Recap: BranchOut! College Admissions Night 2024
For the fifth year in a row, BranchOut! was proud to host a College Admissions Night with current admissions officers from top US colleges and universities. On Thursday, April 11, the BranchOut! student leadership team and around 300 registered participants were joined by representatives from Cornell, Stanford, Duke, UC Berkeley, and Penn.
Each panelist introduced what made their school unique, clarified common misconceptions about the application process, and provided reflections from the recent application cycle. The conversation was rich with key insights and meaningful advice for future applicants.
Mr. Felton from Cornell University painted a beautiful picture of the campus location, providing a peaceful environment in which to learn. He also highlighted the public mission of the university and had some advice for future humanities majors: read more! Top schools like Cornell offer a rigorous curriculum that requires students to be deep readers.
Ms. Stoughton from Stanford University described her institution’s unique quarter system and tight-knit residential community. For driven students, Stanford promises support for entrepreneurial endeavors on many levels. She urges high school students planning their summer to go with their passion, rather than feeling pressure to follow the most “prestigious” programs.
Ms. Mills from Duke University spoke to the school’s continued commitment to diversity on campus and how the college essay is an essential component of demonstrating your unique perspective. She highlighted the numerous research opportunities at Duke and its proximity to Chapel Hill and Raleigh. Ms. Mills urges future Duke applicants to take a curriculum that suits you best and find activities that align with your trajectory.
Mr. Howard from University of California Berkeley highlighted the diversity in the student body, faculty, and opportunities for undergraduates. He had specific advice for STEM applicants interested in Engineering to pursue stimulating activities such as research or personal projects to strengthen their application. Attendees learned about the rich advocacy work at UC Berkeley, with a very popular Social Welfare major.
Ms. Osborne from University of Pennsylvania informed the audience about how first-years are welcomed into the UPenn community with large dorms and a variety of activities. She advised Penn-hopefuls to pursue research opportunities in high school, especially for those interested in STEM fields. Like Penn, most top schools value applicants who demonstrate maturity and initiative by pursuing research opportunities in high school.
The college application landscape is ever-changing, so educational events such as these are essential to helping our community apply to their dream schools with confidence. During the Q&A portion, the panelists worked hard to answer over 80 questions both live and in the chat box. On behalf of the BranchOut! Student Leadership team– THANK YOU to our panelists and attendees for making this recent workshop a memorable one!
BranchOut! looks forward to hosting more college events in the future! We recommend following us on instagram and facebook to get updates about future community events.
All of our High School and College Admissions events were hosted by BranchOut!’s student mentors. If you would like to become a mentor yourself, our Summer 2024 application is open now. Visit us at www.velbranchout.org to learn more and APPLY NOW!
Student Hosts (2020-2024)
2024 (April 11)
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 22 and September 26)
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