The Science Behind: Check-In

Check-In Feature

Check-Ins: A Simple Weekly Question That Turns Into Timely Support

Werntz, A., Jasman, M., Simeon, K., Gunasekaran, H., Yowell, C., & Rhodes, J. E. (2023). Implementation of a technology-enhanced peer mentor referral system for first-year university students. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 8, 306–320.[evidencebasedmentoring]

One of the most straightforward things a student can do on MentorPRO is complete a weekly Check-In, a brief reflection on how things are going across areas like academics, career, finances, and well-being. A study of the first full year of a technology-enhanced peer mentoring program at a large private research university found that the number of Check-Ins a student completed was significantly associated with GPA at the end of the first year. Students who checked in more consistently tended to finish the year with stronger grades.

The Check-In feature surfaces what students are actually struggling with in real time, and the data showed clear and sensible patterns: career concerns were most prominent at the start of the year in August, but academic habits became the primary stressor as the semester deepened in October and November. Peer mentors received this information and typically followed up with support and referrals within 24 hours. First-generation and underrepresented minority students were significantly more likely than their peers to receive a referral to campus resources, suggesting that the platform is doing exactly what it was designed to do: getting the right support to the students who need it most.