“Our twin daughters are in the middle of the college admissions process with Margaret. This is an incredibly intense time of learning, struggle, and growth, and we feel very fortunate to have Margaret as a mentor, teacher, coach, and friend to our kids.

The kids started with SAT prep. Margaret worked with them twice a week, with assignments in-between sessions, and shared her extensive knowledge of how the test works to prepare them to ace the exam. Which they did. In fact, they are now helping their friends who don’t have the benefit of tutoring, by teaching them some of what they learned from Margaret. (I don’t think Margaret knows this.)

The twins are now in the weeds of preparing college applications. We learned early on that the process of applying to college is much more complex than it was thirty years ago when my husband and I applied. We have always been hands off when it comes to our kids’ academics, i.e. they take responsibility for their classes, they are in charge of communicating with their teachers, staying on top of assignments, preparing for exams. We realized that if we wanted to remain “hands off” for the college application process, we would need help.

The kids attend a large public school with one counselor per 700 students, so we knew that high school resources would be limited. Having Margaret allows the kids to treat “applying to college” like another class they have. The kids arrange meetings with her on their own—Margaret is very flexible and works around their school schedules.

By getting to know each student individually, she has helped them come up with their own college lists. These are schools that each kid feels are a “good fit” for their personality and goals, and for which they are willing to spend a lot of time and effort on the application. As parents, we note wistfully that there is not a lot of overlap between the twins’ lists.

From my perspective, Margaret has allowed me to be a better parent. I don’t do any nagging like “Did you submit that online application for that summer program on time?”, “For this college, you need to apply into a major, have you thought about what you’re going to do?”, “You need to ask that teacher for a recommendation well before the deadline, have you done it?”

She helps them navigate the whole process and keeps them organized. She has connected with each of them so well that they feel comfortable being vulnerable with her, and consequently, she is able to tell them in a straightforward and direct manner what they need to get done.

This type of guidance from a parent can come across as “pressure” and can poison the relationship. Margaret has allowed me to keep any college expectations I have for them to myself, and therefore allow them to pursue their own goals and dreams.”

— Agnes & Bernard C. of Cypress, California