Ask a Mountaineer - The Honors College

The Honors College at App State challenges you to engage beyond yourself, across disciplinary boundaries and in collaboration with others.
Need help taking the next step? Ask our Honors College alumni for advice as you chart your path.

"I have a question"
"Help me craft a question"
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You ask.
They answer.

Mountaineers love helping students and fellow alumni. So what’s one question you have for someone who’s done what’s ahead of you?

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Need inspiration? Here's what others like you have asked.

"Hi my name is Matthew and I'm a Honors student at Appalachian State University. I would like to pursue a career in the research industry. I'm currently looking into several research opportunities in my department, but I'm having trouble deciding which ones to apply for. Which characteristics of a research lab would you recommend that I give the most weight to?"
"Hi my name is Isiah and I'm a senior Honors student at Appalachian State University. I'm looking for a future career in academia and I'm currently beginning work on my Honors Thesis. What advice would you give to make my thesis experience most beneficial for my future career goals?"
"Hey, I am a sophmore studying Kinesiology and Exercise Science. I'm looking for some advice on career paths. I have always wanted to be a Strength and Conditioning Coach, but have recently gotten interested in rehabilitiation. I would love to talk to someone in the the exercise and health-related areas to learn more about my options and their experiences."
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How It Works

01

You ask.

Need help with an idea or active startup? Wondering about career options?

02

We recruit.

Our technology (powered by Protopia) uses AI to find the best experts to answer you.

03

Get answers.

We “hunt” until you have one or more responses. Delivered right to your email inbox.

04

Say ‘thank you.’

And build your network by continuing to stay in touch (such as via LinkedIn).

Not sure how to ask? We’ve got a short video that will turn you into a networking rock star.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT CAN I ASK?

Literally anything to help with your academic or professional development. There are thousands of alumni that can give advice on transferable skills, building and growing a startup, or figuring out career options.

WHAT'S A GOOD QUESTION?

Think of your question as an advertisement. Share who you are, what you are doing, and what you need help with. Keep it short and sweet. Here’s a short video on how to craft a great question that will get you results and help build your network.

WHO WILL SEE MY QUESTION?

We send your request to the best alumni in your area of interest.

CAN I REQUEST SOMEONE SPECIFIC?

No. We make our matches based on availability, proximity, experience, and skills.

CAN I ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION?

Yes, of course! Once we make a match you’ll have direct, one-to-one communication and can ask additional questions. 

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET AN ANSWER?

Our goal is to get you answers within three business days. But it depends on what you’re asking. It can go as quickly as an hour to as long as 10 days or more.

WILL MY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS BE CONFIDENTIAL?

Your question will not be made public. It will be seen only by matched alumni and a handful of administrators.

IS THERE A LIMIT TO HOW OFTEN I CAN ASK?

No. You can ask as many questions as you would like. In fact, we encourage it as this is the simplest way for you to build your professional network.

As an alumnus, how do I get involved with Ask a Mountaineer?

Great question. A great aspect of Ask a Mountaineer is that all alumni are automatically included. It’s an opt-out system as opposed to opt-in. We use our alumni database, so whenever a question comes in, the system uses what data we have in our system to match with the best alumni to answer that question. The most helpful thing alumni can do is ensure we have their updated contact information, which they can do here. We do not manage who a question goes to; it’s based on data modeling. So, if you haven’t gotten a question yet, either we haven’t received one that fits your background, or we don’t have the most up-to-date information on you. If you are interested in other ways to get involved, please email alumni@appstate.edu.

I was really impressed with how easy it was to get in contact with alumni. I just had to submit a question and I heard back from multiple alumni within days. Super easy and helpful! I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. It’s quite awesome to see just how large the community is, and really encouraging to see how willing alumni are to help out current students.

Definitely recommend.
Riley H.CLASS OF ’23
After submitting my question, within a day I had multiple alumni offering me help and guidance. Several of whom were more than willing to connect with me on LinkedIn and review my resume for tips and editing suggestions. Perhaps the best part about my experience is that it did more than help with the simple question I asked. I believe it played a large role in helping me land my Co-op position.

The process took all of about 5 minutes to submit my question and I received so much great feedback from different alumni.
Drew B.CLASS OF ’23
The mentors were so insightful! One hopped on a video call and shared a lot of valuable feedback, while pushing me to think outside the box. I am going to meet with another soon. They are investing so much time and effort in connecting me with incredible resources and people. They are really going above and beyond to leverage their networks. It means the world!
Jeyashree H.CLASS OF ’20
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Go ahead and ask

It has never been simpler to get help from others that have done what’s ahead of you.

Seriously.

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The use of Ask A Mountaineer is subject to our Terms Of Use. Questions? Contact us at askamountaineer@appstate.edu.

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