Alumni Mentoring: Frequently Asked Questions

In the 2026/2027 school year, juniors and seniors are eligible to participate.

The official registration opens in August!

August 2026 – Registration opens for students.
September 2026 – Matching takes place
October 2026 – Program begins
March 2027 – Program concludes

The 2025/2026 program will kick off in September after matches have been made and ends in March. Along the way there will be six milestones with separate deadlines that mentoring pairs will be expected to meet (about one per month). You and your mentor are free to decide to meet more frequently if you mutually desire.

Yes! Juniors and seniors are eligible to participate during the 2026/2027 school year.

The connectGettysburg platform has advanced matching algorithms that are used to match students with alumni. Not only will it consider information in your profile, such as your major and industries of interest, but it will also ask you a series of questions about what is important to you in a mentor when you register for the program.

No. In fact, we have designed this program to be entirely virtual so mentorship can be completed from anywhere. Student mentees and mentors will decide together the best mode for mentorship meetings, but we highly encourage the use of advanced communication tools such as video conferencing in connectGettysburg.

Of course! While the mentoring program has a clear start and finish date as well as required benchmarks throughout, if you have built a trusted relationship with your mentor and mutually want to keep meeting, you will just need to work out those details with your mentor outside of the program.

Not exactly. Students can only be matched with one mentor as part of the Formal Mentoring Program at a time. However, students are permitted to join future mentoring programs, and of course, students can access micro mentoring at any time using the connectGettysburg platform.

The Formal Mentoring Program is not going to be a perfect fit for everyone. If that’s the case for you, don’t worry, you can still find alumni to help you with career advice, networking help, and post-college transition support through micro mentoring on connectGettysburg.

Yes! Depending on where you will be studying, it should be easy to coordinate meeting with your mentor at times that work for each of you and meet all the benchmarks in a timely manner.

For the purposes of this program, all students will be matched using the algorithm. That said, every student in the program will have the opportunity to select up to three alumni as “favorites,” which the algorithm considers during matching, but there is no guarantee.

The new and improved connectGettysburg platform uses advanced matching algorithms to connect students with alumni. It considers information in your profile, such as your major in college and current industries of interest. Additionally, when you register for the program, you’ll answer a series of questions about your areas of expertise and what matters most to you.

No. Unfortunately, due to the number of volunteers, not every alumni who signs up will be matched with a student. However, all students can access Micro Mentoring with any alumni at any time through the connectGettysburg platform. To increase the likelihood of students reaching out, we encourage alumni to complete their profiles thoroughly, especially the “Career Journey” section.

No. The program is designed to be entirely virtual so that mentorship can happen from anywhere. Student mentees and alumni mentors will decide together on the most effective way to meet, though we strongly recommend using the platform’s advanced communication tools, including video conferencing.

Alumni mentors are matched with one student at a time. However, mentors are welcome to join future mentoring programs, and students can reach out to any alumni for Micro Mentoring at any time through connectGettysburg.

Absolutely! While the program has a defined timeline and specific benchmarks, if you and your mentee build a strong relationship and wish to continue meeting, you are welcome to do so outside of the formal program.

We completely understand—and that’s exactly why Micro Mentoring exists! Every alumni on connectGettysburg can be available to students for short-term career advice, industry insights, or post-college transition support.

The 2026–2027 program runs from October through March, following the matching process. Throughout the program, you and your mentee will be expected to meet specific milestones. You’re also free to meet more frequently if you both agree.

Absolutely. Each time a new program begins, we’ll reach out to invite alumni to participate as mentors.

Yes—you are not alone! We’re here to support you at any time. If you have questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to mentor@gettysburg.edu.

Not at all. This is a structured program designed to support mentors at every level. We’ll provide you with all the tools you need, including benchmarks and goals. If you’ve mentored before, fantastic—your experience will be an asset. But rest assured, the program is built to help every alumni succeed, regardless of prior mentoring experience.

June 2026 – Registration opens for alumni
September 2026 – Matching takes place
October 2026 – Program begins
March 2027 – Program concludes