Meet Kaila!

Kaila Brown, College Counselor

Kaila’s seven years of college admissions experience include time spent on both sides of the desk—as both an admissions officer and a school counselor. After earning a master’s in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania, Kaila returned to her alma mater, Vanderbilt University, where she spent the next five years as an Assistant Director of Admissions, evaluating applications. She then accepted a post at Marist School in Atlanta as the Associate Director of College Counseling, assuming responsibility for college admissions support for an annual caseload of over 100 students whose college interests ranged from the most selective schools in the country, to Division 1 athletics, from competitive engineering programs to theatrical arts. Finally, she rounded out her experience with a successful two-year stint in the business world as a Customer Success Manager for a company that provides a college admissions guidance management system for high schools (the only counselor at Collegewise to have held such a post).

Kaila’s deep experience in admissions, counseling, and business is like a trifecta of skills that benefit her students. She understands how admissions committees at highly competitive schools evaluate applicants and she can ensure that her own students present themselves thoughtfully and compellingly. She has helped students of all academic abilities and a variety of college goals to enjoy more successful admission outcomes, and can tailor her approach to work best for each student on her caseload. Her success in the business world is a testament to her customer service skills and her ability to create value through the relationships she builds. 

What Kaila’s resume doesn’t reveal, but every family who meets her senses right away, is the passion she brings to this work and the deep sense of responsibility she manifests with each family on her caseload. In Kaila’s own words:

I want the best for my students and their families. I understand this is a daunting process, and while I can’t promise to take away every fear, I can promise to provide so much knowledge and support that my students will look back on this time, certain they did their best, and submitted compelling applications that made them proud.

While Kaila is a self-proclaimed food critic and a card-carrying member of the Real Housewives fan club, she’s been happily spending less time indulging in those interests since the arrival of her son, Wesley, who, as of the penning of this bio, is just starting to crawl. 

Education & Experience

Vanderbilt University, B.A.
University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education, M.S. 
Associate Director of College Counseling, The Marist School (2 years)
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Vanderbilt University (5 years)