How the APSA Mentor Program Works for Mentees
The APSA Mentoring Program will connect you to scholars and professionals who have volunteered to provide advice, support, and guidance on a wide range of topics within the political science profession.
Spring enrollment for mentees is now closed.
Submit Your Mentee Request Form
The Mentor Matching Process
- Submit a mentee request form during the open application cycle: On the form, you can specify particular issues and fields of research, teaching, or professional interest for which you are seeking a mentor. Based on your request, APSA staff will match you with a mentor who best meets your mentoring needs.
- Once you submit your form, APSA staff works to identify a suitable match.
- APSA makes matches twice a year: once in the fall semester (short term and long term matches) and once in the spring semester (short term matches). Matching is on a first come, first served basis. APSA anticipates making 30 short term matches each semester and 30 long term matches per year.
- APSA will email you the contact information of a mentor from the volunteer mentor pool.
- You have 48 hours to contact the APSA mentor by email:
- When you receive your mentor's contact information, you should contact the mentor with your question(s).
- Mentors are volunteers and have agreed to respond to your contact, so please be sure to work out a schedule that is agreeable with both the mentor and the mentee.
- If you cannot make contact within the first 48 hours, reach out to your mentor as soon as possible to let them know and discuss the schedule and questions.
- If you do not make contact within the first 48 hours, APSA will assume that you are not interested in a mentor/mentee relationship and match your mentor with a new mentee.
- APSA staff provide an online mentor-mentee orientation webinar. This is an expected component of the APSA mentoring program.
- APSA staff will check in with you and your mentor about a month after the match has been made in order to assess the process.
Mentoring Resources