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PEER 2011-2012 Mentee Application

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

PEER helps incoming Asian Pacific American (APA) freshmen adjust to life at the University of Pennsylvania, particularly as APA students, while helping them develop skills to become strong leaders within and outside the APA community at Penn and in Philadelphia. The program pairs freshmen with upper-class mentors who guide them regarding issues of identity development, emotional health, academic success, leadership skills, a sense of belonging, community consciousness, and many others. Additionally, PEER Mentees can begin applying their newly acquired leadership skills as early as their freshmen year as they design and implement a community service project—most students do not experience such an opportunity until their junior or senior year of college.

Mentor – Mentee Relationship

Each PEER mentee is paired with a PEER mentor, who is a strong leader at Penn. Mentor/Mentee pairings are made on the basis of academic and extracurricular interests as well as personalities to ensure the best fit possible. Mentors, who have already undergone a rigorous selection process, are committed to helping first year students not only adjust to college life, but also develop the necessary skills to become great leaders on campus. Mentors and mentees meet regularly, either through organized PEER events or informal get-togethers.

The Retreat

At the beginning of the fall semester, all mentees and mentors attend an off-campus retreat; the retreat allows PEER members to bond and form friendships with each other, while beginning to develop many skills vital to their success as future leaders of Penn and Philadelphia. 

The Service Project

The service project, a vital component of the mentee experience, is a culmination of the leadership skills that the mentees have gained throughout the PEER year. At the retreat, mentees identify a topic of APA interest in the Penn and/or Philadelphia community that they are interested in researching or improving; based on these interests, the mentee class is divided into groups so that each team can plan and execute a service project throughout the year.  Though each group works under the supervision of a project adviser, mentees make the ultimate decisions in terms of creating and implementing their project.

Scheduled Events and Informal Meetings

PEER schedules approximately two to three events each month – a social event to create a familial atmosphere within the PEER community, a leadership development event to provide mentees with tangible skills that can be utilized in their future leadership positions, and an additional event to introduce PEER mentees Asian Pacific American community at Penn and in Philadelphia. In addition to these formal events, to ensure adequate support for PEER mentees, they will meet with their mentors on a regular basis; mentees also meet with their service project teams/project advisers regularly.   

APPLICATION PROCESS

There are three components to the application process: the written application, the phone interview, and the on-campus interview.  Since dedication to PEER, as well as attendance at the events listed above, is so vital to the program, the purpose of this extensive application is to ascertain the amount of commitment applicants will have to the organization.  Since PEER mentees learn as much from each other as they do from the mentors and project advisers, an ideal applicant will enhance the incoming mentee class, be it through past experiences, creative ideas, leadership potential, or other significant contributions.


KEY DATES

August 19, 5pm: Application due

August 21 – 27: Phone Interviews

September 1- September 10: On-campus Interviews

September 16: Notification of acceptance

September 24-25: Off-campus retreat

Name *
Date of Birth *
Gender
Ethnic Background *
Generation (1st=immigrant, 1.5=moved to US at early age, 2nd=born in US, etc.) *
SchoolCollegeWhartonEngineeringNursing*
Anticipated Major *
Home Address (including City,State) *
Phone Number (for phone interview) *
Email Address *
Please list all the times (EST) from 8/21 - 8/27 when you will be available for a phone interview. *
Why do you want to be a PEER mentee? *
What would you like to get involved in during your first year at Penn (work-study jobs, student organizations, music program, etc.)? *
Would you consider yourself a leader in high school? If so, please explain. *
Please describe some of the challenges facing Asian Pacific American college students. How do you hope PEER will help you overcome those obstacles? *