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Sign Up for the SIB Mentor Program!

Are you an incoming international frosh? If so, sign up for the SIB Mentors Program today where you'll be paired with 2 international mentors who will be there to support your transition to Stanford and the U.S. Sign up before July 28, 2024 to join!

Sign Up Today

SIB Mentors Program

SIB Mentors program participant quote: As a SIB Mentor, I feel more connected to Stanford's international community.

The Stanford I-Mentors at Bechtel (SIB) Mentors Program is designed to support incoming international undergraduate students' transition to life at Stanford and the United States through mentorship.

Incoming international students who sign up to participate in the program are paired with two trained undergraduate upper-class mentors who are either international students or are closely connected to the international student experience. Participating mentees will be matched with their mentors during the summer prior to the mentees’ Stanford arrival. From summer to the end of the Spring Quarter of the academic year, mentees can rely on their assigned mentors for support to answer questions and help acclimate them to the Stanford community.

Quote from SIB mentor program participant: I think that it is really nice to instantly have a community of international students to talk to, and more specifically, a pair of older Stanford students who can give advice and who are open to talking about their experiences.

Joining the SIB Mentors Programs as an incoming international student means you become a member of a “SIB Fam” cohort with about ten other incoming international students. In addition to those connections, you’ll have other opportunities to meet incoming frosh international students during SIB Program-hosted events throughout the year.

Continuing undergraduate students interested in becoming a mentor in the SIB Mentors Program for the following academic year can find a link to an application on this page during Spring Quarter. All incoming international undergraduates are invited to join the program the summer before their planned Autumn arrival.

Contact Us

If you need additional information, contact the SIB Program Director, Jason Ehrenzeller at jehrenz@stanford.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who can participate in the SIB Program as a mentee?

    • All incoming international frosh are encouraged to sign up. If you are not attending Stanford on an F-1 or J-1 visa but identify as an international student (e.g., you spent part of your life living outside of the United States, are a Green Card Holder, a dual/multi citizen), you are also encouraged to participate.

  • As an incoming international frosh, why should I sign up?

    • This program is intentionally designed to make the transition to life in a new country as smooth as possible for incoming international students. You will likely have questions regarding day-to-day life in a new country that are simply best answered by peers who have had a similar experience recently. Such mentors can help ease your transition to campus life and offer insight and tips into making Stanford feel more navigable and manageable. Additionally, you will get to know another ten or so incoming frosh in your “SIB Fam” cohort who share the same mentors and participate together in fun events the program offers throughout the year.

  • Who can participate in the SIB Program as a mentor?

    • Any Stanford undergraduate student who completed one academic year by the following Autumn term (i.e., currently enrolled first-year students are eligible to apply). Both international and domestic undergraduate students are eligible to apply. Graduate students, exchange students, and post-docs are not eligible.

  • How many students participate in this program?

    • We currently have a staff of 50 trained mentors, and during our 2022/23 pilot program, we had about 220 frosh participants.

  • How is the program structured?

    • Mentors work in pairs to support around ten incoming frosh mentees. This collective unit is known as a “SIB Fam.”

  • How are the “SIB Fam” assignments made?

    • While SIB Mentor partners can choose to work with one another, the mentee assignments are made by Bechtel staff in a way that creates the evenest distribution of identities (e.g., home country, gender, interests).

  • As a prospective mentor, what is my associated commitment?

    • After application acceptances, we host a two-hour orientation in the Spring Quarter, followed by about three hours total of virtual training during the Summer quarter. In the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters, you need to attend a quarterly program event. In addition, you must host two informal meetups with mentees which you can schedule in consideration of their class schedule and other commitments. You should also account for some additional time to respond to questions in your group chats. After initial training, expect to spend about four to five hours per quarter fulfilling your role as a mentor. Your commitment is for one year.

  • Is the SIB Mentor role a paid position?

    • SIB mentors are unpaid volunteers. You do receive a staff T-shirt and plenty of free food. We currently have five SIB Captains who hold administrative and planning duties in addition to their work as SIB mentors. Captains receive a yearly stipend for meeting with Bechtel Programming Staff on a bi-weekly basis to support the program’s administration. Captain applications are available during Winter Quarter.

  • How many events are offered with the SIB Program?

    • Each quarter, the program hosts one large event for all mentors and mentees to come together. Additionally, mentor pairs host two informal hangouts (such as campus walks, coffee meetups, etc.) per quarter.