Supporting DEI in Doctoral Recruiting: Implementing and Sustaining a Pre-Application Mentoring Program

Not all prospective students have the social capital and connections to understand how to compile a competitive application to doctoral programs. In 2020, The Computer Science & Engineering Ph.D. program at the University of Washington launched a student-led and staff-supported pre-application mentoring program targeted to support prospective students who may not have access to their own local mentor in their current academic setting, peer network, and/or family. First generation students and those historically marginalized in the field can especially benefit from this type of 1-1 mentoring support. This session will provide attendees with an overview and evaluation of 5 years of our experience running our Pre-Application Mentoring Service (PAMS) in collaboration with current students who serve as 1-1 mentors. We will show how this program has quickly become one of our most effective recruiting strategies and an integral component of our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) initiatives. Attendees will be able to leave the session with the information necessary to replicate a similar program at their own institution.