The BranchOut! Blog

BranchOut! hosted its 4th college admissions event on September 20th, where over 500 people attended this virtual event nationally. Current admissions officers/school representatives from prestigious schools, including UC Berkeley, Duke, Cornell, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton, and MIT were present to demystify the application process. During this webinar, panelists discussed questions on extracurriculars, essay writing, test scores, and more. Audience members were also

BranchOut! hosted a picnic to celebrate the end of a successful summer on Saturday, September 10th at the Cabin John Regional Park in Bethesda, Maryland. About 60 people attended the event, where our attendees not only got to taste the delicious food, but also got to network and bond as a team. We were especially glad that many of BranchOut!’s Howard County Chapter (HoCo) student mentors were able to attend this event, which is the first social event we have had since the pan

BranchOut! has been serving the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) since the summer of 2017 by working as TAs and tutors to support its Summer Credit Recovery Program. One of our first FCPS schools was Justice High School in Falls Church, Virginia, where BranchOut! student mentors learned valuable life skills about how to tutor and connect with students from a variety of backgrounds. The vice principal at Justice High School, Mrs. Vandawalker was excited to see “students he

To thank our mentors for their hard work this summer, BranchOut! is hosting a potluck-style Fall Picnic to provide a fun opportunity for mentors to meet each other in person and network. BranchOut! alumni as well as parents/family members and friends are welcome to join this event. The BranchOut! Fall Picnic information Date: Saturday, September 10th, 2022 (rain or shine!) Time: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM Location: Cabin John Regional Park: 7400 Tuckerman LN, Bethesda, MD, 20817 at

Phoebe Wang is a rising 10th grader at Dominion High School. This summer, she was a part of the BranchOut! x Pohick STEAM Program and The Explorer. At her first Pohick session, the students made popsicle stick bridges and created objects out of paper, like origami and paper airplanes. The kids were loud and energetic and Phoebe learned to connect with them by asking about their interests, hobbies, and favorite animals. Throughout her time mentoring, Phoebe learned how to inte