What Alongside is
Alongside connects high school students with current college students for one-on-one help with college applications: essays, college lists, interviews, majors and what college is really like. Mentors share their own recent experience. They are not school counselors, and nobody on Alongside can guarantee admission anywhere.
Who the mentors are
Every mentor applies with their college, class year and major, tells us how we can confirm they attend college, and agrees to a code of conduct. The Alongside team reviews each application personally before a profile appears, and every mentor confirms in writing that they have no criminal record and have never been expelled or suspended for misconduct. Mentors who verified their college email, or whose enrollment we checked, show a blue verified check next to their name. Reviews on a profile come only from students who completed a session with that mentor on Alongside.
How a session works
- Sessions are one-on-one, 60 minutes, in Alongside’s private video room. There is nothing to download: the room opens in the browser from the dashboard 5 minutes before the start.
- Before a full session, students can book a free 10-minute intro call to see if the mentor is a good fit.
- You’re welcome to be nearby or drop in (we ask students to join from a shared space at home), and you are copied on every booking email: the confirmation, the reminders the day before and an hour before, and the mentor’s notes afterwards.
- Sessions are not recorded at the moment. If Alongside starts recording sessions privately for safety, this page and the Terms will say so first.
What it costs
Each mentor sets their own price for a 60-minute session; it is shown on their profile and again before booking. The intro call is free. During our pilot, families pay the mentor directly after the session (for example by Venmo or Zelle, using the details shown on the booking), and Alongside charges nothing. There are no subscriptions and nothing is paid up front, so cancelling costs nothing.
If someone is late or doesn’t show up
One rule for everyone, students and mentors alike:
- Wait 15 minutes. If the other person hasn’t joined 15 minutes after the start, you can leave, and it counts as a no-show.
- Running late? Join as soon as you can. The session still ends at its booked time.
- If the mentor doesn’t show up, you owe nothing, and you get one free 60-minute session with that mentor (or help choosing another one).
- If the student doesn’t show up without cancelling, the session counts: the family pays the mentor as booked, because they kept that hour free. From a package, the session is used.
- Free intro calls cost nothing either way, but please cancel if you can’t make it.
- Mentors who miss two sessions within 90 days are paused automatically: hidden from students and unable to take new bookings until the Alongside team talks with them.
- Video trouble isn’t a no-show. Try rejoining from the dashboard; if it still won’t connect, choose “Get help” on the session and we’ll help you set a new time at no cost.
- Can’t make it? Cancel or reschedule from your dashboard as early as you can.
After every call, we ask your teen and the mentor whether it happened, so the Alongside team spots no-shows and follows up.
Age and permission
Alongside is for students aged 13 and older. A student under 18 gives us a parent’s or guardian’s email when signing up. We email you a one-click link to approve the account; your teen can look around and answer questions right away, but can’t book anything until you approve. After that, you receive copies of the booking emails.
Staying safe
- Mentors agree to keep all contact on Alongside: no phone numbers, personal email, social media or outside meeting links, and never meeting a student in person.
- Mentors give feedback and coaching, but never write essays or applications for a student. See Academic integrity.
- Any session can be reported from the dashboard with “Get help”. The Alongside team reviews every report, and a mentor who breaks the rules is removed.
More detail is on the Trust & safety page.
How to reach us
Email alongside.mentors@gmail.com and a member of the Alongside team will reply within one business day. For a problem with a booked session, “Get help” next to the session on the dashboard is the fastest route.