DFC is a platform for underrepresented talent seeking or enrolled in graduate school. Our talent consists of both undergraduate students and working professionals. Our criteria for underrepresented include: Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, LGBTQ+, low-income, and first-generation. If these criteria do not apply to you but you feel as though you are a part of an underrepresented community within higher education and should be permitted to join DFC, please contact DFC Support at dfc@leadershipbrainery.org.

In order to be a mentor, make an account on Dear Future Colleague and select "Prospective Graduate Student" as your user type. Then, once you're on the platform, click the Mentorship widget on the top right of the homepage and fill out the mentorship application.

Matching occurs every Tuesday. If you have been registered on DFC as a mentee for more than a week and you still have not been matched, check your spam folder for a match notification email from “Dear Future Colleague.” If you did not receive a match notification email and you think you should have, reach out to DFC Support at dfc@leadershipbrainery.org.

Our mentorship relationships last for a minimum of three months with periodic survey check-ins. However, you are welcome to extend your relationship with your mentor if you both agree that it is needed. There will be a question on your Third Month Check-In asking if you and your mentor wish to extend the relationship.

DFC requires that you meet with your mentor for a minimum of two hours per month. However, you are welcome to meet with them more frequently if necessary.

Our team prefers that you contact your mentor through the DFC platform using direct and video messaging. However, we understand the need to email, text, or call your mentor as needed, as long as the two of you have agreed on those communication pathways.

If you’ve contacted your mentor through the DFC platform and they don’t respond within one week, please contact DFC Support at dfc@leadershipbrainery.org. If you have started your relationship and your mentor is suddenly unresponsive, please give them a call using the number on their DFC profile. If you do not see a number or you still cannot reach them, please contact DFC Support.

Your monthly check-in surveys can be found in the mentorship milestones. To get to the milestones, log on to DFC and click mentoring --> mentoring relationships --> see relationship details --> milestones. Find the survey that matches where you are in your mentorship relationship (introductory survey, second month check-in, or end of relationship survey), and copy and paste the survey link into your browser. Make sure to click "Milestone Complete" after you've completed your survey! You can also locate them under the Mentorship Resources tab here.

Any issues with your mentorship relationship can be submitted to DFC Support at dfc@leadershipbrainery.org and a team member will contact you to resolve the issues.

If you did not receive an approval or denial email or a match notification email and you believe you should have, check your spam folder and contact DFC Support at dfc@leadershipbrainery.org.

Check out our mentee infographic to read about our expectations, as well as some tips on how to be a great mentee and get the most out of your mentorship relationship.