- Apply To Lehigh
- Admissions Requirements
Admissions Requirements
Create your personal checklist of the forms, reports, recommendations, scores, fees and applications that you’ll need to apply to Lehigh.
Application Checklist
Please use the interactive checklist below to customize your application experience. It contains all the necessary forms that Lehigh requires as well as specific instructions to guide you through the process.
For more details, including required courses, please review the FAQs as well as information on accreditation. Applicants with financial need should pay close attention to financial-aid requirements and deadlines.
- Common Application or Coalition Application with Lehigh Questions and Writing Supplement
Electronic submission through the Common Application website or Coalition Application website (accepted starting Fall 2024) is required. - Recommendations and Reports
- School Report (including counselor recommendation) and Official High School Transcript
Electronic submission from your school through the Common Application website or Coalition Application website (accepted starting Fall 2024) is accepted and encouraged. In special circumstances, high schools may submit transcripts through the LU FileSender. - Teacher Recommendation (one)
Electronic submission from your school through the Common Application website or Coalition Application website (accepted starting Fall 2024) is accepted and encouraged. - Mid-year School Report and Transcript
Please ask your school to submit this once the first semester, second quarter or second trimester is completed. - Final School Report and Transcript
Please submit after graduation. Transcripts must have the high school seal and/or official signature and be from a high school with a CEEB code.** Send final school reports and transcripts to the Enrollment Services Center, 218 West Packer Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18015. If a student submits a fraudulent transcript, the Office of Admissions reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission and withdraw the original application for admission at any time. Validation of a student's final official transcript will be coordinated with the office of financial aid.
** If a transcript is from a high school that lacks a CEEB code or seal/signature, the admissions office will investigate to confirm the school is recognized by the state department of education or home school association. The admissions office may request a copy of the student's diploma at any point in the admission process to verification process. If a diploma is determined invalid, a GED will be required for admission consideration. - $75 Application Fee
Electronic payment through the Common Application website or Coalition Application website (accepted starting Fall 2024) is required. - Official SAT or ACT scores - Optional
Lehigh University has adopted a test-optional policy regarding submission of SAT or ACT scores indefinitely. With the exception of applicants to the accelerated program with SUNY Optometry, first-year and transfer applicants can choose whether or not to submit SAT/ACT test scores for consideration.
Students who feel that test scores may accurately demonstrate their college readiness and as a result choose to report scores can request the College Board or ACT send the scores to Lehigh or self-report them via the Common Application, Coalition Application (accepted starting Fall 2024) or email. However, official SAT or ACT scores ultimately must be submitted directly from the College Board or ACT prior to the first day of classes for the semester in which the student will enroll. Any discrepancy of any size may be cause to reverse admission.
SAT Subject Tests are not required for admission, but are recommended as college credit may be awarded for scores of 700 or higher. Please read the Advanced Placement section of the course catalog at www.lehigh.edu/catalog for more details.
The highest section scores across test dates, whether a superscored SAT or superscored ACT, submitted to Lehigh will be considered. We do not prefer one exam over the other. Results from the current redesigned SAT and/or the old SAT will be accepted; we will consider only the highest testing results reported from one version of the test, not by combining sections across both versions. - Lehigh University's Certificate of Finances form (PDF)
All non-U.S. citizens who will need financial aid during any of their years enrolled at Lehigh are required to submit the Lehigh University Certificate of Finances form filled out for all intended years of undergraduate enrollment. Please submit this form through your Lehigh Applicant Portal: see the Admissions Checklist. If you haven’t done so, you must create an Applicant Portal by going to www.lehigh.edu/openapplicantportal once you submit your Lehigh application. This URL is only used to create your account. For subsequent logins, please visit www.lehigh.edu/applicantportal. - CSS/Financial Aid Profile
All non-U.S. citizens who will need financial aid during any of their years enrolled at Lehigh are required to submit the CSS Profile through the College Board. If you are unable to submit the CSS Profile, please reach out to our office at LUinternational@lehigh.edu.
Non-U.S.citizens who are not planning to apply for financial aid during any of their intended years of undergraduate enrollment do not need to submit the Lehigh Certificate of Finances form or CSS Profile. Please note that Lehigh’s tuition, room & board, fees, etc. can cost upwards of $87,000 USD per year. If your family cannot support this amount for all intended years of undergraduate enrollment, then you must submit the Lehigh Certificate of Finances and CSS Profile. Due to limited funding for non-citizens, Lehigh is need-aware in the admissions process.
Please note that if admitted to Lehigh, there will not be additional funding awarded beyond the initial financial aid offer outside of adjustments made based on increases in cost of attendance. We are unable to provide additional financial aid due to changes in the value of your home country’s currency during your enrollment at Lehigh. - English Proficiency Requirement
Lehigh requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Results from an English proficiency assessment must be submitted unless the applicant’s first language is English, or the last two full years (not including current year of study) of completed formal instruction have been in English. The TOEFL and IELTS are preferred, however TOEFL IBT Home Edition, and Duolingo English Test will be considered if those exams are not available to the student. Scores must be submitted directly from the testing/assessment agency and the most competitive candidates score above a 90 on the TOEFL, or 110 on Duolingo. SAT, SAT Subject Test, and ACT results cannot be used to meet the English proficiency requirement. - Early Decision Agreement Form (PDF)
You may apply to Lehigh under one of our binding Early Decision Plans by completing the Early Decision I/II Agreement Form and following the appropriate application deadlines below. Students can email it to the LU FileSender or fax it to our office at (610) 758-4361. LU FileSender is the preferred method.
Please note: Under the National Association of College Admissions Counselors Statement of Principles and Good Practices, students, parents, and guidance counselors make a commitment where, if admitted, the student will withdraw all other applications and enroll.
Early Decision I deadline: November 1. Early Decision II deadline: January 1 (application).
Students also applying for financial aid, please note: Early Decision I candidates must submit the CSS/Profile and send a copy of Federal Tax Forms, schedules and W-2 attachments by November 1. Early Decision II candidates must submit the CSS/Profile and send a copy of Federal Tax Forms, schedules and W-2 attachments by January 15. All candidates seeking financial aid must then submit the FAFSA and CSS/Profile (if not previously submitted) by February 1, and updated Federal Tax Forms, schedules and W-2 attachments by February 15. - Penn Supplement for the 7-year BA/DMD Bio-Dental program (PDF)
Required for all students applying to Penn's Accelerated Dental program. Deadline: January 1. Please submit to:
Via Fax: 610.758.4361 OR
Via Mail: Lehigh University
Office of Admissions
27 Memorial Dr. West
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Attn: Bio-Dental Program
To be considered, students must also submit the Common Application or Coalition Application (accepted starting Fall 2024) and select a proposed College from the "Intended College or Program" drop-down list, a proposed major from the "Proposed Academic Major" drop-down list, AND "7-Year BA/DMD Program with Penn Dental" from the "Specialized Academic Program" drop-down list.
Please note: This is not an early decision commitment; in fact, students applying to any accelerated program cannot simultaneously be an Early Decision applicant.
- Common Application or Coalition Application
Electronic submission through the Common Application website or Coalition Application website (accepted starting Fall 2024) is required. - $75 Application Fee
Electronic payment through the Common Application website or Coalition Application website (accepted starting Fall 2024) is required. - Transfer College Report
The College Report collects information about your standing at your current institution. You may need to gather this information from more than one official at your institution, such as advisor, dean, or registrar. The College Report cannot be submitted online, please mail to Lehigh Enrollment Services Center, 218 West Packer Ave, Bethlehem, PA 18015. - College/University Transcript
All students must be in good academic standing with their previous college to be eligible for admission to Lehigh. We strongly encourage students to submit the transcript electronically when available. To be considered official, a College/University's Registrar's Office must submit these directly to our office. If using Parchment, please use inemesc@lehigh.edu for the Enrollment Services Center, the office that processes admissions and financial aid materials. - Course Descriptions
Lehigh University no longer requires course descriptions. However, if more information is needed to complete a credit evaluation, the Office of Registration and Academic Services will contact the applicant for further information. - Final High School Transcript
We strongly encourage students to submit the transcript electronically when available. All domestic transfer students must fulfill the same high school requirements as incoming first-year students, including:- 4 units (years) English
- 3 units (years) math (including trigonometry)
- 2 units (years) of a foreign language
- 6 units (years) of electives (history, science, etc.)
- Official SAT or ACT scores - Optional
Lehigh University will not require SAT or ACT scores for applicants for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years. First-year and transfer applicants for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years can choose whether or not to submit SAT/ACT test scores for consideration.
Students who feel that test scores may accurately demonstrate their college readiness and as a result choose to report scores can request the College Board or ACT send the scores to Lehigh or self-report them via the Common Application, Coalition Application (accepted starting Fall 2024) or email. However, official SAT or ACT scores ultimately must be submitted directly from the College Board or ACT prior to the first day of classes for the semester in which the student will enroll. Any discrepancy of any size may be cause to reverse admission.
SAT Subject Tests are not required for admissions, but are recommended as college credit may be awarded for scores of 700 or higher. Please read the Advanced Placement section of the course catalog at www.lehigh.edu/catalog for more details.
The highest section scores across test dates, whether a superscored SAT or superscored ACT, submitted to Lehigh will be considered. We do not prefer one exam over the other. Results from the current redesigned SAT and/or the old SAT will be accepted; we will consider only the highest testing results reported from one version of the test, not by combining sections across both versions. - Lehigh University's Certificate of Finances form (PDF)
All non-U.S. citizens are required to submit the Lehigh University Certificate of Finances form filled out for all intended years of undergraduate enrollment. Please submit this form through your Lehigh Applicant Portal: see the Admissions Checklist. If you haven’t done so, you must create an Applicant Portal by going to www.lehigh.edu/openapplicantportal once you submit your Lehigh application. This URL is only used to create your account. For subsequent logins, please visit www.lehigh.edu/applicantportal.
Note: Since Lehigh University does not allocate institutional funding to international transfer students, all non-U.S. citizens are required to submit the Certification of Finances (PDF) with their application for transfer admission. - English Proficiency Requirement
Lehigh requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Results from an English proficiency assessment must be submitted unless the applicant’s first language is English, or the last two full years (not including current year of study) of completed formal instruction have been in English. The TOEFL and IELTS are preferred, however TOEFL IBT Home Edition, and Duolingo English Test will be considered if those exams are not available to the student. Scores must be submitted directly from the testing/assessment agency and the most competitive candidates score above a 90 on the TOEFL, 7.0 on the IELTS or 110 on Duolingo. SAT, SAT Subject Test, and ACT results cannot be used to meet the English proficiency requirement.
Application Deadlines
Lehigh has two rounds of binding Early Decision, as well as Regular Decision and Transfer application opportunities. Take the next step to your future, apply now.
Early Decision I
Deadline: November 1
Decision Date: Mid December
Early Decision II
Deadline: January 1
Decision Date: Mid February
Regular Decision
Deadline: January 1
Decision Date: Late March
7-Yr BA/DMD-Bio-Dental
7-Yr Optometry
Deadline: January 1
Decision Date: Early April
Transfer Student (Fall)
Deadline: April 1
Decision Date: Mid May
Transfer Student (Spring)
Deadline: November 1
Decision Date: Late December