Cindy is an expert in the college admission process: she got her start in college admission offices before opening a private study skills and college counseling business in Southern California, which she ran for over fifteen years.

Over the course of her career, Cindy has written numerous books: The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen’s Wellness and Academic Journey in Today’s Competitive World, is her tenth. Her other titles include: Writing Successful College Applications: It’s More than Just the Essay, The Everything Guide to Study Skills: Strategies, Tips, and Tools You Need to Succeed in School, Straight-A Study Skills, The Everything College Checklist Book, Best College Admission Essays, Will You Marry Me? The World's Most Romantic Proposals, 101 Ways to Pop the Question, The Ultimate Wedding Idea Book and The Frugal Bride. Her first children's book, C is for Construction (an alphabet primer) will be published in 2023. Her essays have appeared on Zibby Owens’ Moms Don’t Have Time To Write Medium platform, Your Teen Magazine, College Confidential, Raising Teens Today, The Los Angeles Times, and The Mom Experience, among others. Cindy holds bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Art History from Stanford University and a MA in Liberal Studies from Nova Southeastern University. She is a professional speaker and panelist on the subjects of education, study skills, parenting, and mental health in tweens and teens and has been interviewed as an expert on dozens of talk shows, radio and news stations, podcasts, magazines, and newspapers. 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. Visit www.cynthiamuchnick.com for more details or www.parentcompassbook.com. IG: @parentcompass, LinkedIn: Cindy Muchnick.