Matriculate AF Info Session & Application FAQ

Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here!!

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We’ll get started shortly.

Meet your Advising Fellow Leadership Team (AFLT)!!

Rayan

- Class: 2028

- Major: Neuroscience/Global Health

- Email: rayanlahlou-nabil2028@u.northwestern.edu

- Why Matriculate: I love being able to spread my knowledge about college to students who are in the same situation that I was in.

- Fun Fact: I LOVE the Chicago Bears!

Noor

- Class: 2027

- Major: Political science + Learning and Organizational Change

- Email: noormaghaydah2027@u.northwestern.edu

- Why Matriculate: As a FGLI and the oldest in my family, it is a great opportunity to provide guidance and support to high schoolers that are in a similar boat that I was.

- Fun Fact: I am left-handed

Kidman Ip

- Class: 2026

- Major: Neuroscience

- Email: kidmanip2026@u.northwestern.edu

- Why Matriculate: Being first-gen myself, I remember how stressful applying to college was, and I want to help fellow high schoolers ease their stress.

- Fun Fact: I LOVE ice cream

Meet your Head Advising Fellows (HAFs)!

Angelina

- Class: Sophomore

- Major: Econ & LOC

- Email: angelinamo2028@u.northwestern.edu

- Why Matriculate: I know how stressful college apps can be and I wanted to help make the process less daunting for high school students.

- Fun Fact: I did rhythmic gymnastics for 7 years.

Victor

- Class: Sophomore

- Major: Mechanical Engineering

- Email: victorosele2028@u.northwestern.edu

- Why Matriculate: I truly believe in passing along kindness, I know I had a lot of help from

- Fun Fact: My olympic maxes are 345 bench, 495 squat, 525 deadlift.

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Today’s Agenda

Perspectives: AF Experience

10

MIN.

What is Matriculate?

A national education non-profit

• Connects students from top universities to low-income and first-generation high school students
• Usually from your local area

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• Mentors get a comprehensive training in the spring semester
• We have extensive training and onboarding for all Advising Fellows
• We don’t require you to have a particular application experience -- what matters is self-reflecting on what your own application process was and leveraging your knowledge to support your students

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• Work with students on their college application process - bridging educational opportunities
• Share your experiences as a Northwestern student!
• Common App, FAFSA, CSS, scholarships, etc.

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AF Application Overview

Application Process

• Currently enrolled full-time in one of Matriculate’s partner campuses or a VAF school

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• Current college freshmen, sophomore, or junior

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• Complete a short eligibility form; when completed, you’ll receive the full application !

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• 4 Short Answer Questions

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• Availability and Background Info Questions

• Interview conducted by a member of the Matriculate student leadership team

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• Opportunity to learn more about the AF role and share more about your own experience and background �

• Receive application update: waitlist, acceptance, or rejection
• Kickoff Gathering with your Fellowship!
• Get ready for AF Training to begin!

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Eligibility

Application

Interview

App Decision

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4

Recruitment Calendar

AF Application Best Practices

What do we look for in our Advising Fellows?

Growth Mindset

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Student Centered Thinking

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Persistence

Active Advising and Coaching

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Emphasis on growth and skill potential!

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Applicant Common Concerns

• I’m nervous about the time commitment!
• HSF pairing begins in Spring 2026
• HSF meetings are self-scheduled
• You are paired with HSFs one at a time

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• I wasn’t very organized during the admissions process/I don’t remember my own application process!
• We have extensive training and onboarding for all Advising Fellows
• We don’t require you to have a particular application experience -- what matters is self-reflecting on what your own application process was and leveraging your knowledge to support your students

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• I don’t think I’m ready to start working with High School Fellows right now!
• You won’t start meeting with students until May-June of 2026 and you’ll go through extensive onboarding beforehand! All AFs will have peer and staff support to succeed

Applicant Common Concerns

• I’ve never worked as a mentor before!
• That’s okay!! There is no pre-existing mentorship experience required
• Matriculate welcomes students of all experiences; that’s what our training is for!

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• I don’t have personal experience as a first generation or lower-income high school student; am I still a good fit for this program?
• Yes!! Advising Fellows come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences -- some are former HSFs, some experienced systemic barriers during their application process, and others had a high degree of application support and resources
• We welcome all of these experiences -- your perspective will be a valuable addition to your diverse fellowship community!

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• My academic interest/major is way outside the sphere of education access; am I a good fit to be an AF?
• Absolutely yes! We have HSFs who are interested in all academic areas, the more AFs from different areas of study we have, the better!

AF Role Overview

Advising Fellow Term Overview: Year I

• Complete self-scheduled online training course
• Attend ~6 hours of onboarding with your fellowship
• Take the Advising Skills Evaluation
• Get to know your fellow AFs, Head Advising Fellows, and Matriculate staff! Get ready to meet your students!

• Receive an initial pairing with a High School Fellow!
• Attend monthly All-Fellowship Meetings
• Begin meeting with up to 3 High School Fellows weekly
• Complete Session Summaries

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HSF PAIRING

Spring 2026

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AF ONBOARDING

Fall 2025

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Advising Fellow Responsibilities

• Meet weekly with up to three HSFs*
• Support them throughout their college application process
• Collaborate with your students to work through each aspect of their college journey; complete session summaries

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• Attend monthly meetings with all members of your fellowship
• Provide feedback and support to other Advising Fellows; collaborate when facing advising challenges
• Attend Working Group meetings with other AFs

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• Complete webinars and ongoing Matriculate learning
• Opportunities to apply to leadership positions and receive professional development
• Provide ongoing feedback to Matriculate through surveys and feedback

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HSF SUPPORT

PROGRAM FEEDBACK & LEARNING

ALL FELLOWSHIP MEETINGS

AF Support: Collaboration & Resources

Working Groups

Challenging situations support

Head Advising Fellows

Fellowship Lead

AF Toolkit & Curriculum

All Fellowship Meetings

The AF Experience

Q & A with our Leadership Team!

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• What do you wish you’d known about the AF role that you know now?

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• How did you balance the AF role with your own responsibilities?

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• What did you find most rewarding about the AF role? What was most challenging about the role?

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• What advice do you have for prospective applicants?

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Open Q & A Session

Open Time for Student Questions

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• What remaining questions and concerns do you have about the Advising Fellow role?

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• What concerns do you have about completing your application?

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• Do you have any feedback for us?

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• Feel free to stick around if you have additional questions!

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Next Steps

• Apply by 10/5 at the link we shared at the beginning of this session!

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• Have friends who would make amazing Advising Fellows or clubs we should share this opportunity with? Stay after to let us know!

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• Reach out to fellowship@matriculate.org with any questions about the roles or application

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• Check out @Matriculateorg and @NUMatriculate on Instagram for more info!

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• We’ll stick around for any remaining or lingering questions – we’d love to chat��

Kahoot

• https://create.kahoot.it/details/5507ad7e-ab0e-4863-a812-f7fa4fdabae4?drawer=