Edit Desk: Lehigh Admissions
By: Gwen Purdom
Posted: 4/24/09
A few weeks ago, my mom and I had our fifth, and final, New York Mother-Daughter Bonding Weekend of my Lehigh career. On our first evening in the city I couldn't help but overhear the conversation drifting toward me from the next table. A woman and her daughter were recapping the potential college options they had visited so far that weekend. I took a similar trip as a high school junior and could see my younger self in the unmistakable excitement and terror the girl exuded. With my four years of college coming to a close and her collegiate journey just beginning, I jumped in to impart my best "what I wish I knew then" wisdom to the stranger and her mother.
The encounter got me thinking about my own excitement and terror in the face of my impending voyage into adulthood. Four and a half years ago I spent weeks pouring over my Lehigh admissions application and for the past months it's been job applications that have created a looming cloud of anxious uncertainty. So, determined to find some insight in this cyclical coincidence, I decided to do some digging. With the help of my mom's packrat tendencies, I unearthed an extra copy of my original Lehigh admissions application. I perused the forms, recalling the carefully crafted responses I prayed would bring me to Lehigh. Now, with the seasoned eyes of a soon-to-be college graduate, I am able to consider the questions in a whole new light.
"Step out the front door of your home and tell us what you would change about what you see." "In choosing a college, you are making one of the biggest decisions of your life. Tell us what you have learned about yourself or other people in the process."
Sound familiar seniors?
But it is the general short-answer question that seems the ripest for reexamination: "Lehigh is well known for high quality academics, a beautiful campus, and a spirited student body. Describe your academic and extracurricular interests and how Lehigh is a good match for you." How would I answer differently now, after four unforgettable years of college?
Academically, my years in Lehigh's classrooms have opened my eyes to perspectives and passions I had never tapped. During my freshman year, a professor advised that students should only take classes they find truly interesting. I have followed his advice and can honestly say every course has challenged me to look at the world a little differently. My semester in Italy allowed me to find myself in the chaos of the unknown. Lehigh has been a place where I've been able to hone my academic talents, channel my interests and engage in academic discourse.
Lehigh's beautiful campus is no secret to prospective students, but it takes a true Mountain Hawk to recognize the subtle nuances. The crisp breeze that ruffles the canopy of colors shading the UC lawn each fall; the view from Rathbone on Chicken Finger Friday; the curving downhill tracks left by dinner trays after the first snow; the smell of charcoal and burgers that floods the Hill every spring. Towering stone turrets make for picture-perfect brochures, but I've found it's the little details that really make the campus the breathtaking place it is.
Describing the student body as "spirited" seems fitting. Tailgates often draw a bigger crowd than the game itself and yet, there still exists a feeling of pride in our school and connection within our community. Rumors fly of divisions - Greek vs. non-Greek, arts and sciences vs. business, house against house - that no doubt exist, but in my experience, the people I've encountered here are working to change those assumptions. Living with your peers during one of the most transformational periods of your life builds lasting bonds. My sorority sisters have supported me through midterms and heartbreaks. The men of Lehigh have been friends, confidants and crushes. My professors have offered connections to the web of possibilities the future holds. My freshman roommate, a stranger on move-in day, is still my best friend.
Ultimately, I'd have to agree with my former self that Lehigh has been a perfect match for me. Whether it's the late nights I've spent in the Brown and White newsroom or the spontaneous games of SPUD we've played on East Fifth, I can't imagine a better place to have spent these crucial years. Okay, so my revised answer may be cheesy, but it's my last week of senior year and I'm drunk on nostalgia. Four and a half years from now I will likely be brimming with insight in case I meet a restless graduating senior, but for now I can only look back at the tools Lehigh has given me. A new path is about to unfold, leading me away from the Lehigh bubble and into the uncharted world of the grown-ups. At least this time I won't have to wait for that acceptance letter.
© Copyright 2009 The Brown & White
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