Mentor program matches Wharton juniors with MBA students

Wharton juniors now have the exclusive privilege of obtaining an MBA mentor to guide them through the business world.

Wharton launched a revamped version of its GUIDE program this month, which assigns interested undergraduates with an MBA student. Previously, the program had been open to all undergraduate students in Wharton, but is now restricted to juniors to facilitate career exploration. Over 230 pairs of students are currently participating in the program.

“Going back to our survey data, many of our undergrads want more connections with the MBAs,” said Lee Kramer, one of the program’s advisors and the director of the Wharton undergraduate division.

GUIDE organizers decided that juniors would benefit most from the MBA mentorship since they must go through on-campus recruiting , job interviews and internship searches during this time.

“A freshman’s needs are a lot different from a junior’s needs and a senior’s needs,” Kramer said.

Through the program, mentees can seek advice from their mentors, who have had real life experience in certain industries and companies and are able to offer resume critiques and tips for the real world.

Many of the mentors and mentees were able to meet during last Tuesday’s kickoff event. Throughout the rest of the semester, the GUIDE executive board will work to create more opportunities for the pairs to meet, although they are encouraged to get together on their own and will earn credit for doing so through an incentive program.

The goal is for the mentor-mentee relationship to be an integral part of the Wharton experience for undergraduate juniors and first year MBA students. Ideally the relationship would last for at least two years — the duration of their time at Penn and beyond.

“Our hope is that the graduate students will learn something about themselves and be able to be a coach and mentor for their undergraduate student.” Undergraduates will have access to valuable advice they may not get from their classroom, clubs or recruiters. In the coming years, Kramer foresees a continued demand and growth for the program and its increasing ability to accommodate more pairs.

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