[ About Us ]

Every child deserves to have both a caring adult and a true expert by their side — someone capable of building the right strategy for their future.

MARIA KOEN, Founder

University admissions is neither a race nor a lottery. It is an architectural project in which academic achievement, extracurricular engagement, essays, and interviews are thoughtfully designed to work together as one coherent whole.

Three Principles

Integrity

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Dignity & Trust

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Expertise & Care

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[ Founder ]

Maria Koen

Founder, Koen Admissions Architects

20+ years in education

Master's in Linguistics

CELTA Pass A

Certificate in Advanced Methodology

Maria's teaching and curriculum development experience includes the Kitaygorodskaya Research & Education Center, the Higher School of Economics in collaboration with London School of Economics, the International Baccalaureate programme (English A: Language and Literature), and the Australia Institute of Future Education, where she served as a Course Designer. Prior to founding the company, she spent six years working independently as an admissions consultant.

In 2022, Maria relocated to the United States.

Koen Admissions Architects is built not only on professional expertise, but also on personal experience navigating the admissions journey with her own children.

Koen Admissions Architects

A specialist educational consultancy focused on strategic admissions guidance for American universities — both in the United States and at international campuses worldwide.

We work with families across the globe, primarily supporting International Baccalaureate and A-Level students who begin preparing from Grade 9 onward.

Our central philosophy is to build a complete admissions architecture rather than isolated components — from the first diagnostic session to welcoming a student at the gates of their future campus.

Our central philosophy
is to build a complete admissions architecture rather than isolated components — from the first diagnostic session to welcoming a student at the gates of their future campus.

Expert Team

Each family works with a team of specialists, each responsible for a distinct area of expertise.

Admissions Officer · Columbia University

More than 10 years of experience advising students worldwide on admission to Ivy League institutions and leading U.S. universities, including NYU, Northwestern, the University of Chicago, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. Oversees strategy for Extracurricular Activities, Honors, and Capstone Projects, as well as Common Application positioning and final application review through the lens of an admissions officer.

300+ applications reviewed

Bachelor’s — UCLA

International Educators

Bilingual teachers and native speakers, including former language examiners as well as IB and A-Level subject specialists across a wide range of disciplines.

Career Counselors & Psychologists

Qualified professionals who work with both students and parents to support thoughtful academic and personal development.

Public Speaking Coach

Author of the Effective/Affective Presentation methodology. Supports students in preparing for interviews and video presentations with confidence and clarity.

Campus Advisors

Programme alumni who have successfully enrolled at their target universities and now provide guidance directly from campus.

Our educators include former staff members of leading international schools, universities, and educational institutions.

Meet the Experts

Koen Admissions Architects