General

For Mentees

For Mentors

General FAQs:

Who can be a mentee in the MAGIC program? 

Mentees from any underrepresented or historically marginalized group are invited to participate. This includes people with disabilities, first-generation college students and individuals from low-income backgrounds. If you are unsure whether you are a good fit for the program, there is no harm in filling out the sign-up form! 

The MAGIC program is not just for UConn students or to those who are considering UConn for their doctoral degree. If you are considering applying to a doctoral program, no matter where you are from, or where (or when!) you are considering applying — you can still sign up for MAGIC! And feel free to share this flyer advertising our program with anyone who might be interested!

Who can be a mentor in the MAGIC program? 

If you are a UConn graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, or faculty member doing research in any of the fields that MAGIC currently covers (Psychological Sciences, Cognitive Science, Neurosciences [including Cognitive, Animal and Human] or a related area [e.g., Linguistics or Speech and Hearing Sciences]), then we’d love to have you join as a mentor! Many of our mentees are interested in Clinical Psychology, so we especially welcome mentors in clinical areas.

What is the time commitment?

It’s up to you! You have the option of being matched with a specific mentor/mentee who you would meet with at what every frequency you agree on.

How do I join? 

If you’d like to be a mentee (receive advice) or a mentor (give advice), please fill out this form.

After you fill out one of the above forms, we will either match you with a mentor/mentee in our MAGIC Formal Mentoring Program (if you selected this option during registration) or, if you indicated that you would like to schedule meetings on an as-need basis, we will share password with you to access our mentor page that indicates which mentors you can email. We also provide resources such as email templates to help you email mentors. If you have any questions, email us at magic.initiative@uconn.edu.

Why is MAGIC currently limited to certain fields (Psychological Sciences and adjacent fields)?

The MAGIC program was developed by members of the UConn SLAC, IBACS and Neurobiology of Language communities. Because we work in Psychological Sciences and adjacent areas, we are starting the program in our own fields. We hope that others will join us in the future!

FAQs for Mentees:

How do I find mentors? 

If you opted-in to our formal one-on-one matching program, we will curate a match for you based on your interests and send you an email. If you are looking to meet with mentors on an as-needed basis (drop-in), you can use the provided password to access our mentor page which indicates which mentors you can email. We also provide resources such as email templates to help you email mentors. 

I’m having trouble finding an appropriate mentor. Can you help?

Yes! Please email us at magic.initiative@uconn.edu if you’d like a suggestion from us. 

I no longer need the program and would like to be removed from the email list. What should I do?

Please email us at magic.initiative@uconn.edu and we can remove you from our list.

 

FAQs for Mentors:

I want to be a mentor, but I’m unsure about the time commitment. Should I sign up?

Yes! You can mentor as many students as you have time for. You have the option of being matched with a specific mentee (or more than one if you like).  If you sign-up for drop-in mentoring and end up changing your mind due to an unmanageable amount of requests, please email us and we will remove you as an option.

How will I know someone wants to meet with me?

Email is our main form of communication. We will email you if/when a formal match has been made and this is how mentees will contact you if you’ve signed up for drop-in mentoring. 

A mentee requested up to meet with me, but I don’t think I am a good fit. Should I still meet with them?

Yes! They may be exploring their options or are interested in meeting with you because of something you put in your profile. 

I don’t have time to mentor anymore.

Please email us ( magic.initiative@uconn.edu) to opt-out of mentoring (either formal or drop-in). You can also do so in the experience survey sent out each year at the end of our cycle. 

I am a UConn mentor (grad student or faculty member) and have left UConn. Can I still be a mentor? 

Yes! By default, all mentors will remain listed until they decide to leave the program. For formal one-on-one mentoring, mentors will continue to need to opt-in each cycle.