Medina College Counseling 

Laila Hilfinger has been working in the world of college admissions for more than twenty years. She graduated from Brown University with an A.B. in history and completed her master’s degree at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. From 1995 through 2014 Laila was an alumna interviewer for Brown in the Seattle area and in northern New Jersey and interviewed hundreds of students on behalf of the university. She was also the Interviewing Program Area Chair for Western Washington, working closely with the Office of Admissions and completing training workshops on campus. Laila gained a firsthand understanding of the college admissions and selection process through these roles. She has guided many students through admissions to STEM programs.

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The daughter of an international student, a University of California, Berkeley graduate, Laila understands the challenges today’s students face. She has two sons: a graduate of Brown, who studied computer science and economics, who graduated from Lakeside School; and a mechanical engineering graduate of Northwestern University, who graduated from Bellevue High School, and recently received his MBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. 

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Laila is a member of HECA, Higher Education Consultants Association; PNACAC, Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling; and SACC, Seattle Area College Consultants. She participated in the College Counseling Certificate Program at University of California, Riverside, and has toured many colleges and universities around the nation.

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Prior to her work as an independent college counselor Laila worked in international business and marketing in New York and in Europe. She has worked with high school students in Bellevue as a volunteer with College Corps and also works with under-