Family Perspective: The Kinter Family
Alexander, Sharon, Kevin, and Samuel
Our family found Margaret three years ago when our older son was a junior in high school. It was by chance that we found her, and it has turned into one of the greatest blessings of our lives. You see, Margaret is not only an advocate for your child during the high school years and the college application process, but she has also turned into a much-needed friend and listening ear for us as parents. We have gone through difficult times as a family that honestly was made just a bit easier because we knew we had Margaret as part of our team.
I heard about Margaret from a friend after chatting with her at a volleyball game. The services sounded amazing, but I never thought a family like ours would actually go through with hiring someone to do this. I just figured we would get through the college application process as other families do. And to be honest…we were all dreading it. We had heard nightmarish stories on getting through it. I would listen to other parents talk, and I just knew that when the day came for us to help our son, it would be the blind leading the blind. We knew that applying to colleges was nothing like it had been when my husband and I had come along, and we were not looking forward to it.
My husband and I cannot put a price tag on the services offered by College Solutions. How do you quantify someone who literally takes you by the hand, and walks you through, step by step on one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make, not to mention the future of your child?
Margaret and her team break down this mind-bending process to everything from what classes your child needs to be taking during high school and what grades they need, to activities and even summer jobs.
Our older son had excellent grades and SAT scores. We had always thought that he would stay in-state, as that was where we knew we could afford. Margaret opened our eyes to new possibilities that we never would have thought of. While our son ultimately landed in-state at the University of Virginia, we do not believe he would have even gotten accepted without Margaret’s guidance. She coached him on what grades he needed in what classes. She helped him secure an internship his senior year of high school. And she and her team guided the entire application process from writing essays to picking the school. The most appreciated part for us as parents is that we were able to sit back and not get involved unless asked. In fact, I promised myself that I would not even read a college essay until he was ACCEPTED to the school. I kept to that promise, and it was not until our son was accepted to every single school he applied to, that I allowed myself to read his essays. And they knocked my socks off. Wow did Margaret’s writing team deliver in helping our son craft heartfelt essays that allowed our son to “come alive” to the college admissions team. They helped him to find his authentic voice and to tell his stories.
Fast forward to today, our younger son is now going through the college application process. He has been with Margaret since day one of high school. Once again, College Solutions is delivering in a way that we could never have even known we would need. Applying to colleges during COVID-19 is something that will literally go down in the history books, and we are not at all worried because College Solutions is at the forefront of it all. Instead of us, as parents, trying to figure out how to get through the college application process during a pandemic, College Solutions is doing it for us. They are at the forefront in research and are ahead of the curve. They are telling us what we need to know.
I think the best way to wrap up this testimony is to quote our younger son. Ask Margaret…this sweet son ours has not been the easiest of clients. But Margaret has persevered in reaching our brilliant son, whose motto through high school has been a priority on having fun, and to take the bare minimum in high school with the bare minimum in grades needed in order to get into the best school. He is pretty brilliant, so this kind of mentality can be challenging!
Now this very son, who Margaret has coached for 3 years, is the very one saying with a sigh of relief… “Mom, I don’t know what I’d do without Margaret. I am so glad to have her. Thank you.” To Margaret and the entire team at College Solutions: The Kinter family thanks you from the bottom of our heart. You have left an indelible mark on our family that will be there for all the years to come.