Melnick is perhaps best known for her role as Cheerleader Cindy Sanders on Freaks and Geeks, whom central character Sam Weir (John Francis Daley) had a longtime crush on. She also had recurring roles on Boston Public, and Do Over. In 2001, she reunited with some of the cast members of Freaks and Geeks, appearing in the show Undeclared (which was also developed by Judd Apatow).