Admittedly: College Admissions with Thomas Caleel

Does thinking about applying to college, grad school, or prep school make your head spin? The Admittedly Podcast is for both parents and students preparing for or navigating school admissions. We aim to demystify the admissions process and share with you what you really need to know to succeed. Our host, Thomas Caleel, former director of MBA admissions and financial aid for the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, is here to help. He is a lifelong entrepreneur and CEO of a global admissions consulting agency where he works with families worldwide to help them achieve their educational goals. New episodes go live every Tuesday and Thursday. Learn from our guest speakers, live coaching sessions, and weekly solo episodes. Have admissions questions you'd like answered on the show? Apply to be coached by Thomas himself on one of our upcoming recordings. In this podcast, we don't promise easy answers or quick fixes. But with decades of experience under his belt, Thomas will address the practical aspects of applying to school and how to think like an admissions officer to improve your college or prep school application.

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Episodes

9. 1:1 Coaching Session [Part 2]: How to Start Thinking about College Admissions as a Freshman

In this episode of Admittedly Podcast, Thomas takes us through a coaching session with a participant who is currently a freshman. Thinking about college admissions ahead of time can make a difference when it comes to analyzing all the options and alleviating the pressure. Part 2 of this coaching session is all about Thomas explaining how the experiences learned with a summer/temporary job can be applied to college applications. Thomas highlights that nowadays schools tend to look for students wh...

Mar 23, 2023•23 min•Ep. 9

8. 1:1 Coaching Session [Part 1]: How to Start Thinking about College Admissions as a Freshman

In this episode of Admittedly Podcast, Thomas takes us through a coaching session with a participant who is currently a freshman. Thinking about college admissions ahead of time can make a difference when it comes to analyzing all the options and alleviating the pressure. At this stage, it’s important to make an inventory of the student’s life: favorite hobbies, favorite activities, interests, different languages… Any information is fundamental to help the person make an interesting and effectiv...

Mar 21, 2023•25 min•Ep. 8

7. College Admissions Decision Day: Did You Make the Cut? What the Schools Aren’t Telling You, & Navigating Next Steps

The great day is here! You are finally receiving the answers you wanted and you might feel relieved. However, this moment can be very stressful as well because the outcome might not be what you were hoping for. In this episode, Thomas shares tips for the decision day. What to do if you were denied? How to celebrate if you were admitted? And what does ‘waitlist’ actually mean? These are probably the three most common answers inside the letter in your hands. It’s also important to know how to navi...

Mar 16, 2023•21 min•Ep. 7

6. What Summer Activities Look Best on a College Application?

Summer is an awesome time for students. It’s time for connecting with relatives and friends, traveling, and relaxing, but it’s also time for creating opportunities. While enjoying summer just relaxing can be a great way to recharge, it’s important to take time to learn as well. It can be the first step to a successful career. In this episode, Thomas shares strategies and tips to utilize summertime in the best way possible. Not only do summer activities look good on a college application, but the...

Mar 14, 2023•20 min•Ep. 6

5. College Admissions: Do You Have the Courage to Succeed?

It’s every parent’s goal for their high school student to stand out. The problem is that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to college admissions. A set of activities that got one child into Stanford might result in a series of rejections for another. In this episode, Thomas will talk about the dangers of the comparison trap, and how courage is a student’s best friend throughout the admissions process. Everybody is different, not only in what they do, but in why they do it and in how th...

Mar 09, 2023•20 min•Ep. 5

4. High School Activities: What Matters Most, and What Strategy to Take for Success

“What are the best high school activities to invest time in?” This is a common question by students and parents. Unfortunately, there’s no algorithm or formula that spits out a specific activity that guarantees admission into a certain university. If you haven’t listened to our episode on courage yet, please do so! When it comes to taking on tasks both inside and outside of academics, courage absolutely matters. We shouldn’t be content to simply follow the herd. At the same time, believing that ...

Mar 07, 2023•22 min•Ep. 4

3. Transfer Applications

There are lots of reasons why you might want to transfer schools. Maybe you got into a school that was not high on your list. Maybe you got into a school you really wanted to go to, but you didn't like the experience. There are times when circumstances change - you want to move closer to family, or you don't like the weather where you study. In this episode, Thomas will talk about how transferring works, what to consider when you've made the decision to transfer, what to look for in each school'...

Feb 22, 2023•15 min•Ep. 3

2. Junior Year of High School

In this episode of Admittedly, Thomas addresses families with high schoolers in their junior year. Admissions counselors at schools are contacting juniors, parents are scrambling over how and when to get started, and the pressure is on to get everything ready for college applications. Thomas touches on the importance of grades junior year, why leadership roles can make you a better candidate for university, and how you should spend your summer leading up to senior year. These topics will be furt...

Feb 22, 2023•19 min•Ep. 2

1. Admissions

It can be a confusing and terrifying process to apply to colleges, and this podcast is designed to help parents and prospective students work through it together. Your host, Thomas, will go through a year of admissions, what parents and applicants need to know about, and what it takes to be successful in your educational journey. Most of our friends and family who give us admissions advice have such a small sample set of experience, so a lot of misinformation gets around. Thomas aims to share hi...

Feb 22, 2023•17 min•Ep. 1

Welcome to Admittedly: College Admissions with Thomas Caleel

Welcome to the Admittedly Podcast, with your host Thomas Caleel. Thomas is the former director of MBA admissions and financial aid from his alma mater, The University of Pennsylvania. The Admittedly Podcast is about one of the most confusing, opaque, and anxiety-inducing processes in the world: admissions. Thomas has been involved in admissions as a student and alumnus since high school, and it's something he cares deeply about. From his experience, he knows how difficult the admissions process ...

Feb 22, 2023•6 min

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