Schools / 2025-2026
Lehigh UniversitySupplemental Essays
All 3 required prompts, taken apart one by one: what each is really asking, plus two annotated example essays each, so you can see more than one way to do it well.
- 3
- Required supplemental essays
- 200 words
- Word limit each
- Common App, 650 words
- Personal statement
- Test-optional
- Testing policy
Deadlines Early Decision I November 1 · Early Decision II January 1 · Regular Decision January 1 · CSS Profile + FAFSA (ED I) November 15 · CSS Profile + FAFSA (ED II / RD) February 1, 2026 Admit rate About 26% overall, with Early Decision running closer to 45%. Lehigh fills a large share of its class through binding ED, so applying early is the single biggest lever most candidates have. Prompts verified from Lehigh’s official requirements ↗
Lehigh asks first-year applicants for three supplemental essays, each capped at 200 words, on top of the 650-word Common App personal statement. One is an academic-fit prompt tied to the exact college, program, or major you selected. One is a classic "why Lehigh" question framed as how you first heard about the school. The third is unusually warm: it asks what is genuinely going well in your life right now. Lehigh is test-optional, and fewer than 40% of enrolled first-years submitted scores in the most recent cycle.
The core challenge is compression. Two hundred words is roughly one tight paragraph, so there is no room for throat-clearing or a list of clubs you might join. Lehigh rewards applicants who can name something concrete in a few sentences and make it feel true. Three short answers also means you cannot repeat yourself, so each one needs to surface a different side of you.
The academic prompt names the specific college, program, and major you chose, so Lehigh wants to see that you understand what you applied to. A named course, lab, professor, or the Mountaintop summer program beats a sentence about Lehigh's strong reputation every time.
The 'how did you first learn about Lehigh' framing is Lehigh's way of testing whether your interest is genuine. A campus visit, a relative, a sport, a specific program you stumbled onto. Honest origin stories read far better than rankings language.
The 'celebrate the good' prompt rewards sincerity, not achievement. A small personal win you actually care about lands better than a polished trophy moment. Lehigh is explicitly inviting your real voice here.
With only 200 words per answer, every detail has to earn its place. Lehigh rewards students who pick one image or one moment and render it precisely rather than trying to cover everything.
Treat the three prompts as a portfolio, not three versions of the same essay. Map them before you draft: the academic-fit answer carries your intellectual and career direction, the "why Lehigh" answer carries your authentic connection to the place, and the "celebrate the good" answer carries personality and warmth. If two of your drafts could be swapped between schools without changing a word, you are leaving the easiest points on the table.
The "celebrate the good" prompt is where most applicants either shine or stumble. Lehigh is signaling that it values culture and well-being, so resist the urge to turn it into a humble-brag about an award. The strongest answers pick something genuinely current and a little ordinary, then show why it matters to you. That sincerity is the whole point, and it is rare enough that it stands out.
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?
Lehigh wants to see that you understand the specific college, program, and major you applied to, and how that exact combination moves you toward a goal. The wording varies slightly by program: applicants to CSB, IDEAS, and IBE see a shorter 150-word variant asking what makes that specific program the best fit, and Arts-Engineering applicants get a version about the 5-year dual degree. Answer the version tied to your selection.
Lehigh's colleges and interdisciplinary programs (the College of Business, Rossin College of Engineering, IBE, IDEAS, CSB) each have distinct cultures and structures. This prompt checks whether you chose deliberately or just clicked a dropdown. It also reveals whether you can connect academics to a direction without sounding like a brochure.
Name a single course, lab, professor, or program structure like the 4+1 or Mountaintop and explain why it fits your goal.
Connect a past experience to a specific thing Lehigh offers, so it reads as continuation rather than a fresh start.
If you are interdisciplinary, show how Lehigh's combined programs solve a problem a single major could not.
“Lehigh's strong academic reputation and excellent professors make it the perfect place for me to pursue my dreams.”
“I want to design prosthetics that flex, and Lehigh's IDEAS program lets me put mechanical engineering and design in the same sentence instead of the same transcript.”
- 1Opens with a concrete goal in nine words. No windup, no 'ever since.'
- 2A specific past experience with a small, telling detail (the flinch) that quietly states the real problem: empathy, not just engineering.
- 3Names the exact Lehigh program and explains why this combination, specifically, fits the goal. This is the heart of academic fit.
- 4Closes by looping back to the opening image, giving 200 words a clear arc.
- What is one named course, lab, professor, or program at Lehigh that you could not get the same way somewhere else?
- What past experience already points toward the major you selected?
- What problem do you want to solve that needs more than one discipline?
- Did you name at least one Lehigh-specific course, program, or person?
- Does your answer fit Lehigh and not just any university with this major?
- Are you under 200 words (or 150 for CSB, IDEAS, and IBE)?
How did you first learn about Lehigh University and what motivated you to apply?
This is Lehigh's 'why us' essay in disguise. It wants the real origin of your interest and the genuine reasons you decided to apply, not a ranked list of features.
By asking how you first learned about Lehigh, the prompt invites an honest story and filters out copy-paste answers. Admissions readers can tell when a student actually connects to the place versus when they pasted in the school's name.
Open with the literal moment you first heard of Lehigh: a visit, a person, a game, a program.
Go from that origin to one or two concrete things that turned curiosity into commitment.
Tie what drew you in to something about yourself, so fit is shown, not just the school described.
“I first learned about Lehigh University when I was researching top-ranked schools with strong programs in my field.”
“My cousin came home from Lehigh talking about a class held on a literal mountaintop, and I did not believe her until I looked it up.”
- 1A true-feeling, specific origin moment with a person attached. Immediately not generic.
- 2Shows real research: names a distinctive Lehigh program and what makes it unusual.
- 3Turns the school detail into self-revelation. Fit is shown, not claimed.
- 4Closes with a clear, specific reason that ties back to the opening image.
- What was the literal first moment Lehigh entered your life?
- What specific thing turned your curiosity into a decision to apply?
- What about you makes that thing a genuine fit rather than a nice feature?
- Did you start with a real origin moment rather than a rankings sentence?
- Did you name something specific to Lehigh?
- Does the essay reveal something about you, not just the school?
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.
Lehigh wants a sincere look at what is genuinely good in your life at this moment. It can be small. The prompt is measuring warmth, self-awareness, and authenticity, not the size of the win.
This prompt is a personality and culture check. Lehigh values community and well-being, and it wants to know what brings you joy and what you choose to celebrate. The trap is treating it as another achievement essay; the reward goes to genuine, specific, present-tense joy.
Pick something actually happening now, even if it is ordinary, and explain why it matters to you.
A small win that is honestly yours beats a big trophy you feel you should mention.
This is the prompt where humor and personality should be loudest. Sound like a person, not an applicant.
“Something great happening in my life right now is that I was named captain of my varsity team, which has taught me leadership.”
“For the first time in two years, my grandmother's sourdough starter is alive in my kitchen, and it has a name.”
- 1Picks something small, current, and a little funny. Names it, which signals real affection over a polished brag.
- 2Lets quiet weight in without becoming a tragedy essay. The stakes are real but understated.
- 3Specific, present-tense effort ('six weeks,' 'stubbornness') shows character through action, not adjectives.
- 4Ends on genuine, shared joy. This is exactly the sincerity the prompt is fishing for, and it reveals values without stating them.
- If a close friend asked what is going well this month, what would you say first?
- What small, ordinary thing are you genuinely excited about right now?
- What recent moment made you want to tell someone about it?
- Is your subject genuinely current rather than a past trophy?
- Does it sound like you talking, not a resume?
- Does the reader come away knowing what you value?
Mistakes that sink Lehigh essays
The academic prompt asks specifically about the program and major you selected. If your answer would fit any university with a business or engineering school, rewrite it with a named course, professor, lab, or Lehigh-specific program like Mountaintop or IBE.
Lehigh is asking what is genuinely great in your life, not your single most impressive accomplishment. A small, current, real moment beats a polished award story. Sincerity is the trait being measured.
At 200 words, an opening like 'Ever since I was young' burns a tenth of your space. Start inside the moment, the lab, or the memory and let the reader catch up.
Three short answers can blur together if they all circle the same activity. Deliberately spread your strengths so each essay shows a different dimension of who you are.
Lehigh essay FAQ
How many essays does Lehigh University require for 2025-26?
Three supplemental essays, each capped at 200 words, plus the 650-word Common App personal statement. The three supplements cover academic fit, why Lehigh, and a 'celebrate the good' prompt about what is going well in your life.
What are the Lehigh supplemental essay prompts for 2025-26?
One asks how the specific college, program, or major you selected will help you reach your goals. One asks how you first learned about Lehigh and what motivated you to apply. The third asks what is something great happening in your life right now. Each is 200 words, though some programs like CSB, IDEAS, and IBE see a 150-word version of the academic-fit question.
How long should each Lehigh supplemental essay be?
Two hundred words is the limit for each of the three supplements. That is roughly one tight paragraph, so aim to land well under the cap with specific, concrete writing rather than filling the space.
Is Lehigh test-optional for 2025-26?
Yes. Lehigh is test-optional, and fewer than 40% of enrolled first-years in the most recent class submitted test scores. Among submitters, the mid-50% SAT range was about 1380-1490.
What are Lehigh's application deadlines?
Early Decision I is November 1, Early Decision II is January 1, and Regular Decision is January 1. ED is binding and carries a much higher acceptance rate (around 45% versus about 26% overall), so it is the strongest option if Lehigh is your clear first choice.
What is Lehigh's acceptance rate?
Roughly 26% overall in the most recent cycle, from about 20,400 applications. Early Decision admits at a notably higher rate, close to 45%.
Prompts and facts verified against Lehigh University Admissions (How to Apply), Lehigh Admissions Requirements, College Essay Advisors: Lehigh Prompt Guide 2025-26, CollegeVine: How to Write the Lehigh Essays 2025-2026, CollegeEssayGuy: Lehigh Supplemental Essays 2025-2026 and College Transitions: How to Get Into Lehigh (Lehigh University, 2025-2026 cycle). Supplements change yearly, re-verify each cycle.
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