Empower your Future.
Minds Matter students are driven and dedicated, committing every Saturday for three years to achieve their highest potential and secure their place in higher education.
17%
Of students admitted to Barron's most, highly, or very competitive schools
3.62
Average incoming GPA of students
30%
Learned English as a second language
Our graduates all started with a dream —
now they are creating their futures.
100% of our students get accepted into four-year colleges or universities.
If you are ready to make the commitment to Minds Matter Twin Cities, we want to hear from you! Apply to join our program today.
Student Program
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Student Program •
Students begin Minds Matter as high school Sophomores and spend three years in the program. If you are selected to participate, you will attend weekly sessions on Saturdays during the school year. Each session is 4 hours. The first 2 hours are focused on classroom instruction and test prep. The latter 2 hours are focused on mentorship, academic and career exploration, and social-emotional learning.
Our curriculum and community is focused on ensuring you are accepted to your best-fit college, and take on as little debt as possible. Our program embeds career exploration into each year of your high school curriculum and helps you access multiple hands-on academic opportunities during high school and through college. By doing so, we help you secure a pathway toward the career of your dreams.
Interested students and families are encouraged to apply in the Spring of their Freshmen year.
The application deadline of our 2026-2027 cohort is now open.
Current freshmen may apply by May 15th, 2026 to begin Minds Matter Twin Cities in Fall 2026.
Minds Matter students have access to:
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You will be paired in a quad with one other student, and two dedicated volunteers who will act as your mentors. Mentors provide support throughout the school year, coaching you through professional development workshops, summer program and college applications, personal statement writing, and more. Mentors are also a critical part of your support system, so the more you invest in building these relationships, the more you will learn and gain from this meaningful and unique friendship.
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Minds Matter Twin Cities provides funding for students to attend regional academic summer programs your Sophomore summer with the option of traveling domestically in your Junior summer. The academic summer programs help you get a glimpse of college campus life, and allow you to deepen your exploration of an academic subject or career path such as psychology, computer science, biology, medicine, business, filmmaking, and architecture. You can take courses at college campuses like Carleton College, Boston University, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and UCLA (just to name a few).
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MMTC provides opportunities for you to cultivate communication and presentation skills that are critical to navigating academic, professional, and social settings. Through interview workshops, presentation practice, essay writing, and much more—you will develop critical skills for success in college, career, and life.
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Sophomores develop critical reading and listening skills, capacity for self-reflection, and confidence with language in our writing program.
Juniors join our test prep program, where you focus on ACT test-taking strategies and receive small-group instruction.
In addition to their mentors, Seniors are supported by writing coaches, who help you craft your college application essays, and by college advisors, who review your college list to ensure you have the right mix of safety, target, and reach schools.
Student FAQ:
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To learn more about the sophomore, junior, and senior programs, click here. To learn about the application process and requirements, click here.
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Students apply in April and May of their Freshmen year of high school, and finalists have interviews in May and June. Students start the program in the Fall of their Sophomore year.
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Once admitted, students are assigned a pair of mentors with whom they meet weekly throughout the school year. The mentors and students work together to research and apply for Summer Programs/colleges, write essays, discuss financial aid, apply for scholarships, etc.
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There is no cost to the students, their families, or their schools. Minds Matter helps students apply for financial aid awards and raises funds to support pre-college summer programs.
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Students will be contacted via email regarding the interview notification. Final acceptances to the program will be communicated via a call.
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Minds Matter sessions for mentees are held on Saturdays from 10 AM–2 PM during the school year. Sessions are not held on holidays or during school vacations. Our sessions are in-person near the East Bank of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.
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Minds Matter takes mentor/mentee matching very seriously. Volunteers and students are asked a series of questions during the application process to assess interests, areas of strength, and areas of improvement. This input allows the program leaders to do their best to ensure a good match and overall experience for everyone involved.
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Ideally, a mentee will have the same mentors throughout the entire program. Minds Matter does its best to assess each volunteer’s availability and match accordingly. We do understand that “life happens,” and sometimes we experience turnover due to unforeseen circumstances such as job changes, relocation, and graduate school.