I have friends who went there long long ago, and know of young alums but don’t genuinely know anyone current that I can think of. But I am familiar with the school and have actually been to the campus. I assume OPs kid has already figured out it is rural/small town PA and not in a hub like Boston or Philly. I disagree with none of the concerns you raised in the response to me. Also don’t disagree with those earlier who described the “bro” vibe and work hard/party hard culture, but as some have noted is not the whole culture. Just saying what I would do in OPs situation as I currently understand it, is commit to the Lehigh scholarship. Might there be an option that would turn out better if they waited? Sure, but I feel like the odds would be many multiples higher that they would turn out worse given the budget challenges. I’d do everything I could between now and the deadline to confirm that choice, and I would not look back.
I have no doubt the kid will need to “take one for the team”. Like any other kid with a budget.
My point is that the kid is taking one for the team with zero knowledge about how other colleges will view their financial “special situation”, or how she might qualify for merit elsewhere.
It’s the inability to compare based on actual dollars and actually having visited the ED campus which is the issue in my mind. Not whether Lehigh is a great school- which it is. And not whether kids have to be pragmatic which of course they do.
Understood - that’s the risk.
It reminds me of the game show where they open suitcases and another $ amount appear.
If and it’s still not certain the student has Lehigh, but if they do at $17K a year…do you open that next suitcase and if the $$ amount in the suitcase is less, your cost goes up.
Do you take that risk?
Ideally the student visits and talks to people while there or at worst case talks to student ambassadors, a professor, club leader and more.
Any student who EDs gives up the compare offers rights…
But yeah - I see all sides.
I’m very conservative financially - so I’d take the deal - which is more than college - especially if it includes abroad coverage.
Hopefully, in the next few weeks, the student can research - not statistics, R1 statuses and more - but by talking to people which is far more important. I’m sure the scholarship program can even put them in touch with this year’s recipients.
This way there is comfort, even if a physical visit isn’t possible.
It seems like the question is whether to hold out in order to optimize or to do ED for a perfectly very good outcome.
The optimization scenario has many outcomes, from ones that cost more to ones with the same cost. In each group, the schools may appeal more or less than Lehigh. You may want to try to name the best and worst outcomes ($ and appeal) to get a feel for what you gain and lose by pursuing Lehigh. As someone said above, this has a game show quality – do you stop playing now and go home with your $200,000 winnings or do you risk it all for the $500,000 and the trip to Fiji? As anyone who has ever watched such a show knows, there’s a different right answer for every contestant.
I agree with this - that being said, if even the most generous schools (like Princeton and MIT) are coming in ($40-60k) well above what the OP can realistically spend ($15-20k) there aren’t going to be many financial outcomes that would beat Lehigh’s combination of school quality and price point (other than STAMPs type program which are ultra competitive). Of course, if Lehigh isn’t a fit that’s a moot point and there are certainly other good schools where budget could be reached - or the family can decide they are willing to spend more. Fortunately, this wonderful student has put themselves into a position where getting a great education at a reasonable cost is possible, so they’ve won regardless of what their decision is on Lehigh.
For a student with such well-developed interests, I definitely agree with looking at specific faculty and research entities at the schools that interest her. No matter how brilliant the student, they can only make so many commitments; you don’t need a school with 35 different research opportunities of interest. But you do need one, and maybe a couple of backups.
I also feel as if you could benefit from working with a financial advisor who can help to clarify where you really stand in terms of educational costs, retirement savings, etc.
However, even if you determine that you could spend more, spending less is always good, especially if you can meet the same goals at less expense.
And here’s the thing about the UC’s - the payoff is greater in the upper-division years. Suppose this student decides that the Lehigh scholarship is too good to pass up. Maybe she loves it, finds all the opportunities she wants and needs, graduates debt-free and continues on to a top grad program. Great! But if the experience isn’t everything she hoped for, she hasn’t made an irreversible decision - as long as she continues to distinguish herself as she has been, she should be well-positioned to transfer into a top UC program as a junior, essentially cutting the cost of a UC degree in half.
It’s still a significant commitment, and I still think she should visit before making the decision, in addition to doing a deeper dive into the research opportunities. But she needn’t feel as if she’s getting on a one-way train. The burden will be on Lehigh to give her the opportunities that will keep her there for four years.
I fundamentally disagree with this sentiment. Despite how prolific it has become on this site. I have zero regrets with not forcing my kids to choose the least expensive option. I’d never suggest someone go into debt, but a unilateral statement that spending less is always good is just as inaccurate.
You are reading way too much into my statement. I didn’t say that saving money should always outweigh other considerations. I came nowhere close to saying that anyone should force a student to choose the least expensive option.
All other things being equal, it’s better to spend less, is it not? When all other things aren’t equal, then one needs to decide how much they’re willing and able to pay for the value-added of a more desirable option. I didn’t think that identifying cost savings as a “pro,” when weighing pros and cons, would be a controversial statement.
I don’t think anyone is saying that - and it’s not what I believe. Many of us are reacting to the OPs comments about budget. From their posts it seems that reach schools would entail borrowing a lot ($110k was mentioned vis an vis MIT) even if they contributed the absolute maximum they could swing (which they indicated would be uncomfortable for them).
I am not sure if it has been mentioned here - but having extra funds for study abroad - maybe even a summer program, internship costs outside of your home area (for example in SF, NYC or another expensive city) sure is nice vs stretching for the degree and not being able to participate or fund the extras that can make a big difference after graduation.
Big save - and we are talking about Lehigh here - no disrespect to Lake Superior State or Dakota State or W Alabama. But this isn’t an unknown commodity vs MIT. This is still one of the most respected universities in the country.
It sounds like these kids will form a special and well attended to cohort.
That made all the difference for my kid at her school - which isn’t nearly as reputed as Lehigh and yet she turned down programs that were.
If the student attends Lehigh and even if they make that determination on cost alone, life will likely still be fine. And likely better for the parent (bank account wise which is a concern).
Zillions graduate every year and got through four years even though they live life with no formal attachment or love for their alma mater.
Hello everyone, I wanted to give you an update and share my heartfelt thanks for all your help.
First, I am overwhelmed by the genuine care, passion, and support everyone has shown in this thread. You shared so many great ideas, and I’m incredibly thankful to have found this community. I’m blown away by how helpful and supportive everyone has been.
Just talked to my daughter, to gauge how she feels about the school, and she seems to be very willing to attend Lehigh if she is granted the scholarship. She is very impact-oriented and sees Lehigh as a place where she can truly contribute and help make the community even better—an opportunity she feels might be harder to find at a bigger school.
If the scholarship doesn’t work out, she is quite at peace with it and is curious to see what happens with her other applications. My husband is in hospital and is on unpaid leave since the beginning of September, so I suspect that the tax return for this year might look different than 2024 and she might be eligible for some financial aid, if the scholarship doesn’t work out.
I will update this thread after December 3rd to let you all know the final outcome. Thank you all again! 
Best of luck to your daughter!
Thanks for your post - just as an aside, I think students starting in 2026 use the 2024 taxes, not 2025.
Also, have you looked into W&L - it’s an LAC and may or may not have the heft in the areas of interest. On the other hand, it has the Johnson Scholarship, which is unbelievable. You have to apply by December 1st. A full 10% of enrollees are offered/obtain (40+ a year) - full ride and then some. Might be one to look at - and if Lehigh doesn’t happen, this app would be submitted in time.
Wishing your husband a speed recovery.
Thanks so much for sharing and looking forward to your update. Best of luck to your daughter and best wishes for healing for your husband.
Thank you for sharing the latest news and your daughter’s thought process. Best wishes to her 
and also to you&your husband.
Terrific. Your daughter sounds like a wonderful high school senior. Please do update us!
Congratulations on raising a daughter with what sounds like a good head on her shoulders.
Good luck to all of you.