Apple Launches First-Generation College Student Mentorship Program

Apple this month announced a new Launch@Apple mentorship program that's designed for first-generation college students, with the program set to launch in early 2021.

apple launch student program
According to a PDF describing Launch@Apple, it is aimed at first-generation college freshmen and sophomores who are majoring in finance, mathematics, economics, business, data analytics, and accounting.

It matches college students one-on-one with Apple mentors who are able to provide resources for learning and opportunities for professional growth, with the possibility of job shadowing, paid externships, and paid internships.

Apple has not publicly announced Launch@Apple, and it's not entirely clear how the word is being spread. MyHealthyApple shared details this morning, and last week, a LinkedIn post highlighted the program. Ahead of when Launch begins in early 2021, Apple is accepting applications from students with a wide range of GPAs.

Students must be in their first or second year of college with a parent or legal guardian who has not obtained a college degree. Students must want to learn about finance in a "fast-paced, innovative environment" and must be intending to major in one of the accepted disciplines.

Apple is accepting applications through Friday, January 8, 2021, and students who want to participate must provide details on school, GPA, resume, and more, and are required to answer personal questions on life challenges, why they should be accepted, and what gives them joy. Applications must be sent to launch@apple.com.

Top Rated Comments

peytn Avatar
43 months ago

This is offensive to me as a first-gen in the country and college graduate. Every student has the same level of access to counseling and 1-1 with advisors. We aren’t stupid.

Wish I had this when I went to school but I’m doing alright without it or any gender/race based grants/scholarships. Really hope Apple doesn’t have a quota for this...
1st gen as well here. The tough part seems to have been knowing how to put together a traditional career when your parents hadn’t. Having a mentor at a big company would probably help. Also let’s stop being offended when we disagree. Talking things over is okay.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
43 months ago
Good on Apple for doing this. First generation college students often lack the resources and guidance to succeed. Hopefully this will help.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
43 months ago

This is offensive to me as a first-gen in the country and college graduate. Every student has the same level of access to counseling and 1-1 with advisors. We aren’t stupid.

Wish I had this when I went to school but I’m doing alright without it or any gender/race based grants/scholarships. Really hope Apple doesn’t have a quota for this...
How nice for you!

You may not be aware that every family's immigration story is different. And what worked for you and your circumstances may not work for others and their circumstances.

Rather than be seriously offended, try and find happiness that Apple in stepping up to help.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rtomyj Avatar
43 months ago

Good on Apple for doing this. First generation college students often lack the resources and guidance to succeed. Hopefully this will help.
This is offensive to me as a first-gen in the country and college graduate. Every student has the same level of access to counseling and 1-1 with advisors. We aren’t stupid.

Wish I had this when I went to school but I’m doing alright without it or any gender/race based grants/scholarships. Really hope Apple doesn’t have a quota for this...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pilot Jones Avatar
43 months ago

Why do you need parents? Honestly my parents sucked. Divorced and poor. Very low chance of succeeding but I understood their limitations. You know what I did? Found friends that could be my “mentor”, asked questions and made plans. Basically I was as an adult.

The mentor ship is nice. I just feel like it’ll be targeted to “underprivileged” (ie minorities) people and not the once hungry/eager/etc. I like that GPA doesn’t necessarily qualify you, but being someone who almost failed HS, had no studying habits first couple years in a community college and then taking myself seriously at a university - GPA does definitely determine hunger/eagerness/etc.
good on you mate. truly, i'm genuinely glad you made it out of a bad situation.

but everyone is not you. a lot of people don't have anyone (yes, even friends, counsellors & supportive teachers) or the resilience, guidance & fortitude to power through it. They NEED that major boost at a critical time in their lives to take them from nothing to something.

it's really quite myopic of you to argue for a universal application of your logic with such a specifically personal anecdote.

Some people have the talent but not the drive. They do not always occur together and a lot of the time, even if they had it, life has just beaten it out of them. Yes this also isn't universally true, but why be so negative at even the smallest chance to make people's lives better?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
43 months ago

This is offensive to me as a first-gen in the country and college graduate. Every student has the same level of access to counseling and 1-1 with advisors. We aren’t stupid.

Wish I had this when I went to school but I’m doing alright without it or any gender/race based grants/scholarships. Really hope Apple doesn’t have a quota for this...
And good on you for working hard and doing well. But my point was more that other families are privileged to have structures in place to give their kids tons of extra resources, private tutoring, etc to give their kids a head start. First generation college students usually come from poorer families and they don’t have the extra resources.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
apple vision pro orange

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

Monday April 22, 2024 2:12 am PDT by
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...