CS Academic Coaching Program

Overview

The CS Academic Coaching Program enables any CS student who wants to go above and beyond in their CS journey. Students will be paired with experienced upperclassmen peer coaches for academic and career guidance. 

In addition to succeeding in courses, students in the CS major are expected to succeed at the “hidden CS curriculum.” The hidden CS curriculum includes topics not taught in the classroom, but are needed to get a job in software engineering. Example topics include preparing for coding interviews, creating personal projects, attending hackathons, learning technical concepts/tools/languages not taught in class (e.g. GitHub and Python), obtaining research experience, and much more.

The CS Department has attempted to address this through initiatives such as the CSL physical space for students to commune, Scarlet Labs, career workshops and panels, student success guides, and faculty interviews. The CS Academic Coaching Program functions as another avenue for students to level up in their CS journey. 

The program will officially begin in Fall 2026. Fill out this form and we’ll notify you when mentee applications open in late Summer 2026. 

What does the program entail?

Students will be paired with a peer coach for one (1) semester. Matching will happen at the beginning of the semester. Each student can expect the following:

1. Meet & match with a peer coach – once per semester
   1. At the beginning of the semester, meet all potential peer coaches at a meet-and-greet event. All peer coaches are CSL’s student community managers. 
   2. Afterwards, you’ll submit your peer coach preferences, then we’ll match you based on your preferences (as feasible). 
2. Check in with your peer coach – every other week
   1. 15-30 minute meeting with your peer coach to discuss a topic of your choice. Example topics include:
      1. Discussing time management tactics
      2. Review your resume together
      3. Sharing info/resources that your peer coach found useful
3. Create a career plan – once per semester
   1. Learn your values, explore career options and the necessary skills, and build an actionable plan. 
4. Create a 4-year schedule – once per semester
   1. Map out all of the courses you plan to take until you graduate, ensuring you’re on track to graduate and complete all major/minor requirements.

Fill out this form and we’ll notify you when mentee applications open in late Summer 2026.