What We Do

Beginning in their sophomore year of high school, our students spend 4-6 hours per week during the school year in Minds Matter sessions with their volunteer mentors and instructors.

In a typical day, a Minds Matter student will spend the first portion of session working in a group setting on either Writing & Critical Thinking (sophomores) or Test Prep for the SAT and/or ACT (juniors and seniors). The students spend the afternoon with their mentors and the rest of their team. A day’s activities may include: researching academic summer programs or colleges, working on personal statements and applications to these programs, or engaging in workshops and panels that focus on particular areas of the application process.

Through these sessions, Minds Matter students gain invaluable access to academic and social enrichment, all while strengthening their college applications.

The Three Year Program

  • The Sophomore Program is designed to build confidence, ambition, and motivation for students early in their high school careers. The academic programming portion of the curriculum consists of Writing & Critical Thinking and Math Matters.

    The Sophomore Program encourages students to develop writing and critical thinking skills such as structuring arguments, logical reasoning, and communicating ideas. Weekly discussions on global current events and debate topics provide a forum for developing these skills. In addition, the Sophomore Program curriculum introduces students to the college admissions process and encourages them to develop a Three-Year Course & Activity Plan for high school.

    Mentors guide students through the summer program application process and ensure that each student is accepted into a valuable educational program. At the end of the academic year, students are off to summer programs at prep schools, colleges, and universities throughout Texas.

  • In the junior program, students work with their mentors on test preparation for the SAT and ACT standardized exams. They begin exploring their academic interests, college types, how to afford higher education, and more.

    For juniors, the Test Prep program takes the form of a full year of prep, leading up to the spring SAT or ACT. Students are grouped into teams based on their individual development needs, with each team receiving personal coaching on math and verbal skills from dedicated Test Prep Instructors. The curriculum familiarizes students with the SAT and ACT exams, provides test-taking strategies, refreshes basic skills, and allows students to take several diagnostic exams to identify strengths and weaknesses while reinforcing testing strategies.

    Mentors guide students through the beginning of the college search and summer program application process. They ensure that each student is accepted into a valuable educational program. At the end of the academic year, students are off to summer programs at prep schools, colleges, and universities throughout the U.S.

  • The core focus of the Senior program is to prepare mentees for the college application process, which includes considerations for government and institutional financial aid, as well as third-party scholarships.

    The Senior Program begins with a refresher Test Prep curriculum for mentees taking SAT or ACT exams in the fall of their senior year. A targeted Writing and Critical Thinking curriculum focuses on improving college essays.

    The mentoring sessions center on the college selection process, preparing applications, financial aid and scholarships, and general college preparation skills.