Lehigh University Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Alex

Sharp, academically diverse student body often mistaken for a homogenous group of upper-middle class, over-priveleged white kids.

Madina

My classmates are driven, with diverse interests and goals. I am not a very social person, so I haven't met or been acquainted with the majority of people I've been around for the last 4 years, but the varitety of students that come to campus every year is growing rapidly, and the atmosphere on campus is changing for the better.

Xavier

Based on all the classes I have taken so far, I can certainly say that my classmates have been nothing but respectful, attentive and suportive.

Niomi

I don't even know how to describe the students at my school. They are all so different, there is an entire spectrum of personality at Lehigh that I think goes unnoticed sometimes. There are a few instances where it will seem like everyone is alike, this is usually seen in greek activities, but even those are a facade because as individuals they couldn't be more different. The majority of the school does come from privledged backgrounds. It's not very obvious until you see limos pull up on campus or hear people speak about what their parents do. In general students at Lehigh just like to relax and have fun. There are places where different cultures can connect, LGBQTIA, and religious people also have safe places on campus. I think the one thing I would critique about campus is the amount of campus wide activities that promote socializing with people outside of your core group of friends. I think it would be nice if they had more activities like that.

Tyler

Mostly white, but personality wise quite diverse. Guy-girl ratio has been evening itself out progressively every year.

Debra

closed-minded conservative lack of diversity

Ariana

My classmates are a fun, diverse group of people. We might not be the most diverse racially, but people here come from all different backgrounds and it is always interesting to meet new people and find out their stories.

Eve

Pretty homogeneous, but accepting nonetheless.

Jody

Very homogeneous. Most people are catholics from NJ, NY, or PA, and conservative. Basically, anyone who is a nonconformist will have it tough here. I'd say a majority of students have the stereotypical flip flop, plaid shorts, polo shirt thing going when they go to class, but no one really has a problem with that. It's the style anyways. A majority of people here are rich or at least upper middle class, and it shows. However, regardless of your cultural/ethnic/political/religious background if you try to get to know people and are a nice person you will get along with just about everyone here. I do not come from an economically well off family, and some of my best friends here are very wealthy, it's really not that big of a deal.

Ana

My fellow clasmates range from drunk geniuses to eviromental political machines.

Kelsey

My classmates at Lehigh are brilliant and driven students who enjoy success and are willing to work hard for it; however, many of them are slightly misleading about how focused their career path is, they let on that they are more certain of their future job than they actually are.

Seth

Kids who don't come from wealthy families, such as myself, are in the minority here. However, that has never been a problem for me when it came to making friends or anything else. People wear pretty much anything to class. There is a lot self-segregation by minorities and international students. However there's no nothing stopping those groups from hanging out with everyone else, it's just what happens. There's a good mix of political diversity on campus. I'd say people in general tend to be conservative on economic issues and liberal on social issues.

David

Outgoing and fun to be with, yet some of the smartest that I have ever met

Alyssa

My classmates are very intelligent people who know when it's time to work and when it's okay to have fun---and they do both.

Alison

My classmates are competitive, smart, driven, and will work hard, even for a class they don't like.

lauren

Lehigh classmates are intelligent and driven but also very eager to help othersbecause they are generally very friendly; they work hard and have different views from one another despite the homogeneous stereotype associated wtih most private universities.

James

They are the greatest group of people I ever could have met; my fraternity pledge class is as tight knit as you can be and we will be friends for life.

Jaclyn

Everyone is friendly, hard working, motivated, and social.

Alexandra

They are friendly, loyal, honest, caring, and dedicated to improving the whole Lehigh community in whatever way possible.

Sam

Driven, enthusiastic, social, and hard-working.

Allison

My classmates are generally smart, but many appear to be very wealthy and some stuckup.

Sarah

There are strong culture groups. Leigh students are more politically active than most outsiders give them credit for. Most come from wealthy families- although recently Lehigh has worked hard to make their high tuition more affordable to families from varying financial backgrounds.

Mike

It's pretty simple- if you are a liberal, free-thinker, do not go to Lehigh, you will not like it. However, if you have money and like to associate with other people who have money and are superficial and self-absorbed, you'll fit in.

adb204

The student body is mostly from the East Coast, white, and fairly wealth. BMWs and Mercedes are commonly seen all around campus, as is anything designer. Students are generally divided into Greeks, athletes, and then everyone else. Some Greeks only go out to parties on The Hill, but there is usually a mixture of people at off-campus parties and at the bars. Students party hard but work hard and are driven by the desire to get the big pay checks after graduation. Diversity is an ongoing issue on campus and there seems to be a constant debate on whether or not discrimination occurs, on what level it occurs, and what should be done to be a more diverse campus.

Jessica

lehigh is a very diverse and open campus, to classes and during the week most students wear jeans or sweatpants and a sweatshirt to classes, a lot of students are from new jersey or other states on the east coast

Kevin

It goes White......Jewish.........................................................Asian...................................................................Black........Other. If your looking for diversity, look somewhere else. Among white kids you will see a large amount from north Jersey. Everyone there has some money unless the play sports. Many students follow the work hard play hard motto.

tony

Lehigh is a very clicky school. The minorities tend to stick with each other, the athletes stick with each other, and then theres everyone else. I find that a lot of the guys are really "macho" but those are the ones you notice because they are loud and annoying. Lehigh has a very diverse group of people. My freshman hall could not have been more diverse. Different types of students do interact, but it is rare when they stick together. Most students at lehigh are from South eastern Pennsylvania or New Jersey.

Matt

Lehigh seems that it is very rich and white on the outside, but nearly half of the student body is getting some sort of financial assistance. There are not many "hippies" and although the school has a full-time LGBT staffed position, there are not many gay kids, or at least you dont know about it. Most are generally preppy and the school is an array of Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Vineyard Vines, Nautica, and all high end designers. There are probably more Audi's than any other car on campus. But even so, the school isn't too snobby.

Parker

In my past three years here at lehigh I have seen a lot of change....they are really trying to have a more racially diverse campus and you can actually notice the change this year. LGBT students are common. The majority of Lehigh students i would say are very similar.... in style and in thought haha im just kidding...but not. I dunno there are definitely your typical frat and sorority kids but once you get past how much they love themselves you can kinda like em. Classic class look is spandex and uggs, not always a flattering fashion but the girls here really seem to enjoy having their shit hang out all over the place...not me...normal people wear jeans.

Michelle

The different types of people at Lehigh: greeks and non greeks engineers and business majors art majors (im sure there's some out there somewhere...) there are distinct differences between these groups, although you can belong to more than one. being a non greek i sometimes feel out of the loop, but then I realize how happy I am for not becoming greek. Funny thing is, I often get the comment from sorority girls that I was smart for not joining. hmmm.

Stephen

Mostly white kids from new jersey and long island and new york city. Then you have your rich kids from australia equador and mexico so lehigh can declare they have this this and that country represented. You have your new englanders. Mostly Mass and Connecticut. I wish there were more Upstate New Yorkers that would check it out.

John

Most of Lehigh's student body is white, middle-upper class, but there is diversity there in itself because there are so many different backgrounds people are coming from. Race has seemed to be a touchy topic at Lehigh recently, groups not exactly wanting to step out and talk to each other, as people tend to settle where they are comfortable, with what they know. There is a place for everyone at Lehigh, I feel. There is a place for lesbians and gays, for multicultural affairs, for substance free individuals (no drugs/alcohol etc.), for athletes, for Greek life, for people of all sorts of faiths (Christian, Jewish, Muslim), for musicians, for theater people. Lehigh has a lot to offer in catering to all these needs. If you are looking for a certain group of people to hang out with, chances are you will find them. I would like though, that there be more intergroup interactions, but its not a problem with Lehigh students, but it's just a problem people have in general stepping out of their comfort zones to meet new people.

Zach

Lehigh's student body is primarily rich upper-class white students. Those who are of different race or ethnicity tend to share similar backgrounds as most students come from the New England area. Most students wear whatever they want to class with the exception of 7:55 AM classes; then they wear what they went to bed in. International students may feel out of place especially with a language barrier. Students who are not white also may feel out of place, but would not be alone. I have found different types of students interact with one and other, but organizations like UMOJA, the Asian Cultural Society, and Black Student Union further separate the races and ethnicities. People of the same race tend to hang out with themselves exclusively. However, this is not an absolute truth and many students of different race interact. The wide majority of students are from New Jersey. When in doubt I always guess that a person is from New Jersey. Everyone else is from New York, the New England area, and few are scattered around the rest of the U.S. and the world. Students are not very political. At the time of the Pennsylvania primaries the campus awakened with less than a week before the voting. Pennsylvania was a pivotal state and I felt that students were too involved with their own work and social lives to bother with politics. Students often talk about how much they'll earn one day. These students are generally engineers and business students.

Lauren

Lehigh's student body... most students are from New York, New Jersey or PA. Most students are conservative but there are still active liberals on campus. There is not a large LBGTQA population on campus, but they are still present. Most of my friends that are gay weren't comfortable coming out until their junior or senior year.

Jaclyn

All athletic students rarely are their unique people

Tim

Most students come from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, although I have made many friends at Lehigh from around the world. There is always an activity to take part in, and at least on club/organization for everybody.

Tate

very waspy campus few minorities, middle to upper middle class, the lgbt's i know are very quite about it out of place - black, poor, gay clothes in class - spandex, jeans, polos, college shirts, baseball caps, uggs, flipflops, t-shirts yes all types of students interact with each other four tables- each floor of the dorm has a table. People make friends with people on their hall and do stuff with those people, it doesnt matter about sex, race, etc. most students are from the north east of upper middle class i dont know much about the school;s political atmosphere we dont talk about future salaries really

Julie

Lehigh has a rep. for being not so racially diverse. It's true, but the administration is working on it. Alot of people are from NY, PA, NY, CT, MA, but I have friends from California, Kansas, Florida, Idaho, Alaska, etc. People stick around school on weekends, so it's ok to be from far away. I only go home on scheduled breaks. Lehigh is not politically active, which can be frustrating for a poly sci major, but that doesn't mean they are not interested in what is happening. They will have smart converstations with you, it's pulling people away from their schoolwork and friends to do something in the larger community that is the tough part. There really is no norm as far as financial stuff goes. There are rich people, there are people who are on full ride, need-based scholarships. There are lots in between. Some are in school to get an education that will get them a job that will make them money. For others, it is the furthest from their mind.

Brett

Personally, I don't feel that our campus is politically active. With the primaries, there were some signs of political direction but that was only within about a week of the elections. Students tend to come from wealthier backgrounds but that does in no way imply that everyone does. It is rare to see the more artsy types at Lehigh but that may be because I don't consider myself an artsy type. The school started as an engineering school and is nationally ranked in business. Stereotyping those two mean that the people dress more conservatively during the day. Most days, I tend to roll out of bed, throw some jeans on and head out the door, some days, I just go to class in sweats.

Celeste

I think that there is tension between all the groups on campus, but there shouldn't be. I think that it is this way because the buildings where all these groups meet are spread all over campus, so there is a mysterious misunderstanding that exists right away, if there aren't already personal relations.

Zack

There's a group on campus called "The Movement" and they seem to think everybody at Lehigh is a racist, but they're morons. Lehigh is actually a very diverse place and I find it's very accepting of other cultures. Also, there is a misconception that most Lehigh students come from wealthy backgrounds...it's not true. I would guess that the large majority of kids comes from the middle class.

Julie

Everyone is upper middle class and white. Just accept it.

Nico

I have friends from different areas and different backgrounds.. we always talk about our future plans after graduations and things that we would like to do... i honostly didnt have much experience with the different groups on the campus eventhough i was introduced to all of them when i first came to Lehigh.. But Lehigh has these different groups and different departments to meet the interests of all types of students.

Jessica

I don't think anyone would feel out of place at Lehigh. We have all types of peole from all different backgrounds, it may just take extra time to find that particular group that you will click with. A good majority of students at Lehigh are white, come from a wealthy background, and tend to rely heavily on their social (drinking) lives. Even so, there are other opportunities for students who are not like this...such as Substance Free housing. Many different types of students interact with one another. I'm sure that financial backgrounds play a role in every students life, but I don't necessarily think it makes a big deal to everyone else. Students are not really politically active, unless you count the campaign for Obama that happened for about a month or two on campus before the primaries. For me, the amount of students who drink constantly shocked me when I arrived. Now that I've gotten to know more people, it doesn't bother me quite as much. You're obviously going to run into people who you don't like or don't click with everywhere you go, it's just a matter of finding that right group for you....and I belive you can find it at Lehigh if you give it a chance.

Brittany

Lehigh's students are all very different but there seems to be mostly white, preppy kids at Lehigh. There are definitely all different kinds of group but the typical Lehigh student is the kid who wears JCREW, boat shoes and drives a Audi A4. Everyone at Lehigh seems to get along. Athletes tend to stick together I guess and non-athletes enjoy interacting with the athletes when they get the chance. Most Lehigh Students are from the east coast and especially NY, NJ, and PA.

Alex

We're generally a friendly school. There are students from all other the country, though the majority are from Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Most students are from wealthy families because it's a private school, but there's a generous endowment to help the rest of us out. There are way more jokes about what majors than there are about religious/racial/interest groups.

Mike

Many lehigh students are from the tri state area and most are upper middle class, but everyone seems to get along. It's not very diverse, but I have no problem with it.

Darryl

Lehigh is very "tolerance" based and progressive, sometimes too much like canceling the university sponsored bonfire because of the carbon footprint but continuing to run buses every 10 minutes all day.

Toby

Want a school rich with flavor? Diversity, not just on the racial level but the philosophical level? I'm sorry to report, that Lehigh would, in fact, not be the right choice for you. There is little political activeness and further less Greek-based involvement with the student body. White, upper-middle class, ignorant, fairly-conservative, drinkers is what you will find on campus. Not a lot more.

Kristen

I'm telling you, don't come to this school if your looking for a lot of diversity. A lot of the kids are from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusets. I'd say most of the people I know are from middle to upper class families from these states. I'm not saying that the school is segregated in terms of race or whatnot, but there's just not a lot of options in terms of meeting "different" people. Let's just say the girls all wear uggs and its not uncommon to see a BMW being driven around campus.