Cultivating confidence since 2014.
About CAC
At CAC, we help families clear the chaos of college admissions--to dispel the myths, demystify the rules, and give you a complete picture of your options so that your family can make informed decisions that work for you and on every level.
Since 2014, Custom Academic Coaching has offered holistic, culturally sensitive alternatives to the one-size-fits-all college and graduate school admissions advice, helping students actualize their potential and emerge skillfully into adulthood with personally tailored, research-informed coaching.
At Custom Academic Coaching, we empower young people to thrive personally and academically in an ever-evolving world.
Learn more about our founder and coaches below.
Meet Nena Malhotra
Nena Malhotra is an independent educational consultant and the Founder and Head Instructor of Custom Academic Coaching. She is an expert in admission to American and British undergraduate and graduate programs at a variety of institutions, including the Ivy League and other top-tier schools, liberal arts colleges, technical colleges, and art schools. Since founding CAC in 2014, 97% of her college counseling students have been admitted to one or more of their top three choices.
Nena earned her bachelor’s degree in English & Comparative Literary Studies and a minor in Art History & The Visual Arts from Occidental College in 2009. She attended the University of Exeter Law School in the United Kingdom, where I was First Year Moot Court Champion, and Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. She clerked at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation, and Public Counsel.
She has served as an Executive Member of the Board of Trustees at The Pasadena Waldorf School since 2022 and is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA).
Meet Dr. Lexi Portaro
Lexi Portaro is a licensed pharmacist and the founder and operator of PranaRae, a holistic business specializing in complementary medicine and health education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from UCLA and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Southern California's (USC) Mann School of Pharmacy.
As a lecturer for USC’s Keck School of Medicine master’s program in Global Medicine and USC’s undergraduate pharmacy program, Lexi has taught multiple subjects ranging from non-communicable diseases to motivational interviewing. She has also worked as a clinical pharmacist, during which she coached and educated patients on a variety of health topics, and designed and led training sessions for nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Meet Peter Selawsky
Peter Selawsky is a California-based attorney, LSAT instructor, and law school admissions consultant with expertise in admission to top-tier UK and US law programs.
Peter is an experienced LSAT tutor and law school admissions consultant committed to a client-centered and holistic approach to the law school application process. Peter’s services as a tutor are tailored to CAC’s individualized assessments of each applicant’s needs and strengths, identifying and pursuing areas of improvement in logic games, reading comprehension, test-taking strategies, and other essential skills for law school admissions.
Peter earned his bachelor’s degree in English & Comparative Literary Studies from Occidental College in 2009 and his JD from University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). As a law student, he received recognition for his clinical research and analysis in the relationship of developing technologies to US constitutional, criminal, and privacy law, including location tracking and aggregated metadata. As an attorney, Peter has represented thousands of individual clients in California, leading and consulting on jury trials and legal projects across the state.
What Sets Us Apart
People-First Approach
Everything we do is built around understanding your needs and helping you succeed—because when you thrive, so do we.
Long-Term Relationships
We’re not just here for the now. We love creating lasting relationships with our clients and growing with them over time.
Proven Process, Flexible Execution
We bring structure where it counts and adaptability where it matters. Our methods are clear, but always responsive.