Class of 2010 shaping up to be one of the finest ever

On December 12, Lehigh University offered admission to 316 students under the Early Decision plan, meaning that 28 percent of next year’s freshman class has now been confirmed. Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Eric Kaplan indicated that this group of candidates represented “one of Lehigh’s largest and strongest early decision pools.”
Next fall, we will welcome students to Lehigh who will fly across the country and across the ocean, students who come from America’s largest cities, and those who live within walking distance of campus. The incoming group includes students who have mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, teachers, neighbors, coaches, and mentors who are Lehigh graduates. Their academic passions range from the study of biology to performing arts; from finance to chemical engineering and, for some, a combination of several disciplines.
Dean Kaplan indicated that the admissions staff enjoyed reading the applications of these students “because so many were compelling. They will bring vitality to this campus just as they have to their classrooms, athletics playing fields, artistic performance spaces, community organizations, and so many other places. Their presence at Lehigh next fall will be immediately apparent.”
Some of the notable accomplishments of this talented group include:
• A fencer with a national ranking who qualified for the Junior Olympics.
• A researcher who co-authored a paper about the ability to drive after having a stroke and presented his work at the annual meeting of the American Neurological Association. The student also completed research in the area of antioxidants.
• A volunteer at an orphanage in rural Vietnam.
• A first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
• A student who holds a part-time job at a company that designs and builds diaphragm compressors that store hydrogen gas at extremely high pressures with the goal of using hydrogen as a gas replacement and reducing dependence on oil.
• A competitive roller skater who has won regional championships in the Northeast.
• An electrical engineering laboratory assistant at the University of Colorado.
• A magician who is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
• A contributor to Accessible Newport, a guide to restaurants that caters to disabled clientele in Newport, Rhode Island.
• Budding entrepreneurs with their own businesses selling jewelry and other merchandise on e-bay.
• A student who designed a Web site where teachers can post assignments online for their students.
• An international student from China who studied abroad in Australia and participated in a cultural exchange program in the United States. His host father in the U.S. was a Lehigh alumnus who shared his positive experiences at Lehigh.
With this extraordinary group of first-year students already in place, we are off to an excellent start with the class of 2010, and we look forward to inviting many more outstanding students to start their academic careers.