1. Rising 9th graders or current high school students 2. Possess good communication and interpersonal skills 3. Able to work in a multicultural environment 4. Strong in Math, Science, English, Arts, Language, or Technology 5. Students with tutoring or relevant experience preferred 6. Strong team players who are willing to help disadvantaged students 7. Time commitment: 1 week to 5 weeks this summer (Late June to the end of July)

- Application essay (please use a Word processor to edit your essays before submitting onto this application form): Briefly introduce yourself and explain why you are interested in becoming a mentor for Branch Out! (100-200 words) - A copy of your resume (make sure to include leadership experience, extracurricular activities, and any notable awards or achievements. Refer here for ideas. - Name and email of a reference (no letter is required). This can be a teacher, coach, mentor, or anyone who has a professional relationship with you (no parents or friends). - For students who are interested in joining the management team, we need to receive One recommendation from your teacher, coach, mentor, or anyone who has a professional relationship with you (no parents or friends). Please ask your recommender to email their recommendation letter to veritas@uscecc.org. - Non-refundable application fee (see below for details)

Early bird (before February 15th): $35 Before April 25th: $45 Before May 20th: $60 If paid through PayPal: Click on the checkout with PayPal button. You will be redirected to a page to login with your PayPal account. Once this is done, follow the directions given by PayPal to submit your payment. If you do not have a PayPal account, there is an alternative option to pay with credit card or debit card on the login screen (may require you to scroll down). If paid by check: Answer all required questions on the form. On the final page of the form, enter nopayinto the discount code field, which will allow you to submit your application without paying through Paypal. You must still send your payment through check. This discount code does not waive your application fee. Please write the check payable to Veritas Education Leaders and mail it to: Veritas Education Leaders 1751 Pinnacle Dr #600, McLean, VA 22102 *Please include applicant's name, grade level, and school name on the check.

Q: Do I still have to apply again if I've participated in BranchOut! in previous years? A: Yes, everyone, regardless of previous experience must apply again. Q: Do existing officers still have to apply? A: Yes, all officers must apply to participate in BranchOut! again. In addition, leadership team positions end in June each year, so we will have a new round of people who will be competing for the position each year. For those interested in being in the leadership team again, this means that you must reapply each year both as a mentor and as a leader. Q: When can I expect to hear back? A: Upon submitting the application, students will immediately receive a confirmation email with a link to sign up for an interview slot. If you do not receive this email, it may be in your email's spam folder. If this is not the case and you still have not received the interview sign-up link, please reach out to our leadership team at velbranchout@gmail.com. Q: Does BranchOut! provide transportation? A: No, BranchOut! does not provide transportion—mentors must be able to find their own transportation. Q: What is the management team selection process like? A: We will review all management team applications, interviews, and recommendation letters and invite qualified candidates to present during our training in June. Following the presentations, we will make final decisions regarding leadership team placements. Q: Can rising freshmen apply? A: Yes! The BranchOut! application is open to rising freshmen through rising seniors. Q: Where are the mentoring sites this year? A: As of now, the exact mentoring sites are unconfirmed, but there will be locations in both Virginia and Montgomery County.