Following are answers to questions prospective international undergraduate students most frequently ask regarding the university.
How many international students are there at Lehigh?
During the 2008-2009 academic year, 636 international students from more than 50 countries studied at Lehigh. 162 of these students were undergraduates and 474 were graduate students.
What are the application requirements?
Application: To apply to Lehigh, please visit www.commonapp.org. This is the only application form accepted by Lehigh.
NOTE: Please be consistent with the spelling and sequence of your family/surname and first/given names when registering for standardized exams and completing the application. We recommend that on all application materials you provide your name as printed on your passport. Differences in the spelling or sequence of your name may delay the receipt of your test scores and the review of your application.
The cost to submit an application is USD $70.00. You may request a fee waiver by submitting a letter with your application explaining why you are requesting the waiver, accompanied by a letter of support from your secondary school college/guidance counselor or head of school.
Curriculum: Applicants must be completing or have completed the equivalent of 12 years of education (primary and secondary) or the program of study that leaves them eligible for admission to university-level study in the educational system in which they are enrolled. For example, students who are completing or who have only completed O level or GCSE/IGCSE study are not eligible to apply and should do so when they are completing the final year of A level study, or the equivalent.
Transcript: We require that you submit a 3-year secondary school transcript (a record of courses taken and marks received in your classes from the 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009 academic years) as well as a record of the courses you are taking during your final year of secondary school (2009-2010). It is the applicant's responsibility to make arrangements for official transcripts to be sent to the Lehigh Admissions Office.
Testing: Lehigh requires the results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) or the ACT and the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The TOEFL or IELTS is required if English is not your first language. Although the TOEFL requirement can be waived for any applicant who earns a score of 570 or higher on the SAT I Critical Reading examination, it is strongly recommended if English is not a student's first language. SAT II's in any subjects are recommended but not required.
All test requirements must be completed by December 2009 to ensure that we receive the official results in time to review your application. The scores of exams taken after January 1, 2010 may not be received in time to be considered when applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Official score reports should be sent to Lehigh by the testing agency. Emailed, faxed and photocopied scores are not official and will not be accepted.
Recommendations: A university/guidance counselor recommendation and a teacher recommendation are both required. If there is no guidance counselor at your high school, please have the principal, headmaster, head tutor or some other school official who has been closely supervising or monitoring your secondary school studies write a recommendation instead. If the guidance counselor or teacher recommendation is not written in English, a certified translation must be provided.
Personal Statement/Essay: You must provide a personal statement and information about extracurricular activities, special talents, and activities outside of academics.
Financial Documents: Financial documents are required at the time of application. See more details below under "Do you off financial aid...?"
NOTE: The complete application should be sent all together to the Office of Admissions. We encourage you to submit your complete application as early as possible in order to avoid any postal delays.
What are the application deadlines?
There are several options for applying to Lehigh: Early Decision I, Early Decision II and Regular Decision.
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Application Deadline
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Admission Notification Date
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Early Decision I
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November 15
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mid-December
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Early Decision II
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January 1
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mid-February
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Regular Decision
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January 1
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April 1
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Early Decision I & II are offered for students who have chosen Lehigh as their first choice and would like to make a commitment to Lehigh. Students should only apply to one school Early Decision, if any. If admitted to Lehigh in either Early Decision I or II, you will be expected to withdraw all applications from other institutions and enroll at Lehigh.
Can I receive advanced placement or credit for coursework I complete while in secondary school?
Lehigh grants advanced placement and credit for Advanced Placement (AP) examinations completed with a score of 4 or 5; for International Baccalaureate Higher-Level examinations completed with a score of 5, 6, or 7 (except for IB HL Physics, which requires a score of 6 or 7); and for Advanced Level (A Level) examinations completed with a score of A or B.
Lehigh grants advanced placement and credit for the SAT II Chemistry examination if completed with a score of 750 or higher and for SAT II modern language examinations if completed with scores of 600 or higher.
How much does it cost to attend Lehigh?
2008-2009 Undergraduate Costs:
| Tuition |
$38,330 |
| Technology Fee |
$300 |
| Room |
$5,910 |
| Board |
$4,290 |
| Books |
$1,000 |
| Personal Expenses |
$1,500 |
| Insurance |
$1,000 |
| Engineering Fee |
$430 (College of Engineering & Applied Science only) |
| TOTAL |
$52,760 |
This figure is for the nine month academic year (August - May) and does not include the cost for optional summer school (May - August). This figure also does not include transportation costs to and from Lehigh, the International Student Orientation fee ($50.00), or the First Year Student Orientation fee ($225.00).
Do you offer financial aid for international students?
Lehigh does offer financial aid to international students (non-US citizens and permanent residents) on a very limited basis. This means that the competition for financial aid is very keen. In evaluating students for aid, we consider a combination of the student's academic & extracurricular achievements and the student/family need for financial assistance. Therefore, our financial aid is a combination of merit and need-based aid. The amount of financial aid a student receives is determined on an individual basis and it is not possible to estimate a financial aid package until Lehigh has received the complete admissions and financial aid applications.
The following forms are required for consideration of financial aid for international students:
- CSS/Financial Aid Profile. The PROFILE application is accessible at www.collegeboard.com/PROFILE and can be completed on-line. You will be required to pay a registration fee as well as a fee for each college to which your information will be sent. You may pay by credit card or online check. If your family circumstances prevent payment of this fee, you should contact us for additional information. Since this is a new service, we will continue to accept paper copies of the International Student Financial Aid Form which is available on our Forms and Supplements page. Paper copies should be submitted directly to the Admission Office together with your admission application.
- A completed International Student Certification of Finances, also available on our Forms and Supplements page should also be submitted to the Admission Office.This form is required of all non-US citizens.
US citizens living abroad and US permanent residents should see our Financial Aid site for more detailed information.
If you have any further questions regarding International Admissions, please contact Laura Severin, Director of International Recruitment: las204@lehigh.edu