How to ask someone to be your Excelsior capstone mentor
Excelsior expects you to find your own mentor, so the ask is on you. Asking a busy professional to volunteer feels awkward, but a clear, bounded request makes it easy to say yes. Below is exactly what to include, who qualifies, and two copy-paste templates: a cold ask and a follow-up.
Why does the ask fall to you?
Because Excelsior provides it to no one. There is no clinical instruction provided in any program in the School of Nursing, and no mentor is assigned to you. For each MSN capstone you identify your own qualified mentor, arrange your own practice-experience site, and design your own independent project; faculty only approves what you bring. Excelsior calls this person a mentor, not a preceptor, because the graduate work is a practice experience built around a project, not a direct-patient-care rotation. That is why the request reads like asking a colleague for professional guidance, not like asking a clinic to take a student for patient care.
Who qualifies as a mentor?
Excelsior defines a qualified mentor as an individual with a master's degree or higher and expertise in your specialization who volunteers to serve as your resource, subject to faculty approval. That opens the door wider than a clinical preceptor would. You are not limited to nurses at the bedside; you are looking for a master's-prepared expert in the area your project touches.
MS Nursing Education
A nurse educator, a staff-development or clinical-education specialist, a nursing faculty member, or a master's-prepared program coordinator.
MS Nursing Informatics
An informatics nurse specialist, a clinical systems or EHR analyst lead, a quality or data manager, or an IT clinical liaison with a master's degree.
MS Leadership & Admin
A nurse manager, director, charge or unit leader, or a master's-prepared administrator who oversees the setting your project sits in.
Many students complete the practice experience in their own workplace, so a master's-prepared manager, educator, or colleague you already know is often the strongest first person to ask, subject to faculty approval and Excelsior's conflict-of-interest rules.
What should you include when you ask?
Make the commitment concrete and bounded. Vague requests get slow, uneasy answers; a defined ask gets a clear yes. Include each of these.
- Your program and specialization. Name the exact Excelsior program, for example the MS in Nursing Education (NUR676 capstone), so they know the context.
- The hour commitment. An MSN capstone is 135 practice-experience hours built around one independent project. Say the number so it does not sound open-ended.
- The timeframe. Give your capstone term and start date, and note that you are asking four to six months ahead on purpose.
- What the mentor actually does. Serve as a subject-matter resource and guide for your project, not teach a class or supervise patient care.
- That faculty approves the match. Reassure them that Excelsior faculty reviews and approves the arrangement, so they are not signing up for something unbounded.
- That it is voluntary. Be direct that the role is unpaid, and thank them for considering it.
One rule above the rest: make it easy to say yes. Attach the program requirement, state the hours and the window, and offer to handle the paperwork. The less a busy person has to figure out, the faster they agree.
Template 1: the cold ask
Use this when you are reaching out for the first time, by email or a professional message. Replace the bracketed parts and keep it short. A first ask that runs longer than a screen tends to get read later, which often means never.
Subject: A quick ask about mentoring my Excelsior capstone
Hi [First name],
I'm a nursing student at Excelsior University, finishing my MS in [Nursing Education / Informatics / Leadership and Administration]. For my capstone I have to complete 135 practice-experience hours built around one independent project, and Excelsior asks each student to find their own qualified mentor to serve as a resource. It is a voluntary role, and faculty reviews and approves the arrangement.
I thought of you because of your work in [their specialty area, for example nursing education or clinical informatics], and your master's background fits what Excelsior looks for. The mentor is a subject-matter guide for my project, not a teaching or patient-care commitment, and it runs during [capstone term, for example spring 2027]. I'm asking a few months ahead so there is time to plan.
Would you be open to a short call so I can walk you through exactly what it involves? I've attached the program requirement so you can see the scope. Either way, thank you for reading.
Warmly,
[Your name]
[Phone or email]
Template 2: the follow-up
Send this five to seven business days after the first message if you have not heard back. Most non-answers are about a full inbox, not a no. Keep it warm, brief, and give an easy out so they are comfortable replying either way.
Subject: Following up on my Excelsior capstone mentor request
Hi [First name],
I wanted to gently follow up on my note from last week about serving as the mentor for my Excelsior capstone. I know your schedule is full, so no pressure at all.
To recap the scope: it is 135 practice-experience hours around a single project during [capstone term], you act as a subject-matter resource rather than a teacher, faculty approves the arrangement, and I handle the paperwork and scheduling. If it is a fit, a 15-minute call is all it takes to get started.
If now is not the right time, I completely understand. If you happen to know a master's-prepared colleague in [specialty area] who might be open to it, an introduction would mean a lot.
Thanks again,
[Your name]
[Phone or email]
How many people should you line up?
Build a short list before you send the first message. A single request that stalls should never stall your capstone, so plan for a few candidates and a realistic timeline. Here is a sensible way to think about it.
| Step | What you do | Timing before capstone |
|---|---|---|
| Build a short list | Name 3 to 5 master's-prepared people in your specialty | 5 to 6 months |
| Send the cold ask | Email your top 1 or 2 candidates using Template 1 | 4 to 6 months |
| Follow up | Send Template 1 to more candidates and Template 2 to any who went quiet | 4 to 5 months |
| Confirm and route to faculty | Get a yes, then submit the mentor for faculty approval | 3 to 4 months |
| Clear site and compliance | Secure the site, any affiliation agreement, and CastleBranch | 2 to 3 months |
These windows are guidance, not Excelsior policy. Confirm exact deadlines against your current Excelsior catalog and your faculty advisor.
What if you cannot find anyone?
You are not stuck, and you are not alone. Plenty of Excelsior students hit a wall because their network does not include a master's-prepared expert in the right area, or because everyone they ask is stretched thin. That is the exact gap we fill: we source a faculty-approvable, specialty-matched mentor, secure the practice-experience site with any affiliation agreement, and help scope the project, so your capstone starts on time instead of slipping a term.
Asking well still matters even if we help, because the person who says yes has to be a genuine fit for your project and your faculty. Use the templates, keep your list moving, and reach out to us the moment the search feels like it is eating your study time.
Asking for a mentor, answered
Who can I ask to be my Excelsior mentor?
Ask someone who holds a master's degree or higher with expertise in your specialization and who is willing to volunteer as your resource, subject to Excelsior faculty approval. Good candidates include a nurse educator, an informatics or quality leader, a nurse manager or director, or a former professor. Excelsior uses the word mentor; some students call it a preceptor.
How far in advance should I ask?
Ask four to six months before your capstone term. That gives your mentor time to consider, gives you time to ask someone else if the first person declines, and leaves room to clear the practice-experience site, any affiliation agreement, and CastleBranch compliance before the term starts.
Does the mentor get paid?
No. The Excelsior mentor role is voluntary. You are asking for time and guidance, not offering payment. Be clear in your request that the commitment is limited and defined, and thank them for volunteering. Our placement fee pays for sourcing and coordination, never a payment to the mentor.
What should I include when I ask?
State your program and specialization, the exact hour commitment of 135 practice-experience hours for an MSN capstone, the timeframe, what the mentor actually does, and that faculty approves the arrangement. Attach or link the program requirement so they can see it is defined and bounded. Make it easy to say yes.
What if the person I ask says no?
That is normal and not a reflection on you. Thank them, ask if they can suggest a colleague who qualifies, and move to your next candidate. Building a short list of three to five qualified people before you start asking keeps a single no from stalling your capstone.
Can my manager or a coworker be my mentor?
Often yes, if they hold a master's degree or higher, have expertise in your specialization, and the arrangement passes faculty approval and Excelsior's conflict-of-interest rules. Many students complete the practice experience in their own workplace, so a master's-prepared manager or colleague is a natural person to ask.
Rather not ask alone?
Tell us your Excelsior program, your city, and your capstone term. We will come back with a plan and a faculty-approvable mentor, a site, and a project you can approve.