Student Mentor Talking Points
- Begin with introductions – who you are, your connection to CSB+SJU, brief description of employment position or grad school attending.
- Explain the purpose of the contact – CSB+SJU Admission has created a new program for alums to communicate with incoming students for them to have a resource and Bennie/Johnnie connection before they even arrive on campus.
- Get to know the student and find commonalities by asking lots of questions:
- “How was your high school experience?” (May want to comment on graduation, or the absence of ceremony).
- “I see you’re interested in (academic program)….what has led you to that area of study? (If a student is undecided, ask what they think their strengths are)
- “Have you thought about a career path or are you still exploring?”
- “What activities have you been involved with outside of the classroom?”
- “Which of those will you pursue at CSB+SJU?”
- “What are your plans for the summer? Work? Travel? Sports? Music?”
- “What led you to enroll at CSB+SJU?”
- “Have you visited the campuses, and if so, how long ago?”
- “What do you hope to get out of your college experience?
- Topics for discussion as they apply to you and the student’s interests:
- A brief description of your CSB+SJU experience, and why you chose CSB+SJU
- How the Benedictine values shaped your growth as a student and alum
- How CSB+SJU helped you develop the skills necessary to be successful in your current position (critical thinking, problem solving, speaking, etc.)
- Opportunities for faculty interaction
- Opportunities for research
- Career exploration and internships
- Study Abroad
- Topics to avoid unless they bring it up:
- Family (other than to ask if they are a legacy and had other family members attend CSB+SJU).
- Religion (other than to point out the Benedictine values and how they shaped your college experience)
- Financial aid (refer them to the Financial Aid Office or to Carol Gadd-Marshall at [email protected]).
- Drug/alcohol issues on campus
- CSB+SJU as a “party school”
- Some helpful links:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Essential Admission Links for Volunteers