This article describes the present gap between aspiration and effective execution of well-mentored undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative work (URSCW), including the most prevalent obstacles (e.g. institutional, departmental, individual) to undergraduate mentoring. The authors conclude that this research shows that the experience, which students engaged in URSCW, has the potential to provide deep and lasting high-impact learning. This potential can only be fully realized when the institutions commit to the belief that high-quality mentoring matters, for students, faculty, and their institutions.