The Path to College Success
Minds Matter Philadelphia provides a rigorous, three-year program that transforms high-achieving students into successful college scholars. Through a combination of academic instruction, professional mentorship, and immersive summer experiences, we ensure our students are prepared to excel at the nation’s top universities.
The Building Blocks
of the Program
Our comprehensive model is built on five core pillars that work in tandem to prepare high-achieving students for the rigors of higher education. We combine holistic mentoring and college skill-building with intensive academic tutoring to develop the critical thinking, writing, and leadership skills necessary for university life. This foundation is further strengthened by expert college application guidance and fully funded summer programs at prestigious campuses nationwide, ensuring our scholars have the tools, resources, and confidence to thrive at the nation’s top institutions.
Sophomore Program
The Sophomore Program is designed to build students’ confidence, ambition, and motivation early in their high school years. Goals of the curriculum include the development of writing, critical thinking, and math skills. Students are given the chance to enhance these skills through lessons with tutors, weekly discussions on global current events, and debates. In addition, mentors guide students through the collegiate summer program application process, which they attend at the end of the academic year. The Sophomore Program also introduces students to the college admissions process and encourages them to develop a Three-Year Course & Activity Plan for high school.
Junior Program
The Junior Program is dedicated to preparing these same students for college through formal ACT test preparation, and continued writing and critical thinking skills development. The test prep program spans the full year, leading up to the spring ACT. The curriculum familiarizes students with the ACT exam, offers test-taking strategies, refreshes basic math, science, reading, and writing skills, and provides several diagnostic exams to identify student strengths and weaknesses. In addition to test prep, juniors continue to craft and refine personal statements, which facilitate self-reflection and comfort with the personal expository writing needed for college applications. Mentors will again guide students through the summer program application process. Unlike sophomores, juniors may apply to international programs, of which many have taken advantage.
Senior Program
The core focus of the Senior Program is to prepare students for the college application process, which includes considerations for government and institutional financial aid, as well as third party scholarships. The Senior Program includes a final test prep refresher course for students taking the ACT exam in the fall of their senior year. The targeted writing and critical thinking curriculum focuses on improving college essays. In the spring, seniors attend a number of workshops aimed at preparing them for college life and the new challenges they will face after graduation.
Strategic Growth
Minds Matter Philadelphia is committed to constant evaluation and strategic growth to best serve our community. We are currently reevaluating our supplemental offerings to ensure every resource we provide creates the maximum possible impact for our students’ futures.
Qualifications and Commitment
Minds Matter is a multi-year partnership between students, families, and mentors. To ensure our students reach their goal of 100% college acceptance, we seek applicants who demonstrate academic excellence and a dedicated work ethic. Review our eligibility criteria below to see if you are ready to begin your journey.
Are You a Minds Matter Scholar?
At Minds Matter Philadelphia, we look for more than just high grades; we look for the drive to succeed. Our program is a partnership between ambitious students and dedicated mentors. To ensure we can provide the highest level of support for your college journey, we ask that all applicants meet the following foundational criteria.
- Academic Excellence: A GPA of 3.0 or higher (3.5 preferred).
- Ambition: A strong desire to attend and graduate from a four-year college or university.
- Income Eligibility: Meeting Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines for free or reduced-price lunch.
- Commitment: The ability to attend our Saturday sessions (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM) from September through April.
Current Application Status
Class of 2029 Applications are OPEN:
Timeline:
1. Application Review: Rolling February-April
2. Round 1 Interviews: Rolling March & April
3. Round 2 Interviews: May & June
4. Final Decisions: June