Frequently Asked Questions

• Am I eligible for this program?  Mentee applicants must be current SHPE members who are actively working on a graduate school application for Fall 2025 or 2026. Mentees can be current undergraduate students going directly into graduate school after graduation or professional members who are planning to return to college to earn a masters degree. 
• How am I matched with a mentor?  Using the software platform Chronus for the mentoring program allows for the building of a matching algorithm to pair mentors and mentees on three key criteria. Using the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education mentors are asked for their experience with the categories of R1 (very high research activity) and R2 (high research activity) . Mentees are then asked to identify the schools they are planning to apply to match the mentor experience with the mentee goal. Mentor discipline expertise is paired with the mentee intended major. Lastly, the mentor comfort level with the planned degree path of the mentee is matched. Mentors indicate their interest in coaching students planning to apply for masters only programs or dual masters and Ph D programs. 
• What am I expected to do? Mentees are required to attend the kickoff training on Sept 4th at 7pm EST and engage with their mentor through 11/22/24. Most of this interaction will take place via email and other web-related tools (for example, instant messaging) or face-to-face, as appropriate. Mentors will work with their mentee on reviewing application documents, answering questions on the application process and meeting with the mentee to discuss their progress. 
  
• How long will the mentors be available? For this program, the mentor relationship is scheduled to take place Sept 11-Nov 22, 2024. 
• What should I do if my mentoring relationship isn't going well? We encourage letting the mentor know about the situation and contacting a program administrator as soon as possible. We will provide our full support to resolve the situation in a positive and satisfactory manner.

Mentee DO's

1. Take a proactive role in shaping the relationship.
2. Understand what you want from the MentorSHPE relationship and communicate your goals and aspirations to your mentor. Balance a personal and professional relationship with your mentor.
3. Set aside time for the mentoring process and keep all scheduled appointments with your mentor.
4. Put the time with your mentor to its best use. Come to your meetings with planned topics for discussion.
5. Respond in a timely manner to your mentor's feedback. Respond to emails from your mentor within two days of receipt.
6. Be open and honest with your mentor about your challenges and weaknesses.
7. If something concerning the mentor needs to be discussed with others, you should first ask your mentor's permission to share this information.  

Mentee DON'Ts

1. Ask for advice on everything. 
2. Blame the mentor if their advice doesn't work out.
3. Expect the mentor to know all the answers.
4. Commit yourself to obligations you cannot keep.
5. Cancel meetings/visits with your mentor at the last minute.