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Lehigh University Profile

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Lehigh University Profile

Founded in 1865, Lehigh University is a mid-sized private institution offering Engineering, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Business educational programs. The school itself is located in the historic steel city of Bethlehem Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River. Lehigh University itself is actually situated geographically within the city’s south mountain community, which overlooks the city. The footprint of the site is split into 3 large facilities, one being the Asa Packer (main campus) on the bottom of the hill, the second being the Mountaintop campus that contains laboratories, and research facilities, and finally, the Goodman campus which is home to the school’s athletic facilities on top of the hill as well.

The university has a large footprint of approximately 1,600 acres of park like property within the south mountain community of Bethlehem. The physical layout observes numerous historic buildings shared by students, and local residents. The campus itself has approximately 155 buildings including lecture, residential, research, performing arts, athletic, and dining facilities that were originally designed by the school’s founder, Asa Packer of motorcar fame. The overall campus map is typical of a college setting with wide sidewalks; grass field meeting places, and park like benches but the campus building, and landscape architecture is far from typical.

The pedestrian flow of traffic within the facility was centered mainly between the Alumni Hall, and the grassy area around Taylor Gym along Memorial Walk. This main sidewalk connects several academic, research, and student life centers within the campus. I observed heavy pedestrian traffic during my visit due to the time of day and my student tour guides told me that walkway gets packed with students going to different places in the morning when school is in session. The campus buildings and open spaces were also very clean and well maintained during my tour observations. These open spaces, and campus facilities allow students the ability to interact with each other in a non-educational manner due to the high number of observed meeting places on campus.

Lehigh students, faculty, and employees enjoy a community, within a community lifestyle in regard to on campus activities and resources. The university also provides several types of student housing arrangements on campus including dormitory, apartment, and Greek residences. The university guarantees housing for freshman students only, upperclassmen can receive housing through a lottery system, which allows approximately 69% of students to live on campus. Lehigh University has a beautiful internal campus setting that has maintained it’s local roots despite it’s growth, and national appeal.

The published demographic information for the college describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. Lehigh University has developed a large campus community to offer students an excellent Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Business educational formats to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors.

The university is home to a mid-sized campus population of approximately 2724 male, and 1,897 female full, and 40 male, and 18 female part time students. Lehigh also has a graduate school population of 1,114 male, 955 female students enrolled. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 28% of students are from Pennsylvania. Others are from 49 states, and 45 foreign countries. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including 80.3% of students are white, 5.4% Asian, 2.4% are Black, 2.4% are Hispanic, and 6.5% are the race is unknown.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

Lehigh University has a large educational system for a mid-sized private school, which offers Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Business programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Freshman Class: 12,155 applied, 3,882 accepted, 1,166 enrolled. SAT Verbal 640, SAT Math 680. ACT (Unk). Application Deadline January 1.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Lehigh University only guarantees on campus housing for freshman students, all other students participate in a lottery system for on campus housing. The school does provide housing for 69% of it’s total student population including the Greek Houses. Lehigh has a large Greek presence on campus with over 30% of students living in fraternities, and sororities. These Greek houses can be observed while driving up the hill to the Mountaintop campus. Information about housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Off Campus Housing

Lehigh has been described as a mid-sized private college within a residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community is to re-assert the point that school’s network of facilities has encapsulated the real estate holdings in the area. The campus design allows a large number of students to have housing within walking distance to university facilities. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other university housing demands. The college itself has 69% of it’s student population living on campus which reduces the need, or demand for off campus housing. Students who want off campus housing can find information about available resources on the quick links page.

Campus Life

Lehigh University is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an excellent social, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the world. The local suburban community of south Bethlehem only adds to the universities international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. Lehigh University addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way with the campus being situated within a historical area. The school has also developed green technologies and architecture for the campus including a new science center on Morton Street. All the buildings have some type of historical “Green Theme” because the school is first, and foremost an engineering school with several technological projects underway. Our student guide went as far as describing the old school laboratory which, had pockets of sand and multiple fireplaces to prevent fires during experiments conducted at the turn of the century.

The campus was clean and well maintained and the emotional climate of the entire community is positive because students are involved with local community, and campus groups through the student center and Greek life. An observation of this very positive emotional climate can be found by looking at the endless student flyers posted throughout the campus on walls, doors, windows, and light poles. These flyers describe upcoming activities and they invite all students to enjoy the clubs, performing arts, and public discussions on world events. Social networking beyond the campus walls is also a very important issue to be observed at Lehigh. Students at the university are encouraged to participate in externships with alumni to gain real world experience in each student’s major. These programs, along with internships, and global learning centers offer valuable information for students studying abroad, which helps round out their individual educational activities on campus.

This issue of school culture and emotional attachment is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. The college has done a great job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 150 academic, and 40 athletic clubs, and student organizations. Lehigh also has 24 NCAA Division I teams for men and women to participate in.

Campus life at Lehigh can be considered intellectual, and social due to several notable student venues including the Hawk’s Nest inside Lamberton Hall, which is the main social center on campus. The school also has a second student center called Grace Hall that has a theatre, and a student radio station called(WLVR 91.3 FM). Students can also enjoy the state of the art recreational facility within Taylor Gym. Students can use this facility at any time because the school has a separate facility for it’s sports teams. The campus facilities allows students to enjoy more than academic excellence, it gives them the opportunity to develop social relationships by experiencing school sports, Greek life, performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums together.

Public Transportation

Campus transportation resources for students are available through the college’s shuttle system, which provides van service for daily classes, student activities, and links to local shopping and restaurants. This service is crucial to students who don’t have cars because it provides transportation services to the entire community.

The school’s shuttle service provides reliable transportation to students who don’t, or can’t have vehicles on campus. The college also has a very large number of out of state students who don’t know the streets and highways very well. Knowing the area is key because students who come from local states may know the area better and may be able to walk or drive to local destinations. Foreign, and out of state students might opt to take a bus or train to their destination because they don’t want to risk getting lost on local roads.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a college experience. The Lehigh Valley enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. Pennsylvania gets it’s share of snow during this period. Students also experience periods of rain during the spring and summer months as well. A strong indicator of pedestrian traffic around the university can be identified by the northeast weather patterns. Student parking within close proximity to university buildings and student shuttle services help reduce the exposure literally and figuratively.

Community Profile

The City of Bethlehem has been described as a historic city due to it’s relationship to the steel industry. The city itself is nicknamed the Christmas, and Steel City for it’s name and location within the Lehigh Valley. The city itself has grown around it’s local steel mill, and university with students, and local residents enjoying the community’s economical, and cultural landscape. The city has also been described, as a student friendly community because of the school’s historical population was steel workers themselves. Lehigh also has an intellectual side due to its historical neighborhood architecture and close physical relationship to the above-mentioned work force. The local area is favorable to students and residents because it offers several pedestrian walkways on Morton Street, which links students, visitors, and local residents to a several restaurants and local shops within walking distance to the campus.

The community has a small city feel to it when you are walking to neighborhood parks and eateries on the southern edge of city. Residents and students also enjoy several social destinations on 4th Street including nightclubs, movie theatres, and food stores which are in walking distance to the campus. The walk from student housing on the hill to the northern of the campus is approximately 10 minutes. Students can also walk off the campus, or take the shuttle to shopping areas around the school.

The City of Bethlehem is located within the northeastern area of the state, which makes it convenient to several suburban, and city communities including Allentown and Reading within the Lehigh Valley Region. These communities have several major highway networks that offer residents efficient transportation resources to all areas of the state including Route 78, 476, and 22. The Lehigh Valley also links to Amtrak, which is the main connection to the northeast corridor for rail service.

Lehigh also has several local roadways that connect the community to major state highways including Routes 222, and 33 that links to the Pocono Mountain Resort area, and Interstate 76. Shopping, restaurants, and hotel chains can be found within these major transportation networks after a short drive from the campus. Appendix #1 on the back page of this profile lists several of observed resources in close proximity to the school.

The following demographics for the City of Bethlehem describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 72,704 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Lehigh University has strong relationships with the city because they share community services including public safety, and cultural resources. An example of this commitment can be observed through the university’s community services handbook that describes educational programs, health care programs and services, legal programs and services to local residents who may require community help.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 52% of residents are male, 48% are female. 81.8% of residents are white, 3.6% are African American, 18.2% is Hispanic or Latino, and 2.2% are Asian. 21% of residents are 18 years old or over, and 17.9% of city residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Lehigh is also interesting. 36% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 58% of units are owner-occupied.

Lehigh University Quick Links Page

Bethlehem Area Hotel & Bed & Breakfast Quick Links Page

Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel
300 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Comfort Suites
120 West Third Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18015
Hampton Inn & Suites
200 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Historic Hotel Bethlehem
437 Main Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
2201 Cherry Lane
Bethlehem P.A. 18015
Homewood Suites by Hilton
2031 Avenue C
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Courtyard Marriott
2160 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Fairfield Inn by Marriott
2140 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Residence Inn by Marriott
2180 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Four Points by Sheraton Hotel
Allentown Airport, 3400 Airport Rd North
Allentown P.A. 18109

Bed & Breakfast Accommodations in Bethlehem Pennsylvania

Bethlehem Inn
476 North New Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Morningstar Inn
72 East Market Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18018

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Bethlehem P.A. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found on Route 78, 476, and 22. A complete list of local restaurants in Bethlehem Pennsylvania can be found at: www.foodio54.com. Complete information about hotels, restaurants, shopping, museums, and general tourism activities can be found in the document “ Everything Philadelphia” on the Your College Profile web site.

South Side Dining in Bethlehem

North Side Dining in Bethlehem

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