Becoming a Mentee
Discover valuable resources and gain academic and career insight from a mentor.


Find Your Mentor!
Connect with a trained mentor by letting us know what’s most important to you in a match; for example:
- Career interests
- Major
- Life experiences
Communicate with your mentor in ways that work for both of you, whether it’s video chatting, texting, meeting for coffee, or a combination. Common discussion topics include:
- Career
- Work-school-life balance
- Academic success
- Personal growth
Mentee Responsibilities
What does it mean to be an active mentee? Watch this short video and see how you can make the most out of your Mentor Collective program.Frequently Asked Questions
How long do the mentorships last?
Technically, one academic year, however we encourage you to remain in contact beyond this if you develop a strong relationship with your mentee.
Are mentors paid?
Most programs utilize volunteer mentors, but check with your program to learn about paid mentoring opportunities. Whichever opportunities your program provides, we welcome (and encourage) you to include your experience as a mentor on LinkedIn or your resume. As a mentor, you have the chance to develop strong leadership and communication skills.
What if I only want to participate for one semester?
That’s fine! You always have the option to adjust your involvement. Email help@mentorcollective.org if you want to opt out of the program, reduce the number of students you are supporting, increase the number of students you are supporting, or if you have questions.
How many mentees do mentors work with?
Mentors can take any number of mentees they are interested in. Most mentors take somewhere between 2 and 5 mentees at a time. The most important thing is that you do what feels right for you.
How much time do mentors need to commit?
After you register, there are a couple of next steps:
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Fill out a brief matching survey that tells us about you and your preferences (5-10 minutes)
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Complete your mentor training that goes over the basics of Mentor Collective and being an effective mentor (45 minutes)
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After those steps, you and your mentee can determine together what timing works best for you. You will be expected to speak with your mentee once a month, but anything more than that is up to both of you. Most mentors spend between 1 and 3 hours a month per mentee.
What counts as a "conversation?"
Throughout your mentorship, we ask you and your mentee(s) to log your conversations on our website or through our automated texts. But what counts as a conversation? It can be:
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1 phone call
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1 videochat session
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1 email exchange
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1 in-person "interaction" (grabbing coffee, spending 10 minutes talking before class, etc.)
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2+ text messages exchanged within 1 day
If in doubt, please don't hesitate to ask us at help@mentorcollective.org. Logging conversations helps your program administrator(s) gauge whether the program is helping students, and how to help them better!
What if I have a serious concern about my mentee's physical or mental health?
We take concerns like these very seriously. As a mentor, you will have different opportunities for sharing a concern like this with us.
While reporting conversations on the MC website, you can indicate any concern you have about your mentee (or that your mentee needs extra support), as well as through monthly texts we send you.
Once you let us know about a serious concern, we send your concern to a point person in your program who can reach out to your mentee and provide extra resources and support.
What do I get out of the program?
Aside from developing leadership skills, you’ll receive a LinkedIn trained mentor certification that you can also add to your resume. You’ll be a part of a community of mentors in programs across the country, have access to Mentor Office Hours where you can ask questions and share ideas with other mentors, and you’ll have the opportunity to attend exclusive mentorship events.
Getting toYour First Session
It's normal to feel nervous before meeting your mentor. Here's how to prepare for your first meeting.

Jamie
Mentee at Indiana University
My top two goals I set with [my mentor are] creating a digital portfolio and networking more with professionals. I think what she told me about taking advantage of my student status made me curious about how far I can go with talking to strangers, so I set goals for myself to email UX professionals that peak my interest."

Avni
Mentee at Indiana University
My mentor and I have shared one email each and I am honestly so grateful for the fact that she took the time to write back to me, and not just briefly but quite elaborately. I know it sounds a little silly because she is my mentor under a program, but I appreciate the time she took to respond already. Also, I already feel like we will be able to connect about so many different things from what I have learned about her so far - so I'm really impressed by the system/procedure that matches the mentors with mentees!"

Jonathan
Mentee at Tufts University
This mentorship has really helped me get organized before orientation. It's going great and I feel much more prepared."