Cronkite Mentorship FAQs

What is the Cronkite Mentorship Program and what are its benefits?
The Cronkite Mentorship Program is designed to match freshmen with professionals working in the industry.  Through this mentoring experience, you will have opportunities to shadow media professionals, network with professionals, get an inside look at the industry, take tours of companies and pick the brains of some of the most talented people in the business.

Who should get involved?
Any freshman at the Cronkite School may apply for the CMP.

How do I get involved with the CMP?
Applications are available online. The application deadline is mid-June, with the specific date posted on the application. Space is limited, and selections will be based on the essay portion of the application.

When do I get matched to a mentor?
Students and mentors will be notified in early August, a few weeks before the start of the new school year.

How does the mentorship work?
Once a student is matched to a mentor, we expect both parties to contact each other in person at least once a month, more often if time permits. We encourage as much in-person, face-to-face contact as possible. E-mail, texting and telephone contact are all good ways to stay in touch, but the monthly face-to-face meetings are the most critical to building a relationship.

How can we have a successful mentor/mentee professional relationship?
Like anything, communication and commitment is critical in making this professional and educational relationship a success. If you sign up as a mentor or mentee, we expect you to stay with it through the school year. And even though the school year lasts just nine months, we encourage you to stay in contact with each other indefinitely.

How will the CMP experience be evaluated?
At the end of the school year, we will ask students and mentors to evaluate the program through a written evaluation. We want to know what works and what doesn’t in order to improve the CMP for future participants.