By Anndy Serrano
When a student enters high school, they start off not knowing anything about the future. There is—as I think a lot of juniors and seniors know—a lot to handle when applying and becoming ready for college. There are the SATs, grades, extracurriculars, summer programs, and scholarships. I know it seems stressful, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible … thanks to Minds Matter.
Many students at Manhattan Center have probably never heard of Minds Matter. But after this introduction to its many benefits, I’m sure you’ll find it potentially helpful.
Minds Matter is a three year program designed for 9th graders who are from low-income families that helps them attain college readiness, and success. It takes place every Saturday at their site from 11am to 3:30pm; during which time they first assign every student a team. This team will be with you for all 3 years, guided by a team leader. Your team leader will make sure that you are on track every week, to ensure that you are prepared to move forward.
Then comes the pairing of a student with 2 mentors. These mentors follow you on your road to college readiness for the rest of your high school years by guiding you step-by-step through the college process. They are there to help you with anything, academically or socially. You can contact them outside of the program, and meet up with them anytime you want. They can help you with the SAT, summer program applications (junior year), academic program applications, and so much more. This team and your two mentors will feel like a second family, guiding you through your high school experience.
Minds Matter offers PSAT and SAT Prep, as well as writing instructors to help with your writing skills. When you first start, you are given a diagnostic quiz to determine where you fall in each section of the SAT. Then they place you in a group with a test instructor to prepare you for the PSATs with supplemental tutoring in math, english, and grammar. Minds Matter also provides students with free books from the Kaplan or Princeton companies so that they can better understand the material.
After the PSATs comes the SATs, which gets harder, but your test prep instructors are there to guide you through the whole test. Mock SATs are given at least 3-4 times a year to see if you have improved or not. Minds Matter has seen an increase in SAT scores over the years, showing that it really does help.
Along with your test instructor there are also 2 writing instructors. These writing instructors are there to help you improve your writing, including argumentative, personal, informal, and creative writing. They provide examples and tips on how to make your writing efficient and well-thought out. They can help evaluate college and summer program essays, as well as help you with trying to brainstorm ideas for you to write about. When you submit college and job applications, often the first way you are judged is by the quality of your writing. That is why the writing instructors in this program strive to help you improve who you are “on paper.”
Summer Programs are a crucial part of Minds Matter. During sophomore year, you are placed at the Academic Leadership Development Academy (ALDA) at NYU for 3 weeks, where you get to take SAT prep and writing courses to better develop your skills. During this program you are exposed to different careers by different people, where you get to listen to how and why they chose that career. Some career representatives who have shown up include lawyers, biomedics, small entrepreneurs, business executives, engineers, etc.
“Throughout the program, students gain confidence and ambition, strengthen their skills in writing, critical thinking, test-taking, and mathematics, and flourish as young adults who are ready and excited to succeed in college. Minds Matter proudly boasts a 100% success rate for students’ acceptance into four-year colleges and universities.” —A Minds Matter Program Director
As a Minds Matter student myself, I absolutely recommend Minds Matter without a doubt. I was initially hesitant to apply because I was rejected from SEO, a more common program known at this school, and I didn’t want to be rejected again. But I got in, and the past 2 years as a Minds Matter participant was simply amazing for me. I increased my scores on the SAT, my mentors are always there for me, and I actually improved my writing skills (which is why I wanted to join the Newspaper Club). Minds Matter is there to help you achieve your dreams, so why not give it a chance?
[For more information, contact Minds Matter at: 1120 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036. Or call 212.626.6585]