About Lehigh University
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Undergraduate Population: 5,811
Most Popular Majors: Finance, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial and Systems engineering, Accounting
Demographics:
White 59%
Latinx 10.9%
Asian/Asian American 10.8%
Black/African American 5.1%
Multiracial 4.3%
Native American less than 1%
History:
Lehigh University was founded in the historically industrial Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania in 1866. Asa Packer, founder of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, donated $500,000 to create a new university. It began with 39 students with the goal of intellectual and moral development of young men. Between 1875 and 1880, Lehigh was divided into two schools, General Literature and Technology. It was during this era that the master of arts, doctor of philosophy and doctor of science degrees were established and the Linderman Library rotunda was completed. The school grew in enrollment between 1895 and 1904.
Lehigh faced a shortage of students during the Great Depression, but the newly established office of admissions, alongside university scholarships, fellowships and deferred tuition payments, helped ease conditions. In the mid-30s, undergraduate enrollment first passed 2,000 students. In 1970, Lehigh’s Board of Trustees voted to accept female undergraduates and in fall 1971, the first group of 169 female students arrived on campus.
Today, Lehigh offers over 100 majors through its five colleges.
Notable Lehigh University alumni include American automobile executive Lee Iacocca, NBA player CJ McCollum, actor Robert Christopher Riley, physicist Robert Serber, and businesswoman and commissioner of the WNBA Cathy Engelbert.
Traditions:
- Bed races—as part of the annual Spirit Week leading up to the Lehigh-Lafayette football game, Lehigh students form teams, decorate beds and drag race them down Packer Avenue.
- Each class is represented by an official flag that is presented at “The Rally” by their “adopting class”—the class that is 50 years their senior. The two classes’ flags have the same colors and design.
- Eco Flame takes place during the Lehigh-Lafayette Spirit Week. The Marching 97 band members weave their way through campus serenading the campus community with all the traditional Lehigh fight songs.
Noteworthy Features:
- Lehigh offers undergraduate classes through five colleges: the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Education, and the College of Health.
- Distribution requirements are divided into four domains—the mathematical sciences, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the arts and humanities. First-years take an Evolution Seminar that focuses on the transition to college life.
- The Technical Entrepreneurship Capstone program brings engineering, business, and arts students together to design and make products for sponsoring companies. The IDEAS (Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts, and Sciences) and Integrated Business and Engineering programs offer four-year honors allows students to blend two focus areas into a single course of study.
Admissions Profile
Average GPA: Not reported
Test Scores (mid-50% range): 1370-1480 SAT/ 31-33 ACT
Admit Rate: 29.3%
Test-optional? Yes
Offers Early Admissions? Yes–Early Decision I and II
Supplemental Essays
How did you first learn about Lehigh University and what motivated you to apply? (200 words max)
This is a classic example of a “why this college” essay. Don’t make the focus of your essay the first part of the question—your response should mainly reflect on why Lehigh stands out to you and how the school would support your goals and interests. Ask yourself what stands out the most to you about Lehigh. You could be looking forward to a niche academic program or want to access a particular student organization or campus resource.
During the research process, go beyond information that is easily available on Lehigh’s website. You must show that you’ve dug deeper than just the homepage of your chosen academic department. Read course descriptions, faculty profiles, and seek out information about special programs students participate in. Campus visits really come in handy here—if you can write about your real-life impressions of a school or a department, that’s great! It’s also a great idea to watch admissions TikToks, student Instagram takeovers, and “day in the life” YouTube videos to get a sense of what daily student life is like at the school.
Regardless of what you’re excited about, find ways to connect your interests to unique features of Lehigh Admissions readers want to know that you’re a good fit—and that your love for the school is genuine.
Our 10-year strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers, outlines three goals that articulate a vision for how we innovate, make an impact and do that work together—because together, we do better work. Reflect on how your personal background—be it academic, cultural, extracurricular, family, gender, racial, religious, or another aspect—will contribute to Lehigh’s aim to make it new, make a difference, (and/or) make it together. (300 words max)
This question encourages students to share more about their background. You can write about any aspect of your identity that is a defining part of who you are, whether that’s your race, gender, religion, sexuality, geographic location, or socioeconomic background.
Consider what you want the school to know about you. Supplemental essays provide further context to your application. So, no matter what you write about your truest self, your response should help admissions officers understand where you come from, what experiences have been meaningful to you, and how you’ll contribute to the diversity of the campus community. Don’t just mention what your background is—talk about how it has shaped you and your perspective.
For more tips on common supplemental essay prompts, see our blog post here.
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