What Elite Universities Look For: Lessons from Princeton, Stanford, Duke, and More

This year, BranchOut! hosted two College Admissions Nights, one in August and one in September, giving students, parents, and other community members the opportunity to hear directly from admissions officers and learn more about the college application process. We were honored to welcome representatives from UC Berkeley, Stanford, Duke, UChicago, Princeton, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Rice, and UPenn, who shared insights into their respective admissions processes and answered live questions from attendees. These conversations helped students better understand how universities evaluate applications and how admissions processes differ across institutions. 

Princeton: 

Our conversation with Princeton University provided invaluable insights into what makes their community truly unique. We especially appreciated their deep dive into intellectual curiosity and how Princeton’s 38 majors encourage students to pivot and explore as their academic interests evolve. Beyond academics, the discussion highlighted how a student's background and community can signal how they bring people together. Ultimately, their reminder to trust our instincts and share what feels genuinely authentic was a deeply meaningful takeaway for our team.

Duke:

We deeply appreciated learning about Duke’s unique opportunities for community engagement, from the faculty-student mentorship of FLUNCH to the real-world research of Bass Connections. Hearing about these programs gave our attendees a genuine sense of the tight-knit connections that define the Duke community. Just as impactful was the advice to focus on being authentic rather than over-curating every detail of the application. It was a deeply reassuring message that resonated with everyone in the room as they navigate their college journeys. Our time learning about Duke University left a lasting impression, especially with the reminder of its incredible location—just two hours from both the mountains and the beach!

UC Berkeley:

The details shared about the Personal Insight Questions (PIQs), particularly the advice to connect initiative and impact in extracurriculars directly to academic curiosity, offered a unique window into what sets standout applicants apart. By encouraging applicants to showcase genuine passions rather than trying to perfect their persona, this guidance gave us a much deeper understanding of how students can craft their personal stories in a compelling, meaningful way.

UChicago: 

We are especially grateful for UChicago’s unique blend of humor and insight, which brings a refreshing clarity to the stressful college admissions process. The practical framework for navigating the ED0 decision offered an invaluable roadmap and support for applicants. By guiding students to evaluate their college lists and honestly assess where colleges stand among their top choices, the discussion made it easier to determine whether that early, binding commitment is truly the right fit.

Stanford:

We are excited to learn about how deeply interdisciplinary the undergraduate experience is, and students are actively encouraged to explore their interests across different fields. Their emphasis on authenticity in letters of recommendation, and their crucial role in rounding out an applicant's story, was illuminating. It was also incredibly helpful to gain a fresh perspective on how admissions officers evaluate the curiosity and passions a student brings to a campus community.

[Sherry’s Reflection]

As an emcee for the BranchOut! College Admissions Night, it was an amazing experience and privilege to help bridge the gap between high school families and admissions representatives from some of the world's most prestigious universities! Leading the event and facilitating the live audience questions pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way, teaching me to think on my feet and adapt to pressure. I not only supported my peers as they navigated the stress of applications, but I also learned key aspects of the college application process. Being an emcee ultimately sharpened my public speaking skills and showed me how to keep hundreds of listeners engaged, making this event one of my most rewarding emcee experiences yet.

As one of BranchOut!’s most popular annual initiatives, College Admissions Nights continue to help students and families approach the college application process with greater clarity and confidence. We are grateful to the admissions officers and everyone who joined us, and we hope to see you next year!

Student Hosts (2020-2026)

2026 (September 17th)

Alekhya Hota, 12th grade, James Madison High School

Arbaaz Singh, 12th grade, Washington-Liberty High School

Joshua Li, 11th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

2026 (August 27th)

Clara Luo, 12th grade, Bryn Mawr School

Sherry Wei, 10th grade, Marriotts Ridge High School

Siddhant Srikumar, 9th grade, McLean High School

2025 (May 7th)

• Ethan Gao, 11th grade, River Hill High School

• Emily Qiu, 10th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Jennifer Zhang, 11th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

  
  

2024 (September 19th)

• Caroline Li, 11th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Jennifer Zhang, 11th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Lillian Su, 10th grade, Langley High School

2024 (April 11th)

• Kavya Kuttuva, 11th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Richard Zhu, 11th grade, Richard Montgomery High School

• Rohan Sinha, 10th grade, Richard Montgomery High School

2023 (August 22nd and September 26th)

• Kavya Kuttuva, 11th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Richard Zhu, 11th grade, Richard Montgomery High School

• Ethan Gao, 10th grade, River Hill High School

• Brian Zhou, 12th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Elizabeth Li, 11th grade, Oakton High School

• Lillian Su, 9th grader, Langley High School

• Evan Wang, 12 grade, Montgomery Blair High School

2023 - High School (August 8 and September 7)

• David Liu, 11th grade, Episcopal High School

• Amelie Deng, 12th grade, The Lawrenceville School

• Rebecca Chen, 9th grader, McLean High School

• Kevin Xue, 11th grade, Chantilly High School

• Evan Wang, 12 grade, Montgomery Blair High School

2022 (September 20th):

• Kavya Kuttuva, 10th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Richard Zhu, 10th grade, Richard Montgomery High School

2021 (September 23rd):

• Johnny Liu, 10th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Kavya Kuttuva, 9th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Mikayla Li, 12th grade, McLean High School

2021 (July 29th):

• Kavya Kuttuva, 9th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Mikayla Li, 12th grade, Mclean High School

• Sarah Deller, 12th grade, James Madison High School

2020 (October 8th):

• Aditi Kodali, 12th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

• Gabi Turriago-Lopez, 11th grade, Oakton High School

• Teresa Huang, 10th grade, Oakton High School