Admittedly: College Admissions with Thomas Caleel

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, apply for a free Family Action Call with us at admittedly.co/apply.
In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel explores one of the most powerful but overlooked advantages in college admissions: planning ahead. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in highly selective admissions, he explains why the most successful families don't leave outcomes to chance but instead make thoughtful, flexible decisions early so students can build academic rigor, explore interests, and stay positioned for competitive opportunities.
Thomas breaks down the difference between healthy planning and overplanning, showing how early decisions around math placement, course rigor, summer strategy, and extracurricular focus can either expand or limit future options. He emphasizes that students don't need every step mapped out, but they do need direction, awareness, and intentional choices that evolve over time, reducing anxiety while strengthening admissions outcomes.
Through real examples, Thomas illustrates how missed opportunities in early academic tracking and last-minute decision-making can quietly close doors to selective programs. He also explains how planning ahead allows students to explore interests with confidence while still staying aligned with long-term academic goals.
Key Takeaways:
• Planning ahead creates opportunity; waiting limits options.
• Early academic choices — especially math track — can significantly impact future admissions paths.
• Rigor matters, and students must position themselves early to access advanced coursework.
• Summers should build on academic interests, not be left to chance.
• Sophomore year difficulty increases — preparation prevents unnecessary stress.
• Conversations about interests should be exploratory, not pressure-driven.
• Junior year planning is urgent; competitive opportunities require early action.
• Momentum matters more than perfection — starting now is always better than waiting.
This episode is especially valuable for parents of middle schoolers, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who want to approach admissions with clarity instead of panic. Thomas offers practical guidance on starting conversations early, helping students identify genuine interests, and maintaining flexibility while moving forward with intention.
Listeners can continue the conversation by following @admittedlyco on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, where Thomas answers questions and shares weekly admissions guidance. Additional free tools and downloads designed to help families plan with confidence are available at admittedly.co.
To speak with an advisor and develop a personalized roadmap for your student, visit admittedly.co/apply for a free Family Action Call.

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, apply for a free Family Action Call with us at admittedly.co/apply.
In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel takes on one of the most misunderstood parts of college preparation: extracurricular activities. Parents often worry their students aren't doing enough, while students feel overwhelmed trying to "keep up" with friends who seem to be involved in everything. Drawing on nearly two decades of work in selective admissions, Thomas explains why the real problem isn't a lack of activities — it's a lack of intention.
He breaks down what extracurriculars actually signal to admissions officers, why a long list of clubs rarely helps, and how students can create impact by going deeper on the things they genuinely care about. Thomas outlines a clear framework for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, showing how each year plays a different role in forming a student's academic identity and demonstrating curiosity, leadership, and growth. Through real examples of admitted students — from future engineers to artists to first-gen leaders — listeners learn how meaningful contributions often come from everyday opportunities like jobs, family commitments, summer projects, and community involvement.
This episode is especially valuable for families navigating burnout, confusion, or pressure around extracurriculars, as well as students aiming for highly selective colleges where depth, impact, and authenticity matter far more than checking boxes.
Key Takeaways:
• Extracurriculars are about revealing who you are — not proving how busy you can be.
• Depth and impact matter more than the number of activities on a list.
• Freshmen should explore widely; sophomores should curate; juniors should deepen and lead.
• Summers are a major opportunity to show academic interest through real experiences.
• Jobs, family responsibilities, and community work carry significant weight in admissions.
• The fastest way to fall behind is copying what other students do instead of following your own curiosity.
Listeners can continue the conversation by following @admittedlyco on Instagram and TikTok, where Thomas answers questions and shares weekly admissions guidance. Additional tools, guides, and free resources to help your family approach this process with clarity and confidence can be found at admittedly.co.
To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, visit admittedly.co/apply for a free Family Action Call.

If you're ready to take the next step in your admissions journey, visit https://admittedly.co/apply to register for a free Family Action Call with one of our advisors. 
Parents worry about grades, test scores, and résumés. But underneath all of that, what really shapes a student who can thrive in competitive academics and in life? 
In this episode, Thomas Caleel talks with Mario Mendez, Community Accountability Manager and Senior Program Staff at Wilderness Youth Project (WYP) in Santa Barbara, about how nature, unstructured exploration, and real-world challenge help kids build the resilience, awareness, and confidence they need long before they ever apply to college.
Mario draws on decades of experience working with young people in South America, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Together, he and Thomas unpack how nature-based programs can support mental health, reduce stress, and help students develop a stronger sense of self – and why those qualities matter so much in highly selective college admissions.
Key Topics & Takeaways
Education beyond the classroom
Why real education includes social emotional learning, self-awareness, and lived experience, not just what happens in class.



Nature as a tool for awareness and belonging
How tracking, observation, and time outdoors teach kids to notice their surroundings, read a room, and understand their impact on others.



Access, equity, and Bridge to Nature
How programs like WYP's Bridge to Nature serve under resourced students, and why nature connection is not just for "outdoorsy" or privileged families.



What families can do anywhere
Practical ways to build nature connection in cities and suburbs using small routines: a single tree, a window, a daily walk, or attention to seasonal changes.



Storytelling, resilience, and admissions
How a rich inner life, curiosity, and the ability to tell your own story show up in college essays and in the way students move through school and life.



This conversation is especially helpful for parents who see anxiety, burnout, or disconnection in their kids and want something more meaningful than another activity on the schedule. It is also for families thinking about highly selective admissions who recognize that resilience, authenticity, and self-knowledge are just as important as GPA and test scores.
Links to Wilderness Youth Project, Mario's recommended resources, and related nature-connection tools:
Nature Connection and Outdoor School Directory

Learn More About Wilderness Youth Project

Read About Stress Busters 

For more support on building thoughtful, strategic paths to college for your student, visit admittedly.co and follow @admittedlyco on Instagram and TikTok.

In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel breaks down why junior year is the most consequential year in the college admissions process. As students are assigned college counselors and admissions timelines become real, he explains what juniors should be focused on right now — and where families often misunderstand how the process actually works.
This conversation covers academic rigor, grades, standardized testing, teacher relationships, extracurricular strategy, and junior summer planning, with a clear message throughout: junior year is not the time to drift or wait for direction. Students who want competitive outcomes need to take ownership, make intentional choices, and understand how admissions officers evaluate applications in context.
Key Takeaways
Junior year grades and course rigor carry the most weight

SAT/ACT prep should already be underway

Teacher relationships now shape recommendation letters later

School counselors do not manage the process for you

Extracurriculars should narrow and deepen, not multiply

Junior summer must be planned with purpose

For juniors, the second semester is not a pause. It's a pivot point. This is when academic performance, testing, extracurricular decisions, and summer planning begin to directly shape college outcomes. For parents, this episode offers clarity on where guidance helps, where pressure backfires, and how to support students without outsourcing responsibility or trusting the process blindly.
Families can explore free guides, blog articles, and admissions resources at admittedly.co, and continue the conversation on Instagram and TikTok at @admittedlyco, where questions from students and parents often shape future episodes.
If you're ready to take the next step, visit https://admittedly.co/apply to apply for a free Family Action call with one of our admissions advisors.

Happy New Year, listeners! 
In this Season 5 premiere of the Admittedly Podcast, host Thomas Caleel kicks off the new year by addressing one of the most important questions students and families face: how to take control of the college admissions process instead of leaving outcomes to chance.
Drawing on decades of experience in highly selective admissions, Thomas reflects on the lessons of the past admissions cycle and explains why early planning, honest self-assessment, and clear goals matter more than ever in 2026. He breaks down common misconceptions about admissions, the growing emphasis on academic rigor and testing, and why students don't need to reinvent themselves — they need clarity, consistency, and authenticity.
This episode is especially relevant for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who want to approach the year ahead with intention, as well as parents looking for a realistic, transparent framework for supporting their students without unnecessary pressure.
Key Takeaways: 
You don't need a new version of yourself. You need clearer goals.

Highly selective admissions reward planning, not last-minute effort.

Academic rigor and grades matter more as schools push back on grade inflation.

Tutoring, test prep, and support work best when started early — not reactively.

Doing fewer things well beats chasing checklists or copying other students.

Authenticity and self-awareness are what help students stand out in large applicant pools.

 
Listeners can continue the conversation and find ongoing guidance by following Admittedly on Instagram and TikTok at @admittedlyco. 
Additional free resources (including guides, blogs, and tools designed to clarify the college admissions process) are available at admittedly.co
If you're ready to take the next step, visit https://admittedly.co/apply to apply for a free Family Action call with one of our admissions advisors.