About
Access Grads was founded in the spring of 2017 by Psychological and Brain Sciences graduate students Lauren Ortosky and Payton Small. They created the mentorship program because they recognized the need for increased interactions between undergraduates and graduate students to model the fact that there is no one type of graduate student and no one path to graduate school. A major goal of the program is to boost diversity in graduate schools and the discipline overall by encouraging students who may be interested in research but weren't sure whether their voice would be welcomed in science.
Graduate students know a lot of information that can be useful to undergraduates. This can include what it takes to get into graduate school, what research is being done in their department and area, what opportunities are available for undergraduates to get involved in research, and what it’s like to do science as a career. Through mentorship relationships, graduate students can advise and encourage motivated undergraduates to reach for their goals, share with them the unique tools and information they have acquired throughout their academic journey, and help undergraduates connect to the larger scientific community at UCSB.
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The program begins in the fall and runs throughout the entire academic year. We are looking for undergraduates who are interested in becoming a part of the psychology community here at UCSB. Mentors are graduate students in the Psychological & Brain Sciences or Clinical, Counseling and School Psychology Departments.
We try to match mentees and mentors by shared research interests and expertise. We welcome applications from students of all backgrounds and years. Priority is given to students who come from populations traditionally underrepresented in science, first generation students, and students planning to pursue graduate school in psychology.
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We also host various events throughout the year for undergraduates in the program, undergraduates interested in the program, and undergraduates in the psychology department. If you are interested in the mentorship program but want to learn more information before deciding to join or if you were unable to join this year, please join us at our events. For inquires, please email the team at accessgrads@gmail.com.
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"I love the Access Grads program because it's such a tangible way for me to add value to the community. It feels incredibly rewarding to be a resource for someone that may have had a much more difficult time finding this information themselves, and I always feel like a learn from my mentees too! " - ACCESS GRADS Mentor 2022-2023
Become a Mentor
Mentors are graduate students in the Psychological & Brain Sciences or Clinical, Counseling and School Psychology Departments at the University of California, Santa Barbara. If you are interested in becoming a graduate student mentor or have questions about the program, please send an email to accessgrads@gmail.com. We are always happy to have more graduate mentors! Mentors usually have 1- 4 undergraduate mentees whom they meet with a couple times per quarter and check in with via email periodically. These mentorship relationships can be more or less involved depending on the individual student's needs or interest. While everyone is encouraged to develop their own mentoring style, tips and ideas can be found here.
Become a Mentee
Applications to join Access Grads as a mentee are only open at the beginning of the fall quarter. The program runs throughout the academic year. We are looking for undergraduates who are interested in becoming a part of the psychology community here at UCSB. Undergraduates apply to become a mentee in the fall quarter and are matched with a graduate student mentor in the Psychological & Brain Sciences or Clinical, Counseling & School Psychology department, who remains their mentor for the entire academic year.
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We try to match mentees and mentors by shared research interests and expertise. We welcome applications from students of all backgrounds and years. Priority is given to students who come from populations traditionally underrepresented in science, first generation students, and students planning to pursue graduate school in psychology.
Applications for 2024-2025 are open until
October 25th
“Access Grads has given me resources and knowledge for grad school that I otherwise would have had no idea about as a transfer student. It has given me the opportunity to learn from someone who has both been in my shoes as an undergrad and is doing what I hope to do in the future. Access Grads has also helped me believe that I can go to grad school, and I don't feel as in the dark about the whole process of applying to grad school.”- ACCESS GRADS Mentee 2022-2023