Although mentoring has been linked to the retention of college students in science, it is still unclear whether students who persist in science majors (pursuers) have greater mentoring experiences than students who do not persist (switchers). In this study, 79 upper-level students who had enrolled as science majors at a research university were surveyed about the science mentoring they experienced during their sophomore year, a time when students were asked to make final decisions about their major. Pursuers reported greater science career mentoring than switchers, but there were no differences for psychosocial mentoring. In addition, students perceived similar barriers to and need for science mentoring, but pursuers initiated science mentoring more than switchers. Implications for future mentoring initiatives are discussed.
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