Admissions Counseling

Adansonia Educational Consulting is an independent university counseling consultancy serving internationally mobile families and third-culture kids applying to universities in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and continental Europe. I am a member of NACAC, and my IECA membership is pending. All services are delivered in accordance with NACAC’s Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission and IECA’s Principles of Good Practice.

Your university admissions counselor is Brad Kremer.

I’ve spent more than 20 years working in international schools across the US, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Finland, and Cambodia, as a science teacher, department head, curriculum designer, IB MYP Coordinator, and university counselor. Before I ever held the title of university counselor, I informally advised students about options and opportunities for post-secondary learning. I spent two decades watching how international students develop, where they find their strengths, and what the gap looks like between a student’s potential and the story their application tells.

In my role as University Admissions Counselor, I guide students in grades 9–12 through every phase of preparing for life after high school:

• identifying strengths and preferences in subject areas
• choosing IB courses that align with career aspirations
• discussing what life is like in different geographies
• developing a long list of options before narrowing it to a shortlist made of reach, target, and safety schools
• building personal profiles
• requesting teacher references
• writing impactful personal statements
• navigating the application process to universities in Australia, the UK, Canada, continental Europe, and the USA
• choosing the best fit school for each student

I am member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), I hold NACAC’s International University Advocate Professional Certificate, and am currently completing my College Counseling Certificate through UCLA Extension.

I’m also a parent of three third-culture kids (TCKs). I understand the internationally mobile family experience from the inside: not just professionally, but personally. When you work with Adansonia, you work with me directly, from the first conversation through to enrollment.

Since 2023, the students I work with have been accepted into more than 50 universities and colleges in 13 different countries!

Adansonia Education offers four tiers of university and college counseling. I serve internationally mobile families and students, especially third-culture kids (TKCs), who are applying primarily to universities in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and continental Europe. Depending on the tier and the specific requirements of each student and family, services may be delivered by a single experienced consultant or by a consultant working with specialists hired on an as-needed basis.

Tier 1: The Compass Sessions

Individual consultation sessions purchased on demand, with no long-term commitment required. A single session can cover any stage of the process, from school list reviews, essay feedback, testing strategy, mock interviews, deferral responses, or TCK-specific questions such as passport country applications and presentation of international transcripts. This tier is best suited for self-directed students in grades 11–12 who need targeted expert input at specific moments, or for families exploring the counseling relationship before committing to a package.

Tier 2: The Navigator Package

A focused engagement beginning the summer before Grade 12, covering the essay writing process and support up to and including submission of applications to multiple schools. Available in four tracks: US/Canada, UK/UCAS, Dual Track, and an Extended Track for heavy supplement loads across multiple geographies. This tier Includes a 90-minute intake session, complete essay strategy, up to three rounds of feedback on the main essay, supplemental essay support for all schools in the package, and monitoring of students’ narrative prior to submission. The Navigator runs approximately 15–25 hours over four to six months and is best suited to self-directed seniors who have a plan and need specialist essay support.

Tier 3: The Meridian Program

A full-cycle counseling partnership beginning in Grade 11 and running through final enrollment decisions. Available in four tracks:

• US/Canada
• UK/UCAS
• Transatlantic (US/Canada plus the UK)
• Expanded (which includes programs in continental Europe).

The Meridian Program covers six structured phases: discovery and strategy, school list development, application strategy and personal branding, essay development, submission management, and decision support. It includes 30–45 hours of direct engagement over 12–18 months, long list research across 20–28 schools, up to four rounds of essay feedback, full supplemental essay coverage, two mock interviews, strategy development for recommendation letters, and an analysis of final offers.

Tier 4: The Polaris Program

The Polaris Program is our flagship multi-year engagement, beginning in either Grade 9 or Grade 10, with an extended track covering US, UK, and European programs. The Polaris Program delivers 50–65 hours of direct contact across four phases spanning two to three years: Foundation (IB subject selection, profile development, testing roadmap), Development (Extended Essay advising, long list research across 25–35 schools, including exploration of potential majors), Application (full essay suite with up to five feedback rounds, all supplements across up to 16 schools, three mock interviews, complete submission management), and Decisions and Transition (financial aid coordination, offer analyses, and a pre-departure orientation). Uniquely, the Polaris Program includes three sessions with a specialist financial aid associate at no additional cost — the only tier where this is built in. The engagement follows the student through any school or country change, making it purpose-built for internationally mobile families. The Polaris Program is capped at 8 students per year.