Our Services

1-on-1 Calls

High schoolers have the opportunity to schedule 1-on-1 calls with Budding Branches volunteers. Discounting an abnormally high demand, students will be able to schedule calls with as many different volunteers as they would like. These calls are designed to be more informal and personal, and to enable students to step into the shoes of a college student. The duration of each call is generally between 30 minutes to an hour. Furthermore, the 1-on-1 calls take place during two-week periods throughout the academic year.

College Panels

Budding Branches both hosts and helps host college panels for its partner organizations. Although Budding Branches can tailor the panel’s agenda slightly depending on the partner organization’s needs, we prioritize topics that relate to the college experience itself rather than those regarding the details of applying. Some past panel topics include living away from home, transitioning into college life as a freshman, college extracurriculars, what a typical day as a college freshman looks like, and advice for incoming freshmen. 

Most recently, Budding Branches partnered with the New York Public Library (NYPL) to host two virtual college panels. Welcoming over 40 high school attendees, Budding Branches volunteers shared their personal insights on topics ranging from choosing a major and getting involved on campus to overcoming imposter syndrome in higher education. 

Scholarships

During the 2023-2024 academic year, Budding Branches launched its first scholarship competition to further support high school students in pursuing higher education. Applicants were asked to submit a brief personal statement describing their academic interests and explaining how receiving the scholarship would help them achieve their educational goals. 5 students were selected as scholarship recipients, with each receiving a $200 cash award.