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 2026-2027 Prompts
- How did you first learn about Lehigh University and what motivated you to apply? (200 words or fewer)
- At Lehigh, we believe in pausing to celebrate the good: meaningful moments that bring joy, pride or motivation. What’s something great happening in your life right now? It could be an accomplishment, a personal win (big or small) or something you’re genuinely excited about. If it matters to you, we’d love to hear about it. (200 words or fewer)
- 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 or fewer)
General Tips
Let’s talk about the introduction to a college essay. Although the Lehigh supplemental essays are short, 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 Supplemental 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.
At Lehigh, we believe in pausing to celebrate the good: meaningful moments that bring joy, pride or motivation. What’s something great happening in your life right now? It could be an accomplishment, a personal win (big or small) or something you’re genuinely excited about. If it matters to you, we’d love to hear about it. (200 words or fewer)
Start with something that genuinely excites you. The beauty of this prompt is that it can be anything: a recent breakthrough in a subject you’re passionate about, a creative project that’s taking shape, a meaningful relationship that’s deepened, or even a small daily habit that’s making you happier. The key is authenticity! There’s no need to guess what admissions officers want to hear since they’re genuinely interested in what brings you joy and excitement right now.
Rather than simply stating facts, help the reader experience your excitement by including specific details. If you’re writing about learning to cook, don’t just say you enjoy it. Describe the satisfaction of perfecting your grandmother’s recipe or the joy of bringing friends together over a meal you prepared. If it’s about academic growth, explain the specific moment when a challenging concept finally clicked, or how you’re applying new knowledge in unexpected ways.
Lastly, let your personality shine through your voice. Compared to the earlier essay, the writing doesn’t have to be as academic or formal. This prompt is designed to reveal who you are as a person, so write in a way that feels natural to you. Your enthusiasm should be contagious! And your unique perspective should come through clearly.
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 or fewer)
This prompt refers to the academic selections you made earlier in the Lehigh section of your application: the college you are applying to, your intended major or program, and any 4+1 program (a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree that adds a fifth year) you may have indicated. In other words, this is a “Why this major at Lehigh?” essay. The admissions team wants to see that your academic choices are deliberate and that you understand how Lehigh, specifically, will help you reach your goals. If you selected one of Lehigh’s interdisciplinary programs, such as Computer Science and Business (CSB), the IDEAS Honors Program, or the Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) Honors Program, you may see a slightly reworded version of this question that asks what makes that program the best fit for your goals. The approach below applies either way.
Start by defining your goals. These can be educational (a field you want to master, a research question you want to pursue) or professional (a career or industry you hope to enter), and they don’t need to be set in stone. What matters is that the reader can see a clear line from the choices you made on the application to where you hope those choices will lead. Then, connect each goal to something concrete at Lehigh: a course sequence, a lab or research opportunity, an internship or co-op, or, if you chose a 4+1 program, what that fifth year adds that four years alone would not.
With only 200 words, you won’t be able to cover everything, so pick two or three specifics and explain why they matter to you. For example:
- An engineering applicant might connect a hands-on design course to a goal of working in sustainable manufacturing.
- A business applicant might explain how a particular major prepares them to launch a company in their hometown.
- A 4+1 applicant might describe how completing a master’s degree in five years would let them enter a research-heavy field a year sooner.
Finally, avoid simply restating the name of your major or describing what the field is. The admissions team already knows what mechanical engineering is; what they don’t know is why you chose it and how Lehigh’s approach to it fits your plans. Keep the essay focused on that connection, and it will do its job!
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.
