Helping Students at the Margins Get Into Graduate School: Evaluating a Multifaceted Mentoring Program
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18113/P8mj2061075Keywords:
GPA, higher education, mentoring, academic advising, program evaluation, underrepresented minority students, academic pipelineAbstract
In order to address persistent challenges that underrepresented minority students face in entering and succeeding in graduate school, University of California, Berkeley, academic advisers and concerned graduate students partnered to develop the Getting into Graduate School (GiGS) mentoring program. Unlike similar programs, GiGS was unique in that it did not select students on the basis of GPA or academic achievement. Program participants included 151 ethnically diverse undergraduates with average major and cumulative GPAs of 3.15 and 3.29, respectively. Participants were paired with 55 graduate student mentors based on academic interests. Mentees met regularly with mentors, attended informational workshops led by academic advisers, and participated in networking events. After program participation, students gained more knowledge related to graduate school preparation, demystification of graduate school, the graduate school application process, and post-graduation planning. 73% of mentees reported that participating in GiGS positively changed their post-graduation perception and plans, and 13 out of the 14 students who applied to graduate school in the study year were accepted. GiGS can serve as a model for institutions wishing to support underrepresented minority students, including those whose credentials are considered less competitive for graduate school admission.References
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