Cindy is an expert in the college admission process: she got her start in admission offices before opening a private study skills and college counseling business in Southern California, which she ran for over fifteen years. As an Assistant Director of Admission for the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago, she screened and reviewed over three thousand applications, interviewed prospective students, and served on the admission committee to evaluate borderline applicants and appeals cases. Then, as an educational consultant, she helped hundreds of high school students navigate their academic journeys, including course selection, study skills, time management, and college applications. Since closing her private educational practice in 2011, Cindy has focused on public speaking to student, parent, school and business groups on a variety of education-related topics.
Over the course of her career, Cindy has written numerous books: The Parent Compass is her tenth. Her other titles include Writing Successful College Applications: It’s More than Just the Essay (Peterson’s Publishing, 2014), The Everything College Checklist Book (Simon&Schuster, 2013), Straight-A Study Skills (co-author, Simon& Schuster, 2012), The Everything Guide to Study Skills: Strategies, Tips, and Tools You Need to Succeed in School (Simon&Schuster, 2011), The Best College Admission Essays (co-author, Macmillan/ARCO, 1997) and four other wedding-related books (PenguinRandom House). Her first children's book will be realized in 2023 (Familius/Workman).
ABOUT CYNTHIA
Cindy holds bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Art History from Stanford University and a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Nova Southeastern University. Some of the other twists and turns in her multifaceted career include her stints as a campus tour guide and volunteer student coordinator for Stanford’s Office of Undergraduate Admission, and a tenth grade history teacher at The University School, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Cindy raised her family in Newport Beach, CA, and moved to Menlo Park, CA, in 2018, where she resides with her husband and two teens. She is the mother of four: a middle school, high school, and college student as well as a college graduate.
