College Link Mentorship
Supporting recent Summer Science Program alumni through the college application process.
About the Program
SSP International supports alumni as they transition out of high school and on to college. The College Link program offers alumni a suite of varied types of support until arrival to college including weekly mentoring sessions in the fall, College Roundtables with admissions representatives, financial aid workshops, and other special events featuring guest speakers and experts.
The mentoring process matches recent participants of the Summer Science Program with volunteer mentors from the over 4,000 alumni who are eager to support mentees throughout the college application journey. Young alumni receive mentoring and support through one-on-one and group mentoring.
From September through December, mentees meet weekly with mentors who provide guidance on each stage of the college application process, from building college lists and writing essays to preparing applications and making enrollment decisions.
College Link Impact
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Since the programs creation in 2020:
- Over 580 alumni have participated as mentors.
- Over 650 mentees have received support as they navigated the college admission process.
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In 2025 alone, 287 mentees connected with 122 mentors for one-on-one and group mentoring.
Mentoring
Mentoring is different from advising or coaching: mentors provide structured near-peer support and resources around common experience, not professional advising or guidance around college decisions. Participants may indicate a preference for individual or group mentoring for the foundational (first three) sessions. Subsequent sessions are in groups.
Individual mentoring shifts to a group format later in the fall to provide mentees the opportunity to develop a peer community and benefit from group support. The Student Success Team supports both mentors and mentees by providing resources, facilitating office hours, coordinating special events, and helping participants build meaningful mentor/mentee relationships.
While we cannot guarantee placement in a participant’s preferred mentoring format, we will do our best to accommodate each participant’s preference based on mentor availability and program capacity.
First Generation College Students
SSP International is committed to increasing diversity in STEM and academia by offering tailored support to participants whose parents do not hold higher education degrees. First-generation college students are prioritized for their meeting style preference, ensuring our recent alumni who will be the first in their family to attend college have an extra helping hand as they navigate the complexities of the college application and admission process. In addition, we offer special support groups for international students and QuestBridge applicants to provide targeted guidance and support tailored to the unique aspects of each application process.
Get Involved
SSPI thrives because of the incredible participants who become passionate alumni, eager to support the next generation. Mentoring is a powerful way to give back—whether it’s offering guidance, sharing experiences, or inspiring future scientists, your impact can be life-changing.