Lehigh University, located in Bethelehem, PA, is a private research institution with a 10:1 faculty-to-student ratio. Valuing interdisciplinary studies, entrepreneurship and innovation, and creative inquiry, Lehigh has attracted nearly 20,000 applicants in recent years. Their accomplished alumni include Stephanie Ruhle, CJ McCollum, Martin Baron, and Cathy Engelbert, among others. Hoping to join their ranks? First, you’ll need to nail your Lehigh supplemental essays. Let’s dive in.
Lehigh’s 2024-2025 Prompts
- How did you first learn about Lehigh University and what motivated you to apply? (200 words or fewer)
- 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 or fewer)
General Tips
Let’s talk about the introduction to a college essay. Although the Lehigh supplemental essays are short, 200 and 300 words or fewer respectively, a lot can be done in just a few paragraphs. In fact, these essays will probably end up around the length of one page double-spaced. In other words, you have room for an introduction, a couple body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
The introduction is a crucial opportunity for you to set the tone of the essay and signal what’s to come. Whatever writing style or tone you adopt in the introduction should carry throughout the essay. For example, if you start out very casually, it would be jarring if the latter half of the essay suddenly became very formal. Consistency of style will help your essay feel cohesive, instead of the reader feeling like they’re reading multiple essays or hearing from different voices.
You should also sign-post the content of the rest of your essay in your introduction. Whatever the topics of your body paragraphs are going to be, consider hinting at or even directly referencing them in your introduction. If you choose to write an in media res introduction—you open the essay with a moment in the middle of your story—then consider sign-posting in the paragraph after your opening paragraph. Like the kind of essay you might write for school, the college essay benefits from having a structure. Structure lends an essay credence and flow.
Now, let’s break down the prompts for the Lehigh supplemental essays.
Lehigh Short Essay Questions
How did you first learn about Lehigh University and what motivated you to apply? (200 words or fewer)
This is a fairly standard college essay prompt that asks you to explain why you have decided to apply. However, there is an extra twist on this prompt, which is that the admissions team seeks to also understand how you first learned about Lehigh. Therefore, if you have a personal or other connection to Lehigh, then you should discuss it here. This might be an alumni connection, knowing someone who attended in your community, or having a connection to someone who has worked at Lehigh, for instance. This information will help the admissions team contextualize your motivations for applying.
Research is key to nailing this essay. Before you begin writing, read everything you can about Lehigh. Understand the opportunities available to students and alumni, and then identify which opportunities are of interest to you. Then, name those opportunities in your essay and explain to the reader why they interest you. For instance, will taking a particular class help you get closer to your career goals? Does a particular club or team at Lehigh engage with one of your academic interests or hobbies? Be specific in your answers and let your excitement for Lehigh shine through.
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 or fewer)
First of all, this prompt refers to this statement: “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.” Therefore, before you begin writing this essay, it’s advisable that you read through the Inspiring the Future Makers website to get a sense of the messaging and vision. After all, you will be a part of this vision if you end up attending Lehigh!
In order to write an effective response to this prompt, you will need to visualize yourself at Lehigh. How do you fit into the community—and how are you different from the existing community? How do you hope to contribute to the community? This essay is your chance to write about any identities you may hold. These identities could include your racial or ethnic background, but they could also extend to your identity as a musician, athlete, gamer, artist, and so on. Consider the identifiers that are most important to you, especially those which you haven’t spent much time on in your other application materials.
Then, tell a story about your identifier(s). You can show the reader how you have evolved or grown into your identity. You can describe the ways you’ve been influenced by your family background. However you choose to approach this response, use concrete, vivid details. These strategies will draw in the reader so that your narrative is memorable and immersive!
If you need help polishing up your Lehigh supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.
