Local Clients | National Clients | Professional Endorsements
FROM OUR LOCAL CLIENTS:
I can’t thank you enough for the information and advice you have provided and work you have done for our family. I never would have guessed, when we attended that College Planning Workshop two years ago, the impact you would have on our family’s financial stability. The Bank on Yourself program you introduced us to has positively affected our day-to-day savings, our daughter’s ability to go to college and our long term financial future. As you know, I was pretty skeptical and I appreciate your patience us as you educated us in the process and answered all our questions.
-BRUCE H., GAHANNA, OH
We contacted Marc when our youngest daughter was preparing to go to college. We felt that we had not given our oldest daughter the best financial advantages for her college years. From our first meeting with Marc, and the subsequent meetings, he has been able to help us not only get our own personal finances in order, but also get our youngest daughter scholarship opportunities that we could not have done on our own. We are now able and prepared to help both daughters with their college bills and still be able to prepare ourselves for retirement. In addition, with Marc’s help and guidance he has been able to remove that worried, stressed-out look on my husband’s face. We can not thank him enough for all he has done.
-L.J., SUNBURY, OH
I just wanted to thank you and your team for leading my family through the difficult financial aid process. My family started with you a year and a half ago to help our oldest daughter through the college selection process. This also included guidance on admission, financial aid and scholarships. By profession I am a golf course architect and consider myself a very detailed and knowledgeable person. Before this process began, I had no idea how difficult this process would be; and without your help along the way, I am sure I would have made both time-consuming and costly mistakes. For this upcoming school year, your company also has helped my youngest daughter go through the same process, and with the same success. I sincerely believe you have helped our family save time and money, and get my daughters in the colleges of their choice. Without your help, I am not sure if this could have happened. Thanks for your support and guidance.
-DANA F., WESTERVILLE, OH
We met Marc and his team when our younger daughter was a senior in high school. We had fumbled our way through the college financial planning maze for two years when our first daughter headed off to school. Now, with two girls in college and a recession moving in, we knew we needed help! Marc and his team stepped up to the plate and helped us in more ways than we could have imagined. No question was too trivial. And their help was invaluable when it came to working our way through the maze of FAFSA forms, scholarship applications, creative financial approaches, and planning. Marc met with us several times and helped our daughter develop a financial plan that she could implement. The recession has now had a serious impact on our family business, and Marc’s focus has not waivered. His uncompromised focus is on ensuring that our daughters get the college education they deserve, and that we weather this storm to the well-planned retirement we thought had gone over the transom. Kudos to this outstanding team of professionals – and friends! – and thank you so much for the peace of mind you have given our family!
-BECKY L., Dublin, OH
FROM OUR NATIONAL CLIENTS:
I can’t believe it’s been a full year since that amazingly lucky day when my husband and I met Mr. Marc Ziegler and began working with the Midwest College Planning team. I remember feeling completed overwhelmed with all the responsibility the senior year of high school would present, college visits, SAT’s and preparatory courses, the application process, the twelve drafts of the application essay, and finding time for classes and sports. In our case the college pursuit was even more complicated because our son wanted to play baseball, however, I wanted him to attend a top tier school (or at least one of the top schools in the Princeton Review). Our son was taking advanced placement classes and I was working full time and taking care of my mother who had a stroke three years prior. Time was precious for us and I desperately needed a life line through this whole process, and I found it – his name was Mr. Marc Ziegler. I had the usual trepidation related to facing additional costs at the beginning of the most expensive year of our son’s life, yet Marc and his team have been worth every penny we invested, in triplicate! He has been a voice of calm in a sea of chaos, knowing exactly what I needed to do and by when. He and his team have gently plodded me through critical deadlines, with gentle reminders all along the way, throughout the senior year. He had an uncanny ability to deal with my stress and anxiety in a firm, yet compassionate manner, in order to refocus my efforts in a productive and forward thinking direction. It was kind of amazing that by February, I stopped questioning Marc since everything he told me worked out exactly as he had planned it would from the very beginning. When you deal with anyone on his staff, you are greeted with exceptional customer service, insightful and knowledgeable staff and incredibly helpful materials and on line resources (which has made the geographic differences in our locations- New York to Ohio- completely transparent). We have utilized nearly all of the services they provide and they have continued to surpass our expectations. Marc has connections all over the continental US and was able to engage with us as we sorted through various schools and tried to determine the “best fit” for my son and the coaching style of the head baseball coaches. We have been incredibly well served by Marc and his team, and look forward to many more years of working with him as we navigate the financial details of paying for college. I have worked for an ivy league institution for 22 years, and Marc knows far more than I ever will about negotiating the complicated waters of college admissions and planning. I will be eternally grateful to Marc and his team, and cannot say enough about their knowledge, outstanding service orientation and complete commitment to the success of their clients.
-MARY BETH AND JEFF J., ITHACA, NY
I can’t say enough about Marc. I have been a University Professor for 25 years and Marc knows ten times more than I do about college admissions and funding. He provided unknown opportunities for my son at several outstanding colleges and as a consequence my son is now a student at a highly ranked private college. There are numerous testimonials about Marc’s tremendous assistance to families throughout the entire college selection, application, admissions and financing process, but Marc goes beyond this. One might expect that once the student enters his/her college, Marc’s job is done. However that is not necessarily the way Marc sees it. Since my son is in college in Ohio and we live in Florida, Marc makes it a point to check in with him periodically. This is what has impressed me the most about Marc. He really cares about his clients, including both the parents and the students. His ultimate goal is for all “his students” to be successful and happy and he will offer whatever assistance he can to ensure this, including being available as a resource throughout the student’s college career. As far as I am concerned, the best bargain related to my son’s college education is Marc Ziegler.
-ANN F., GAINESVILLE, FL
My husband met Marc at a local baseball camp for high school ballplayers where he was speaking to parents of college-bound students. We started searching out the right college for our son beginning in the middle of his junior year of high school. Our concerns at the time, was to find a school offering the major he was seeking, relatively close to home and could be afforded. That in itself was not too difficult a challenge, but we also faced having to find a college that also had a solid baseball program. As the hours turned to days, and days to months, panic started to set in. The truth was we were not able to get the job done without Marc Ziegler’s help. With Marc, everything went smoothly and on time. He helped our son pick the school of his choice, assisted us in planning how to pay for it and kept us focused so that we completed the entire process before his senior year was up. We did exactly what Marc told us to do. Marc not only solved all of our issues, especially the financial ones, he also spent quality time with our son discussing his future and how to get the most out of his college experience. We could not have done this without Mr. Ziegler. We still have a 13 year old at home, and Marc will soon be planning for his college future. We are now able to enjoy life and sleep nights knowing that Marc is taking care of one of life’s milestones.
-DEBBIE C., ADELPHI, MD
Marc, I don’t know how I can ever thank you for changing the lives of my children and for the better future you have made possible with Midwest College Planning. You have opened a door we never knew was possible. I always assumed that going to college in California was the only way to go. My eldest son is studying non-stop; I have never seen him so focused about school because he never imagined that he would get the chance to play college baseball. What an amazing future he will have because the school has an engineering program that will start him on the right path for his future. He feels rejuvenated. His acceptance letter is on the wall above his bed. I can’t thank you enough for the help you have given my family.
-DAVID P., AZUSA, CA
Perhaps Marc’s best quality is positive attitude that allows one to totally trust him. Having now worked with Marc Ziegler for three years, I only wish that I had met him when I was 22 years old instead of 52 years. Not only has he helped me obtain both scholarships and loan money for my two children in college, but he has also helped guide me with in my retirement plan.
-JEFFREY T., FINKSBURG, MD
I knew my son, Zack had Ivy League dreams and when they recruited him this summer his dreams came true. But my Ivy League headaches just started. As the owner of a small business, I was worried about how I was going to afford the $55,000 it would cost each year. Marc suggested ways of organizing my business to present the best possible picture to the awards committee.
When I met Marc at the TPX Showcase in Hartford, I wasn’t going to go listen to him speak. But I thought what have I got to lose, a half hour of my time? It was the best 30 minutes of the weekend. I learned so much about the financial aid process.
I realized that Marc could present my case better than me, he would contest the award if he felt it was too low, he would make sure all the deadlines were met and he would save me many thousands of dollars and hours over the four years of college. Passing the headache of FAFSA and CSS filing to him was worth the dollars spent.
-JOE T., WHITE PLAINS, NY
When my son turned five years old, I started to wonder how I would pay for his college education. At the time there where not many ways to save and many did not leave me in control of my funds. When my son was ending his sophomore year of high school, I looked at what I had saved and still wondered how I would pay for his college education.
After meeting with Marc, he has put my mind at ease on how to save and pay for college. In one simple suggestion he saved me from wasting $1500 dollars. His simple advice and guidance has helped my son review colleges and put a plan in place. He even has my daughter, who is freshman in high school this year, talking about what type of college she would like to attend. I am glad that I went for the talk by MidWest College Planning on how to make my money work for me.
-ROBERT B., PRINCE FREDERICK, MD
The college planning process is very involved and more than a little intimidating. I found that Marc Ziegler’s knowledge and expertise helped make the experience much less daunting. Marc along with the support staff of Midwest College Planning have been there for us every step of the way, answering all of our questions with patience and understanding. I will continue to recommend him to all my friends.
-JULIE Z., CINCINNATI, OH
Thank goodness we found Midwest College Planning when we first started looking for Colleges and Universities for our high school senior. We didn’t know the first thing about the application process or how to apply for student aid nor did we have the time to learn. Midwest College Planning assisted us every step of the way, and now our son is going to a great University that we never thought we could afford. The best move we have ever made was hiring Midwest College Planning to help us take care of everything.
-KEVIN B., BAKERSFIELD, CA
I first met Marc Zielger at a Top 96 Baseball Showcase in the summer of 2009 and it completely changed my life and that of my twin boys who were just completing their Junior year of high school. After some initial hesitation with hiring Marc, my wife and I decided to employ his services and it was the best decision we made in the college process. Marc eliminated all of the stress in our lives with dealing with the forms and financial nuances of some seventeen colleges. After visiting all of our kids schools and dealing with the athletic recruitment of both our boys for different sports, Marc was able to assist us in negotiating great financial packages for both boys. There is no doubt that without Marc’s help our packages that were put together for both our children would not have happened. It is comforting to know that Marc will remain involved in our lives as our children complete their college education. In hiring Marc Ziegler we did not hire a service we gained a trusted friend and confidant that who will forever remain a part of our family’s financial future and security.
-MARK AND TIA P., NASHUA, NH
FROM PROFESSIONALS:
Midwest College Planning, LLC has been a welcome addition to the Southern Maryland Baseball Camps. Marc E. Ziegler’s knowledge about college planning has assisted many families to achieve their goals of attending college on an affordable basis. He brings a unique ability to discuss how to plan both academically and athletically. Knowing Marc for over 10 years, I know he has integrity, and it’s a relationship I intend to keep for decades to come.
-JERRY WARGO, SOUTHERN MARYLAND BASEBALL CAMPS
The TOP 96 runs 50+ baseball clinics across the country each year. We serve over 3,500 high school players looking to take their game to the next level. An important part of the college selection process for parents and players is trying understand the application process, athletic scholarships, financial aid etc. For the last three years we have utilized the services of Marc Ziegler, President and CEO of Midwest College Planning and his associates to run college funding seminars at all of our camps to help parents begin to understand the process.
Parents thank us all of the time for bringing Marc in to speak. Marc adds a tremendous value to our camps and helps us differentiate our clinics from the competition. I have had two sons play baseball in college and I wish had know Marc back then. I would have saved a lot of money.
-DOUG HENSON, Director, DeMarini TOP 96
This summer I had the pleasure of hearing Marc speak at one of the TPX clinics here in Iowa. I have been coaching at the college level for 20 years and had never seen a presentation like this geared toward helping families. What impressed me most was how he presented his knowledge as well as the major benefits any family could obtain. There are certain things that come along and you wonder why someone else had not thought of it before. Marc did that with the best presentation I have heard and clearly demonstrated the ability to help any family applying to college.
-TIM HOLLIBAUGH, HEAD BASEBALL COACH, GRINNELL COLLEGE
Midwest College Planning and Marc Ziegler do a terrific job of working with prospective high school student athletes. They effectively communicate with players and parents about all aspects of financial aid. Marc also takes time to discuss expectations and additional concerns with ball players. We are thrilled to be working closely with MCP and look forward to continuing this relationship for many years to come.
-TYLER MOTT, HEAD BASEBALL COACH, OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
What I appreciate most about Marc is well-rounded experience of the recruiting process. As a successful college coach, he spent plenty of time speaking with high school students about their goals for college and beyond. He has a tremendous baseball mind, but his biggest asset is how much he cares for people and seeing them reach their goals. If you spend one minute speaking with Marc, you will understand how much he cares about seeing people succeed.
-STEVE EDDIE, HEAD BASEBALL COACH, BUENA VISTA UNIVERSITY
I have been involved with Marc and Midwest College Planning for about three years now through his involvement with our DeMarini Top 96 event. The service he provides for all students and parents is invaluable! Especially for private institutions like the University of Redlands, where many student athletes and their parents believe that a private education, at a great institution like ours, is out of the financial realm of possibility. Marc explains the financial aid process and how, in most cases, a private education can be more affordable for the middle class family. I highly recommend Midwest College Planning and their services.
-SCOTT LAVERTY, HEAD BASEBALL COACH, UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS
I have known Marc for a lot of years through his college coaching career and now with Midwest College Planning. He really wants to help families and prospective student-athletes find and help them afford the college of their choice. With the economy the way it is and colleges having to raise their tuitions to support the current economic times you must plan for college. Marc and his staff will prepare you for college and you will find you have more options than what you thought were imaginable for your son or daughter.
-JAY LEWIS, HEAD BASEBALL COACH, WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY
I have had the opportunity to hear Mr. Ziegler speak many times to parents throughout the country and he brings to the table lots of knowledge that student athletes’ parents need to know. Being a former coach, he understands what needs to be done to give an athlete a chance to be able to attend college without financial hardships. I know it is well worth your time to listen to what he has to say and let Marc give you some good information that will help your family make the right choice for your child’s future.
-GARY VAUGHT, HEAD BASEBALL COACH, UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
I have known Marc for several years through coaching. Marc has a vast knowledge of the college recruitment process and is now sharing that prospective college students throughout the country. Marc is very thorough in his work and has a desire to see each student find the best fit for them and their family. I would highly recommend Midwest College Planning. Marc will not only give you a great deal of information on what to look for when choosing a college, but he also has a heart for people and wants to see them succeed.
-CHAD NEWHARD, HEAD BASEBALL COACH, INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY