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Attending UM in the fall?

GET MENTORED: Mentee Application now available.

Apply today to Mentorship!

Get connected. Get involved. Get Mentored!

Click HERE to access the Mentorship Program Application for fall 2013.

Early application is enouraged.

APPLY BY JULY 31, 2013.

If you will attend the University of Michigan this coming fall, consider applying to one of UM's most unique learning communities for students of all academic interests and backgrounds!

How UM freshmen find out about Mentorship: All freshmen who have paid their enrollment fees will be sent an email announcing the program and inviting them to apply (this is to ensure our applicants are current, accepted UM students). Freshmen also get an insert in their Orientation folders about the program, with a reminder to apply. Or, you can get the information you need right here!

Know before you apply: Acceptance is not automatic. In order to be considered, applicants must:

1. Be an incoming undergraduate first year student (graduate students are not eligible)

2. Have been accepted to the University of Michigan freshman class, starting classes in spring/summer or fall 2013.

3. Have a valid UM email address [uniquename@umich.edu]

4. Complete all required questions and short essays.

Transfer Students in LSA are eligible to apply to Transfer Connections, a separate mentoring program for students transferring from other Universities.

The Mentorship Program is designed to help you transition easily into campus life, and creates events that help you build a supportive network of students, faculty and staff, and find resources to succeed at Michigan.

Mentorship Pizza Tasting Mentorship Housing Workshop

All incoming first year students will receive a recruitment message to the email address they used to apply to the University.

You do not have to wait for the announcement email to apply, but you should READ MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAM BELOW first!

Parent or Guardian of a first year student? Read our Message to Parents

So...what is Mentorship?

Staff mentor Chinyere Neale, School of Public Health (center) plans her semester with her mentees

We define Mentorship as a useful resource to introduce new students to University life and broaden students' access to all that UM has to offer. The mission of the University Mentorship Program is to provide an opportunity for new students to connect with volunteer Mentors who are knowledgeable about the University of Michigan in order to ease the transition from high school to college. For this reason it is important that students fill out their applications themselves and in their own voices, and learn what to expect from the program by reading our information on this website.

Mentorship De-Stress Study Break Mentorship UM Museum tour

How Mentorship works

Freshmen apply to Mentorship online and, if accepted, are matched over the summer with one peer mentor (a current UM student) AND one faculty (teaching professional) OR staff (non-teaching University professional) mentor.

This is a voluntary, selective program for first year students entering the University of Michigan.

Mentees can expect to incorporate Mentorship into their normal student life--it' a program designed to make the transition easier by offering skillbuilding workshops designed to help students identify their goals for the semester. In Mentorship teams up with various offices and departments to offer activities exclusively for participants to assist them in course selection, major selection, internships, careers and graduate school.

Mentorship Groups are made up of 6-8 Mentees (incoming first year stduents) that share a peer and f/s mentor--so you'll get to know other students with similar and different interests.

The Mentorship program cycle occurs each year from September to December. Mentorship has been at University of Michigan since 1991, and each year we work to improve the program to make it a great experience for involved participants.

Peer Mentors contact Mentees over the summer, and Mentorship staff contacts Mentees by August to confirm their participation and remind them about upcoming events.

All accepted Mentees are invited to meet their peer mentor, faculty/staff mentor and the other first year students in their mentorship group at our biggest annual activity...

Mentorship Kickoff: Our Opening Event!

This event occurs each year during the first week of classes, in the beautiful Biomedical Sciences Research Buidling Atrium. It's attended by over 300 participants, has great catered food, and time to map out the semester with our program. Students meet their mentors here (we have a system so each mentee finds his or her mentors) learn about what events are planned, how to best work with their mentors and useful information about the program. Below, pre-business student Nick (center) and his mentees meet for the first time.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR CURRENT EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES!

What else should I know before I apply?

Mentors follow up with mentees after Kickoff to arrange meetings throughout the semster.

In addition to Kickoff, mentees are invited to a series of monthly programs that are planned especially for them by our staff, which they learn about through emails, newsletters and reminders from their Mentors. Photos from these programs are right here on this page and in our photo gallery!

Mentees choose when and how frequently they would like to meet during each month. Mentors are required to meet regularly (minimum 1-2 times a month) with mentees and provide our staff with feedback on a monthly basis.

Mentorship groups communicate with each other in person or by phone, email or facebook during the semester.

Mentees have the opportunity to shape their own mentoring experiences through dialogue and action planning initiated by mentors, and attending and participating in the many planned events by our staff on a voluntary basis.

Mentorship is designed to ENHANCE (not replace) the student college experience and give students an edge--we hope the program helps make college life easier, and resources more accessible; it works alongside a students' normal college experience, with their schedules and interests that may be beyond the scope of Mentorship.

Whether you choose to attend the planned with your Mentorship group, meet over coffee with your Faculty or Staff Mentor or participate in some or all of the program-wide events that appeal to you, the University Mentorship Program is designed to meet YOUR needs and interests.

Read our MENTEE FAQ to help you decide if Mentorship is right for you!

Mentorship Course Selection (Backpacking) workshop and Detroit Tigers v. Chicago White Sox Baseball Outing

Program benefits for first year students

Immediate connection with a UM student and trained mentor who can offer a full picture of campus life and answer your questions
Interactions with faculty and staff mentors who can provide insight about UM
Friendly advice in a supportive environment
Informal one-on-one and group guidance
Fun activities, programs and events that touch on broad aspects of campus life that are of little or no cost to participants
Meeting other first-year students who share your same academic and extra-curricular interests and making worthwhile connections to faculty and staff.
Make UM smaller by learning about campus and community resources and activities during your first semester

Who can I expect to meet in my group?

Mentorship groups are comprised of people who have a variety of academic, pre-professional and/or extracurricular interests; you can expect to have some things in common with members of your group, and expect to learn a lot about various backgrounds and interests different from your own. Both Peer and Faculty/Staff Mentors serve as a point-of-contact and immediate resource to you and your group, there to answer your questions, connect you with campus resources, and help you explore UM.

The University Mentorship Program is one of the many Michigan Learning Communities available to students on campus. These programs help to make our large University easier to navigate.

Our Goal

Together Peer and Faculty/Staff Mentors will help you find your niche at the University of Michigan.

Photos from the Mentorship Pre-Professional Workshop (l) and Service/Community Restoration trip to Detroit (r)

Questions about Mentorship? Contact us, we are always happy to talk with prospective students and their parents! Our staff can be reached at 734-764-6413, or via email at UMMentor@umich.edu.

@gobluementor