About Us
“Shalini was incredibly responsive to us and our son, partnering with him as he wrote his essays. His dream school is known for quirky essay prompts, and her expert guidance and experience allowed him to focus on exactly what the school valued: creativity, individuality, and drilling down into the essence of the question. While he wrote his essays, her assistance was critical in helping his application stand out in an extremely competitive process. Shalini was available at a moment’s notice, whenever any of us had questions about the essays or the admissions process in general. She is a consummate professional and if you are serious about your child going to an elite school, you should not hesitate to put your trust in her, as we did.” — Miami Parent
THE FLEMING DIFFERENCE: Why Work with Us
We know you have options when it comes to college counseling services. We also believe that we can provide students and families with uniquely superior support. Here’s why:
we haven’t just worked at some of the most elite, selective colleges in the country— we have served in significant leadership positions at these schools so we know how admissions decisions are made in the end. Most other firms employ staff who have served only in entry- or mid-level admissions roles.
we are 100% transparent with our services and costs. Go ahead— try and find pricing and packages for other college counseling companies online. Most will ask you to set up a consultation first, but we know you’re busy students and parents and don’t have time to jump through hoops for basic information. And if you are finally able to get other companies’ rates, you’ll find that they are often more expensive than we are.
students love working with us. Okay, we know this is a little intangible, but don’t take our word for it. Meet us and see for yourself. Or ask us for parent references. And as always, your first consultation is free.
Shalini Uppu: Co-Founder & Counselor
Shalini grew up in Miami and is a proud alumna of Miami Palmetto Senior High School. After Palmetto, she attended Yale University where she earned a B.A. in history in 2006. At Yale, she also worked in the admissions office as a senior interviewer and admissions representative.
For over fifteen years, Shalini served in undergraduate and graduate admissions offices across the country, including leadership positions at the University of Chicago, Reed College, and Duke University. She has reviewed thousands of college applications, chaired admissions committees, and presented at national conferences. She has also given workshops to local schools and teachers on recommendation letters, athletic recruitment, and the role of standardized testing.
She has personally recruited and reviewed applications from Florida, New York, California, Washington, Oregon, D.C., and New England.
Shalini serves on the board of the Yale Club of South Florida and volunteers broadly across Miami. She enjoys racquet sports, puns, and long walks at Publix.
shalini@flemingeducationpartners.com
Partners and Advisors
Lauren Carpenter
Lauren co-founded Carpenter Fine Violins & Collectibles, the leading company in selling fine musical instruments, after having worked at Google for six years. In 2009, she co-founded the Salome Chamber Orchestra in New York City and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, and the MET Museum of Art.
She serves on the Boards of Redmont Wealth Advisors as well as the Princeton University Music Department Committee and Salzburg Music Festival Society.
In 2006, she graduated from Princeton University Magna Cum Laude with an A.B. in Politics and minors in Germanic Language, Political Economics, Finance, and Music Performance. Her senior thesis, awarded the Carolyn Picard Thesis Prize, studied the German university system. A winner of the 2004 and 2005 Princeton University Concerto Competitions, Lauren performed the Shostakovich Concerto No.1 and the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Princeton University Orchestra, the same orchestra for which she served as Concertmistress.
Lauren is a tireless advocate for the value of education in our lives and communities. Aside from her distinguished musical pedigree, she has broad-ranging interests in art and art history, neuroscience, business, health and wellness, and international travel. She calls South Florida home where she plays tennis, enjoys the sunshine, and connects great students to the resources they need to begin their college journeys.
lauren@flemingeducationpartners.com
Senior Advisor
Christine Oscai
Advisor
Christine Oscai is a product and digital transformation leader specializing in AI, analytics, data modernization, and enterprise technology. Her experience spans healthcare, life sciences, consulting, and technology, including roles at Boston Consulting Group, Pfizer, and UnitedHealthcare. As a Senior Product Manager for Analytics & AI at Availity, she leads the development of AI-powered products and data solutions. She additionally advises organizations on digital transformation, helping them modernize operations, implement ERP and data platforms, and leverage technology to drive growth and efficiency.
Christine is a Chicago native and attended the University of Illinois where she graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Economics. She was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa chapter there. She went on to study at Yale University where she earned an MPH in 2014. Christine is dedicated to helping organizations, companies, and nonprofits improve efficiency and build capacity through technology.
Michael Noltemeyer
Advisor
Michael Noltemeyer earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Yale University in 2008, where he spent four years working in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Then he spent a year in a dual-degree M.D.-Ph.D. program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine before leaving to focus on writing and teaching instead. In 2015, he completed a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of New Mexico, where he served as an award-winning teacher of composition, creative writing, technical writing, and literature. He now teaches writing at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.
Michael has helped students on over 10,000 application essays and supplements over the years. He believes that the best essay coaches not only help their students achieve their college goals, but make them better, clearer, and more concise writers.
Cindy Jacques
Advisor
Cindy Jacques, the head tutor and owner of Talented Tutoring LLC, is a remarkable educator with a deep-rooted passion for making learning accessible and enjoyable to all. A South Florida native, Cindy earned her bachelor's degree in biology from Yale University in 2008, followed by a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Her academic journey through both UMiami and Yale was marked by a keen interest in solving challenging problems, a skill she enthusiastically brings to her teaching and coaching.
Cindy leverages her expertise and passion to inspire a love for learning and to build her students' confidence and readiness for their standardized tests. Her dedication to education is evident in her personalized teaching methods and her commitment to her students' success. Cindy's unique approach has not only helped countless students overcome their math or test anxiety on the SATs but has also instilled in them a newfound appreciation for ability to achieve whatever goals they set for themselves.
Michael Zwerner
Advisor/ Career and Post-Graduate
Michael Zwerner is the portfolio manager at a family office, focused primarily on publicly traded equities, and serves on the Board of Directors of First State Bank, a Florida-based community bank.
He brings extensive investing and research experience, with a career spanning well-regarded names in the investment management industry. Earlier on, he worked at Kynikos Associates, a short-focused hedge fund, and at Indus Capital Partners, a long/short hedge fund that began as a Soros Fund Management spin-out.
He holds an MBA from Yale University in 2011 and a BA in Economics and Master of Accounting from the University of Michigan. He is a CFA charterholder and a CPA (inactive). A Miami native, Michael is a proud alumnus of Miami Country Day School.
Beyond his investment work, Michael is active in the Yale Club of South Florida and serves as a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor to a high school student. He is also involved with the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan think tank. He has a longstanding interest in education and mentorship, and enjoys advising students and early-career professionals on college and career decisions.
Jessica Morrison
Advisor/ Nonprofits and School Districts
Jessica brings over twenty years of educational experience to designing and implementing state- recognized career and college counseling programs. Jessica was the inaugural Director of Career and College Counseling at a Colorado project-based charter school where her students were admitted to some of the most highly selective colleges across the country.
Through her years of college advising experience, Jessica has received awards from the state of Colorado for her commitment to college counseling and for curriculum she has implemented. Much of her curricular content is still used as resources across the state of Colorado.
Jessica graduated from Bloomsburg University in 2004 with a B.S. in Secondary Education, and in 2015 from Fort Lewis College with an M.A. in Education, Teacher Leadership. When Jessica is not working to help build a strong community focused on career and college education, she can be found skiing, backpacking, and hiking with her husband, Casey, and their dog, Olive.