Minds Matter Southern California

College prep for low-income students Los Angeles

Poverty Has a Zip Code. Potential Does Not.

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Our Mission

Minds Matter connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world.

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Join Our Community of Volunteers

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Behind every student we serve is a community of dedicated volunteers, bringing expertise, commitment, and genuine care. Find out how you can be part of something that matters.
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Become a Volunteer Today

Mentorship

Mentors guide, challenge, and champion their students.

Academic Support

Students receive intensive SAT preparation, instruction in math, writing and critical thinking, leadership development, and college readiness.

Social & Emotional Learning

Facilitators cultivate students’ self-advocacy, voice, listening skills, and sense of belonging.

Professional Pathways

Minds Matter supports students in college academically, emotionally, and professionally through alumni programming, internship opportunities, and career exploration.

Our Graduates Attend

Why Minds Matter

“At every step in the process of preparing for, applying to, attending, and graduating from four-year universities, students from poor families are at a substantial disadvantage.” – Brookings Institute, May 2009

Low-income students are over 10x more likely to drop out of high school than their high-income peers

More than 80% of LAUSD students live at or below the poverty line

Over 50% of our nation’s high-achieving, low-income students do not apply to a single selective college or university

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Our Impact

Minds Matter Southern California has impacted hundreds of low-income students since 2010

100%

of our graduates have been accepted to 4‑year universities

82%

of our students attend Top 50 colleges and universities

94%

of our alumni graduate from college within 4 years

“Minds Matter has given me a family: my peers, mentors, and all of the Minds Matter volunteers. Collectively, we are an unstoppable group of people dedicated to tackling the educational barriers that low-income minority students face. Thank you, Minds Matter, for allowing me to be a part of this incredible family.”

Delmy, Minds Matter SoCal Alum