McGrath cited maternity leave and child care as prime concerns for women about to graduate. Male mentors can also provide a useful perspective on child care, McGrath said, but she emphasized the importance of a woman's perspective, especially on issues like child care. "Having a woman who has taken leave or hired a nanny is important."

Prospective participants tell Radcliffe about their background and career goals and can select their top three mentors from a list of more than 100.

The program's steering committee then matches students with alumnae--some of the most valuable resources for current female students--says Kerrien Rollins '98, student chair of the program's steering committee and a former participant.

"They share a common experience, a kinship," she says. "It's not that men can't be exceptional mentors or advisers, it's simply that it's psychologically easier to see yourself" in a female mentor's role.

Research Partnerships

Finding a mentor can be a tricky process--especially for first- and second-year students who seek to get a feel for careers without wading in too deep.

The Radcliffe Research Partnerships and the Radcliffe Externship Program--both coordinated by the Radcliffe Office of Undergraduate Affairs--offer a mentorship framework which can lead to personal as well as professional relationships, students in the programs say. Unlike the Radcliffe Mentor Program, they encourage students to seek out mentors on their own.

The paid research partnership program allows female students to apply for semester-or year-long research projects in conjunction with Faculty members or fellows at the Bunting Institute, the Murray Research Center and the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute. This year, 32 projects were launched, with 48 students already participating.

The research partnership program has about a 50 percent acceptance rate, as participation blossomed by 42 percent last year, says program director Colleen MacDonald. She emphasizes that the partnership is not about the salary, but about developing mentoring relationships.

MacDonald says partnerships are increasingly popular because the student researchers are hand-picked by researchers--and not just assigned to them.

Michele N. Holbrook '82, a plant physiologist at the College, has employed several students as research assistants through the program, most recently Supinda Bunyavanich '99. Holbrook praised the partnerships, but encouraged students to investigate possible mentors outside of structured programs.

"Students need to be more proactive," Holbrook says.

"We [Faculty] don't really have a way to get in touch with students--we're busy doing our work," she says. "It's really just who walks through the door. Applying to the Radcliffe Partnership Program is like knocking on the door, just someone shows you where the doorknob is."

Holbrook also said that although Faculty may not generally seek out student mentees, they definitely benefit from such mentoring relationships.

"You get in touch with how quick undergrads can learn," she says.