here are the facts though:
Only three precent of Lehigh College of Business and Economics grads, are unable to find a job, or to continue their education.
I met a recruter from Accenture, and he says they take almost 40 Lehigh kids a year, and they come back every year because the caliber of the students they get from Lehigh is amazing. </p>
<p>For me, by the time I graduate, I will have had 6 summers of internship expeirence (at major financial institutions), so that will help me a lot with finding a job.</p>