Arlene is a college admissions consultant, writer, and editor. She is the author of the acclaimed book, Getting In Without Freaking Out: The College Admissions Guide for Overwhelmed Parents. The Washington Post praised the book for "coming to the rescue" in college anxiety season, and Arlene was one of three experts featured on a New York Times college admissions panel. Arlene has written and co‐written over thirty additional books.

Her recent works include The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Psychology of Happiness, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beating Stress, and The Seven Keys to Calm. She recently collaborated with Mary Civiello on Communication Counts: Business Presentations for Busy People. Under the pen name "Annie Pigeon" Arlene has also published 11 humor books including the bestselling Love's Little Instruction Book and The National Standardized Mom Test.

A number of Arlene's books have been published in foreign editions in Germany, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Mexico, England, Italy, and Taiwan. Her work has also appeared in periodicals such as Money Magazine, McCall's, Poets & Writers, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Examiner. Arlene was featured in People Magazine, has appeared on Good Morning America and Today, and has been a three-time guest on Oprah.