Get your teen into University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Carleton College and other top Minnesota colleges.

We help Minnesota students break 1400+ on the SAT so they are competitive at University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Carleton College and the schools on their list.

+172
average SAT point increase
$10M+
in scholarships our students have earned
66
five-star reviews on Google
14,100+
followers for our free SAT and college admissions advice
QUINNSAT 1580JONATHAN+200 pointsKIRASAT 1400MARIASAT 1430DEAGLAN+170 pointsZOEY+220 pointsDAVID+160 pointsLANDON+150 pointsQUINNSAT 1580JONATHAN+200 pointsKIRASAT 1400MARIASAT 1430DEAGLAN+170 pointsZOEY+220 pointsDAVID+160 pointsLANDON+150 points
As seen on Tampa Bay's Morning Blend
Carson Flowers founder of Florida Test Prep on ABC News

Hear from our families

1400 SAT as a sophomore, in 10 weeks
◆Kira B. · Plant High School
200+ SAT points in 8 weeks
◆Jonathan's family · Tampa
1410 SAT in 6 weeks
◆Tamu Tuboku-Metzger · Parent
1400 in 10 weeks
◆Alex F. · Plant High School
+220 SAT points in 8 weeks
◆Rebecca Armstrong · Parent
+140 points in 8 weeks
 
◆EJ · Riverview High School
See more student results →

Minnesota admissions are competitive.

Carleton read 6,796 applications and admitted 21.8%. U of M Twin Cities read 41,496 applications and admitted 79.7%.

School
Middle 50% SAT
Acceptance rate
Carleton College
1460-1530
21.8%
Macalester College
1350-1480
Not reported
St. Olaf College
1320-1440
Not reported
U of M Twin Cities
1350-1490
79.7%
Gustavus Adolphus
Not published
61.8%
Middle 50% SAT and acceptance rate as each school publishes them; cohorts differ by school. The full table with cohort notes is on our SAT scores for Minnesota colleges page.
Minnesota's own students barely take the SAT
 
College Board, 2025 Minnesota SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report

Only 3% of Minnesota's class of 2025 graduates (2,149 of an estimated 67,216 high school graduates) took the SAT at any point in high school, one of the lowest state SAT participation rates in the country.

16% of the class of 2026 took the PSAT/NMSQT instead, and the ACT has long been the default test in Minnesota high schools, which is why so few Minnesota colleges publish a deep SAT data set.

College Board
Every school on this list, from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities down to the Minnesota State campuses, is test optional for 2026-27 applicants; none require the SAT or ACT to apply, though submitting a score can still help with admission review and with the merit scholarship grids several schools run off GPA plus test score.

Everyone getting in is already above a 4.0. So that's not the tiebreaker.

The average high school GPA rose from 3.23 to 3.43 in a decade, and admissions offices know it. When every applicant has an A average, the transcript just gets your teen into the pile. The SAT is the one number that means the same thing at every high school in Minnesota, so it is what decides who comes out of it.

In Minnesota, the colleges pay for scores.

Minnesota has no statewide SAT or ACT cutoff scholarship; the state's primary aid program, the Minnesota State Grant, is strictly need-based with no test score component, so score-tied money in Minnesota comes from individual universities' own automatic merit grids.

Award
Worth over 4 years
SAT score needed
What it pays
Winona State Outstanding Academic Honors Award
Worth
~$14,000
SAT score needed
1420+
$3,500 per year for up to 8 consecutive semesters; requires top 5% class rank or a 3.90 GPA, plus a 32 ACT or 1420 SAT. 1420 (ACT 32).
Winona State President's Honor Scholarship (top tier)
Worth
~$10,000
SAT score needed
1260+
$2,500 per year, renewable with a 3.50 cumulative GPA; requires top 5% class rank and a 3.90 GPA, plus a 28 ACT or 1260 SAT. 1260 (ACT 28).

Winona State's awards renew for 8 consecutive semesters only if the student stays full-time (12+ credits/semester), keeps a 3.50 cumulative GPA, and (for the two highest tiers) lives on campus the first two years; the test score and class-rank thresholds are an either/or, not a strict single cutoff.

Where the money is competitive, the score is one of the few things your teen can still move this year.

CF

Why “Florida” Test Prep?

I'm Carson, and I founded Florida Test Prep. I grew up with no college fund, and my first SAT was a 1050. So I built a system for myself. By senior year I scored a 1430, and that one number earned me a spot in an honors college, a Presidential Scholarship, and $81,000 in scholarships.

A couple of years after I graduated I started tutoring on the side in Florida, and our first hundred families came from there. That is where the name comes from. Every class and 1-on-1 has always been live on Zoom, and the SAT is the same test in Minnesota as anywhere else, so Minnesota families get the same coaching, the same tutors and the same guarantee.

Carson on his weekly webinar for parents.
 

Meet the team your family will actually talk to.

Your teen is coached by career test-prep specialists, not college students working a side job. You get their tutor's direct line, and a written update on your teen's numbers every week.

SAT Strategists
 
Taylor Beyer
Writes the prep materials other tutors teach from. Nearly a decade in SAT prep.
 
Alex Cross
Cornell. 12+ years, hundreds of students, multiple perfect scores coached.
 
Caleb Henry
Scored a perfect 1600 himself. UC Berkeley, triple major in engineering and CS.
 
Karen Wolff
Two decades of SAT and ACT prep. Former Assistant Director at Huntington Learning Center.
 
Karina Yang
UC Berkeley. Five-plus years coaching students through the digital SAT.
College Admissions Partner
 
Lesley Morter
30 years a school counselor in Tampa, the last eight with IB families at Hillsborough and Robinson. 2023 Yale Educator Award.
Read their full bios →

Our method: Map, Master, Mock

Three steps, in order, built around one teen. Most prep runs every student through the same workbook front to back. We find the exact sub-topics costing your teen points, drill only those, then rehearse under real timing until test day feels routine. That is why our students gain 172 points on average.

01
Map
Find exactly where the points are going.
Your teen takes a full-length diagnostic under real timing. We grade it question by question and find the exact sub-topics costing them points.
02
Master
Drill only what they are missing.
A dedicated tutor every week plus live small-group classes, aimed only at what the diagnostic found. No time wasted re-teaching what they already know.
03
Mock
Rehearse until test day is routine.
More than 20 full-length practice SATs under test conditions, each one reviewed. Test day becomes the fifth time, not the first.

We track every second of your teen's prep. Literally.

Every practice problem your teen touches is measured: the seconds spent on it, the exact sub-topic, and whether the same mistake keeps repeating. Prep aims only at the weak spots, and you see the numbers every week.

See everything we measure
Seconds per question
Sub-topic weak spots
A weekly data text to you
Want the diagnostic before you talk to anyone?
Ask us and we will send your teen a full-length practice SAT plus the question-by-question breakdown of where their points are going. No call required, no cost.
Request a free diagnostic →

Is this right for your teen?

We are not for everyone. Here is who we do our best work with, and who we are honestly not built for.

Best fit if
  • ✓You are a Minnesota family aiming at University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Carleton College, or another top school
  • ✓Your teen is scoring under 1300 and has real room to move
  • ✓They can put in four to six hours a week between now and test day
  • ✓You want a plan and accountability, not another workbook on the counter
Probably not a fit if
  • ✕You are shopping for the cheapest way to clear a scholarship cutoff
  • ✕Your teen will not do the work between sessions
  • ✕You want a weekend cram course two weeks before the test
  • ✕Your teen is already above a 1400 and just needs polish

How it works

Every plan is built around one student. Yours.

01
Start any week
There is no semester to wait for and no cohort to catch. Your teen can begin the week you enroll, which matters because every test date that passes is one less shot.
02
Choose the path that fits
Live group classes, private 1-on-1 coaching, or a combination of both. It depends on how far your teen is from their target and how much time is left.
03
We build the plan on the call
The free Strategy Session is where we map it: the exact target score, the gap, and the schedule that gets there. No two plans are identical, because no two students are.
Book your free Strategy Session
45 to 60 minutes on Zoom. You leave with the plan whether you enroll or not.

The Admissions Advantage

Included free with every program. There is more to getting in than a test score, and almost all of it has a deadline. So we run workshops through the year on the parts parents tell us they got wrong the first time. Essays. FAFSA. Scholarship applications. Your family can come to every one.

✓College application strategy workshops
✓Essay coaching, from first draft to submitted
✓A merit aid and scholarship workshop, so no award on your teen's list gets missed
✓FAFSA planning, so the aid your teen qualifies for actually arrives
✓College List Workshop for the schools on your teen's list
✓A deadline calendar for every school on your teen's list
✓A 45-minute college acceptance strategy session

Bought separately from a college consultant, this runs about $4,500. Here it is part of the program.

You are backed by two guarantees.

1
The Score Guarantee

We do not print a number here, because the right number depends on your teen. On your free Strategy Session we set the target score together, based on where they are today, the schools on their list, and the scholarship cutoffs they are chasing. Then we put it in writing: your teen finishes the program and hits that score, or we keep tutoring them free until they do.

2
The first-week refund

Start the program, and if you or your teen are not happy in the first week, you get every dollar back. One hundred percent, no forms, no argument.

5.0 on Google, from real families.

Don't trust my website. Search Florida Test Prep on Google and read them before you ever talk to us.

★★★★★

“We signed up for this course this summer and it was a success. 240 point increase in overall score! I would recommend!”

Tanya, parent
★★★★★

“Jonathan jumped 200 points, 1020 to 1220, and the weekly texts meant we always knew where he stood.”

Parent of a 10th grader
★★★★★

“I used Fl Test Prep to prepare for the August SAT and increased my June score from a 1360 to a 1430. I got to have Karina as a tutor!”

Asada, student
See more student results →
1M+
views on our free SAT and admissions videos. Try the teaching before you spend a dollar.

We give away more instruction on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram than most companies sell. Have your teen watch one free lesson tonight. You'll see the difference before you ever pay us a dollar.

Questions Minnesota parents ask me every week

We cover all of this and more on the free Strategy Session: 45 to 60 minutes on Zoom, and you keep the plan either way.

Book your free Strategy Session
Why not just use an app, or a $40-an-hour tutor?
An app has nobody watching, nobody adjusting the plan, and no accountability. Most teens quit by week three and nobody notices. An hourly tutor sees your teen once a week and reviews strong topics as much as weak ones, with no timing data, no mock program, and no guarantee. We pair a dedicated tutor with live small-group classes, aimed by per-question data, with a weekly text to you and a guarantee in writing.
What does the program cost?
It depends on how much 1-on-1 time your teen needs and how long we have before test day. Group-heavy plans sit at the lower end, heavy private coaching at the upper end. We give you the exact number on the Strategy Session, with no pressure to decide on it, and you can weigh it against what the score is worth at University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Carleton College.
How much can my teen realistically raise their score?
Our students average a 172-point increase, and many gain 200 or more. Every plan starts from a full-length diagnostic, so the target we set is realistic and specific to your teen rather than a number we made up.
How much time does this take each week?
Classes run two hours, with several sessions a week to choose from, so your teen picks the ones that fit around practice, work, and AP classes. Most families find 4 to 6 focused hours a week is enough. We build the schedule around your teen's life, not the other way around.
What if my teen hates studying for the SAT?
Most of them do at first. That is exactly why the structure matters. Live classes with a coach create accountability that a workbook never will, and because we only drill the sub-topics they are actually missing, they stop wasting hours on material they already know. Progress showing up on mock tests is what changes their attitude.
Does Minnesota give every student a free SAT or ACT in school?
No, not through one statewide program for the SAT. Minnesota's own numbers show only 3% of the class of 2025 took the SAT in high school, and any school-day test is arranged district by district, with many districts choosing the ACT instead. Check with your own high school counselor for your district's testing day.
When should my teen start?
Sophomore or early junior year is ideal because it leaves room for multiple test dates. Seniors can still make it work, but every remaining date counts. Most teens only get two or three attempts that genuinely matter, so the earlier you start the more room there is to improve.
Should my teen retake the SAT?
Usually yes, and the data tells us when. We track the score curve across every mock test, so we recommend the real test date once the curve is stable rather than guessing. After an official attempt we can tell you exactly what a retake would take and whether it is worth it.
What SAT score do you need to get into the University of Minnesota Twin Cities?
The university's own site lists a middle 50% SAT range of 1350 to 1490 for its fall 2026 admitted freshmen, with ACT 27 to 33. A score at or above 1490 places in the top quarter of admits; a score below 1350 does not disqualify you, since nearly half of fall 2025 admits submitted no test score at all.
Is this online or in person?
Fully online and live on Zoom, anywhere in Minnesota. Group classes and 1-on-1 sessions are scheduled around your family. No driving across town on a school night.

Your teen gets two or three test dates that count. Every one without a plan is a wasted shot.

Book the free Strategy Session. 45 to 60 minutes on Zoom, with me. You leave with three things whether we ever work together or not.

1
The exact score your teen needs

For University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Carleton College and every college on their list. Not a range, the number.

2
A 6-to-12 week plan

Built on where your teen is losing points today. Yours to keep either way.

3
A straight answer

Whether professional prep is even worth it for your kid, or the gap is small enough to close on your own.

This is not a sales meeting. Families take the session, keep the plan, and never sign up. That is fine with us.

Book your free Strategy Session
Your kid did their part in the classroom. This part is yours. Book the call, and let's get them into the school they actually want.
Book your free Strategy Session