CM's Guide to Lehigh University

Lehigh University—Bethlehem, PA

Lehigh’s Instagram

The Vibe

Private partiers with perfect grades

What It Feels Like To Go Here

Going here compares to walking into an elite university. If you got accepted you are probably much smarter than your peers back home. But, at the same time, it’s the school you see in the movies where you experience the college shock of the frat houses, sororities, beer pong at tailgates and daylongs but with academics strongly enforced. If you get accepted here you can expect your peers to all be extremely intelligent as well. But that doesn’t stop the partying going on. The campus has a nice suburban feel to it although it is close by the city. Lehigh sits in the eighth largest city in Pennsylvania and only 50 miles north of Philadelphia and 75 miles West of New York City.

Awesome Alumni

Lehigh has some pretty cool alumni too. For instance, Tracy Byrnes from Fox News and Martin Baron the editor of The Washington Post both attended Lehigh. If you love CSI, your faves once walked this campus without their signature yellow tape. The actor Paul Guilfoyle was also once roaming the halls at Lehigh. Additionally, an endless amounts of athletes from Lehigh went pro. For example, Rabih Abdullah, former running back for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Craig Anderson, former MLB pitcher for Mets, and Adam Bergen, NFL tight end for Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys, all ran the fields and the courts of Lehigh once too.

Where We Hang

Have you seen Lehigh during the fall season? If not, prep your Instagram for some showstopping outdoor sites that attract all students during any brisk day. Lehigh has a beautiful campus, so students love hanging out outside and enjoying the tall trees and views of nature. Who doesn’t love grabbing lunch with a friend? You can expect students meeting up at various common dining areas, on campus and off. Don’t be surprised to see students all laid out on the grass in between classes either. “A typical hangout spot can range from the front lawn of the University Center to a dining area called Upper court,” junior Fredy Ramirez said.

Q&A

1. How much are students partying?

“People that do party here mostly go to the frats,” freshman Mary Gibson said.

2. What will you get in trouble for at your school?

“Underage drinking for sure…just being under the influence,” sophomore Lisa Rose said.

3. How much sex are students having?

“Students are definitely hooking up a lot which I think is a norm for any college campus,” said freshman Kathy Parker.

4. What would you tell incoming freshman about your school?

“I’d tell them about the resources I didn’t know existed on campus…from academic help to moral support,” junior Ramirez said.

5. What is Greek life like on campus?

“I’ve experienced first-hand the immense Greek culture Lehigh has. I must admit that by some aspects the party scene at Lehigh is problematic and we have run into very close calls, but I also think that there are many Greek organizations that are trying their best to present what Lehigh has best,” junior Tanairy Ortiz Cañas said.

Student Reviews

“The school welcomes students with all kinds of socio-economic, cultural, and national backgrounds.” – Ortiz Cañas, Class of 2019.

“It’s located in a good area, not too far from Philly or NY…it’s in a city itself so it has a lot of local clubs and bars where you can find most 21+ students.” – Albert Long, Class of 2018.

“We’re big on Greek life here…and they do so much community service and campus activities.” – Niomi Williams, Class of 2020.

“There’s a party scene here just like other colleges…we’re very big on sports so there’s always something going on.” – Kristen Miller, Class of 2021.

“It’s so beautiful here…as a freshman I learned that it’s important to get out of your comfort zone and get involved, make new friends, et cetera.” – Mary Gibson, Class of 2021.

Top 3 Majors

1. Finance

2. Mechanical Engineering

3. Accounting

Top 3 Most Popular Organizations

1. Sports Teams

“Sports keeps the school spirit alive and brings everyone together in one place,” freshman Allison Boyer said. With that being said, don’t forget to purchase some college gear or to wear your brown & white, because this school goes all out on their home games. With Lehigh being a Division I school, it’s no secret that they’re big on sports…especially when it comes to football. Just like your average university, you can expect tailgates before the games and when they play against rivalry teams such as Lafayette…forget about it.

2. Leadership Lehigh

Here lies your opportunity to strengthen your professional skills. This three-year co-curricular leadership program aims to be grounded in the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. There are three phases of intensive individual skill development, practical group application of skills learned and experiential group projects and self-reflection. “The earlier you join the better because you can use these skills with you as you become an upperclassmen,” sophomore Jennifer Brown said.

3. University Productions

Lehigh has student run programming board where they aim to be the number one source of entertainment. They host comedy shows, concerts and movies. “It serves as a neat way to inform students on campus what’s the buzz with Lehigh,” junior Samantha Miller said. As mentioned on their Facebook, “University Productions formulates, supervises, and funds large scale undergraduate social activities to provide an increased array of social options for students at Lehigh University.”

Getting In

Anyone up for a challenge? Only a small 25 percent get admitted here. This private school aims to pick the best students and with that being said, they are very selective. Applying with a score below a 1420 SAT or a 32 ACT will give you a low chance of getting in. They look for students who stand above their class. Therefore, if you were a slacker in high school, you may want to look elsewhere. Only the best of the best will get to call Lehigh their home.