Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is known for pairing a well-respected academic program with a lively and much-beloved social scene centered on Greek Life. They’re also well-respected for offering unique programs that augment the value of your college degree. Lehigh offers a variety of 4+1 programs (masters and bachelors degree in 5 years) to their 5,800 undergraduates across the College of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering, and the College of Health. The Lehigh Launch program kicks off your college experience with a semester in the American West or Santiago, Chile. These programs help make Lehigh so popular. The acceptance rate for the class of 2027 was just under 30%. In 2024, the university saw a 30% increase in Early Decision applications, reducing the acceptance. Basically, it’s only getting more popular.
Lehigh has a test-optional policy, which means you can decide whether to submit your SAT or ACT. If you’re on the fence, you should know that less than half of admitted and enrolled first-year students in recent years have submitted either test score, so submitting it is not a big help for your application unless your scores are very strong.
In this post, we’re going to focus on the supplement, though, and how you can use the Lehigh supplement to strengthen your application and significantly increase your chances of admission.
If you’re interested in Lehigh but aren’t sure how to present your strongest self, we can help. Contact us to learn more.
The official “writing” section of the Lehigh supplement has two questions, but there are actually three questions in total. One is tucked in earlier in the college specific questions. This isn’t rare on the Common App. Often, colleges put their essay and short answer questions into a few different areas. If you aren’t careful, this can mean not realizing a supplement even exists until shortly before you have to submit. Ack! That’s not a good place to be. To avoid it, fill out the basic college specific questions as soon as you add a college to your list. This will give you a chance to see what essays are waiting, ensuring that you know what’s on deck.
For Lehigh, the first question lined up is their “why us?”
How will the unique combination of college, program, major and/or 4+1 program that you selected above allow you to achieve your educational or professional goals? (200 words).
This question, or some version of it, is very standard across college admissions. It’s their way of figuring out if you really know them at all, or if you’re just applying on a whim. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that showing that you know a college is super important. It’s especially important for Lehigh because they take your level of interest into account as they review your application. They want to see that you have spent time getting to know them, and this is a great place to show it.
While the prompt ends with asking about your goals, we advise students to start there for your response. Where do you see your prospective major taking you? And no, ‘undecided’ isn’t an option. Situate the reader alongside you in your future. Where are you? What are you working towards, and where are you looking to head next? Then, pull back. Tell them what got you there. Namely, Lehigh. More specifically, the particular Lehigh program you’re applying to. Share the name of the major or program, and a class you’re especially excited for. Next, mention a professor you’d like to study under — and why. The why is important. Simply mentioning a professor is easy, but connecting what you want to study to their area of focus shows a level of research and attention to detail that Lehigh will be impressed by.
After a few sentences focused on your major, you’ll want to mention something else about Lehigh that draws you to the university. It can be social, but it shouldn’t be Greek life. Instead, look for something more overtly community minded, like a service-oriented organization that isn’t a fraternity or sorority, a study abroad program, or other opportunity to learn while connecting with others.
Close out this supplement with a short sentence that either references back to the original story, or that imagines your time at Lehigh. Perhaps, walking up the hill to meet up for a study group, or celebrating with friends after a Lehigh-Laf(ayette) game.
How did you first learn about Lehigh University and what motivated you to apply? (200 words)
This question can feel a little redundant with the previous one. They’ve already asked about your specific course of study, so what should you put here? First, try writing down five things that made you want to apply to Lehigh. At least a few should be academic — this is college after all — but try to be as specific as you can. If there is a specific program, look within that program for an aspect of it that you find most interesting. If there is a research opportunity, what is it about it that you’re into? If it’s the accessibility of study abroad opportunities, which one(s)? Be as specific as you can be for this supplement, and link each thing you focus on to something the application reader will see in your activities section or on your transcript.
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)
Now we get to do something different! While the first two supplements looked at Lehigh, for this one you will get to look at yourself. Yes, through the lens of Lehigh, but it needs most to be about who you are at your core. Lehigh has a vision of nurturing and growing a community that changes systems, that pushes the world forward, and that grows closer by building together.
Pick out which of those three things resonates most closely with you – changing systems, pushing things forward, or growing closer – and link it to an aspect of your background. What have you experienced that has helped you in helping others? For this prompt, the key is to tell a story that is about your background, but that is focused on the future. We advise students to use this space to tell the story you feel the college needs to know to understand you beyond your transcript. Don’t overlap at all with your main college essay, though. This story should complement the essay, but show a totally different angle on you. For example, if the essay focuses on something related to service, don’t focus this essay on that. Pick something else from your activities list, from your upbringing, or from your culture to spotlight.
We especially love essays for this prompt that spotlight cultural or familial traditions that you could bring to Lehigh and share with their community, too!
The Lehigh supplement isn’t super long, but length isn’t everything when it comes to a college application. Give yourself lots of time to draft and edit your responses, and embrace that this can include a process of expansion and contraction. If your first draft is over word-count, that’s ok. Editing down will challenge you to hone in on the strongest parts of the story.
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