Participate in one of the most popular Newcomb traditions! Previously known as Newcomb Big/Little, hundreds of undergraduates choose to participate in this program every year. Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors sign up to mentor first-year and/or transfer students. Mentors serve as a resource, a guide, and a friend as each first-year transitions to Tulane, and are a helpful source of advice and insight throughout the fall semester. Newcomb Institute hosts events for both to attend in order to get to know each other better.
All first-year and transfer students are welcome to register to be mentored. Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors may apply to be a mentor.
The application for Newcomb Peer Mentors will be open March 1-31, 2024. Registration for first-year or and transfer students will open on June 1, 2024. Because we hope to give each student a one-to-one match, sign-ups will be first come, first served. Registration will close when we have an equal amount of mentors to mentees OR on Friday, July 14 -- whichever comes first. We recommend registering well in advance of the July 14 deadline because spaces may fill up. Pairs will be matched by late July based on interests, majors, or any other factors you'd like us to consider. Mentors will contact mentees in early August.
If you are a first-year student hoping to be matched with a Newcomb Peer Mentor, please apply below.
If you are a sophomore, junior, or senior hoping to be matched with a mentee, please review the expectations below. If you meet the requirements, apply below.
Qualifications:
- be a rising sophomore or above,
- have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA
- be on campus during Fall 2024.
Requirements:
- Complete Mentor Institute certification by May 26
- Attend Newcomb Mentor Training on August 1 (on Zoom)
- Attend training in August
- Attend the Pinning Ceremony with your mentee at the beginning of the school year
- Attend at least one Mentor event with your mentee during the fall semester
- Biweekly check-ins with your mentee
To apply, fill out the applications below:
- Mentee Application - For first-year and transfer students hoping to be matched with a Newcomb Mentor.
- Mentor Application - For rising sophomore, junior, or senior students hoping to be matched with a Newcomb Mentee.
“My Newcomb family has been one of my strongest connections since I came to Tulane…My mentor & mentee have been two of my best friends and even drove me to the hospital when I had an allergic reaction. We have family events at least twice a month and they have been amazing resources and we’re in the process of planning a road trip to visit each other this summer. They have been fantastic mentors for me throughout my first year of college.”
– 2019 program participant
“I would like to be a Newcomb Mentor because, as a mentee, this program was the first connection I had to a current Tulane student. I was able to confide in my Newcomb Mentor any concerns or questions I had about the school, ultimately giving me a sense of comfort which I didn't have before.”
– 2019 program participant
“I have done the program since my freshman year at Tulane and I think it is important to help freshmen become more familiar with their surroundings and student body at Tulane. It was really nice for me to have someone I could go to for advice, especially during my first semester. My time as a Newcomb Mentor has been meaningful to me and has brought me a lot of joy in my years at Tulane.”
– 2019 program participant
“Whether it be about academics, party culture, or living with other people, there are a lot of new experiences freshmen have to navigate in their first semester and it can be supremely overwhelming. For these reasons, I feel particularly inclined to be a Newcomb Mentor. I want to be a resource for a freshman, one that I didn't have, in order to help them navigate their freshman year and have the most positive experience possible. I want to be someone that they feel comfortable coming to with questions, receive advice from, or simply vent about their problems to. I believe that being able to assist even just one freshman in this way would be extremely impactful and would only help them have a more positive experience at Tulane.”
– 2019 program participant
“I think this program would be a great way to connect and build relationships with members of the incoming class. They are the future of Tulane, and any way that I can help them in their journey here would be such an amazing opportunity. I also want to be a Newcomb Mentor so I can give a student the same welcoming experience that I received upon my arrival at Tulane. I was not part of the Newcomb Peer Mentor program, but all the students and staff made me personally feel like I belonged and I was valued. Giving that same sense of belonging to another student would be such a great way to pay it forward and to cultivate a supportive environment at Tulane.”
– 2019 program participant
