Elsa has more than 45 years of experience as a college counselor in independent schools and has served as the president of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling, as a board member and coordinator for Multicultural Concerns for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and as a member of the College Board National College Scholarship Service Committee.

Elsa is a graduate of the University of Southern California and holds a Master of Science degree in School Counseling from California State University, Los Angeles.