What is Lehigh University's admissions process like?

I'm thinking about applying to Lehigh University and am curious about their admissions process. Do they have any unique requirements or qualities they look for in applicants? Any advice would be appreciated!

Lehigh University uses the Common Application for its admissions process. When applying to Lehigh, you will first select one of its four colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, or the College of Health. Your choice will help demonstrate your academic interests.

In terms of distinctive requirements, Lehigh asks for a supplemental essay in addition to your Common App essay. This provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate an interest in the university and articulate how you envision fitting into and contributing to the Lehigh community. Each college has a distinct prompt and character limit for the supplemental essay, so make sure to check those out.

Lehigh University, similar to many other schools, emphasizes a holistic review approach. While GPA, course rigor, and SAT or ACT scores (optional for the 2024-2025 cycle though) are considered, they also place a lot of emphasis on your extracurricular activities, leadership roles, community involvement, and your application essays. They want to get a sense of who you are as a whole person, beyond your academic achievements.

In terms of academics, Lehigh values students who have taken challenging courses and have done well in them. They will look at your high school transcript within the context of what courses were available to you, so if your school offers several AP or IB courses, they would like to see that you have taken some of these rigorous classes.

Lehigh also values demonstrated interest to a certain extent. This can be shown by visiting the campus, attending an online information session, or having a conversation with an admissions representative: https://www2.lehigh.edu/admissions/visits-tours.

Finally, remember to submit your application by the deadline. If you're applying for Early Decision, the deadline is November 1, while for Regular Decision, it's January 1.

Good luck with your application to Lehigh. It's a competitive process, but if you show what you're capable of and how you can contribute to their community, you will make a strong candidate!