Admittedly: College Admissions with Thomas Caleel

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 3 of this coaching session discusses what a student should do over the summer. There are a lot of courses, extracurricular activities, and summer jobs available for high school students, and colleges really value this type of commitment.

These summer activities can also make a difference for students to find out what they like to do, their passions, and which interests they would like to keep and turn into a career.

Key Highlights

• It's normal to feel pressure as a freshman when thinking about college.
• A good college is fundamental, but it's not a guarantee of success.
• Why is it important to think about college ahead of time?
• A lot of students have the same thoughts and concerns by this time.
• It's ok not to know what you're passionate about as a freshman.

About Thomas

Thomas is a parent and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his MBA at the Wharton School in 2003, he moved to Silicon Valley. For three years, he was director of admissions and financial aid at Wharton School. He worked closely with admissions professionals, students, alumni, and professors to create the best possible MBA class.

Thomas has been an entrepreneur his entire life in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, and sporting goods. As the founder of Global Education Opportunities, he works with diverse and underserved communities to help them become successful college students. Thomas started the podcast Admittedly because he is passionate about demystifying the application process for parents and applicants.

Related Links

Apply to be a guest: www.thomascaleel.com/apply-for-podcast

Follow Admittedly on Social Media

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast

Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

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 who have specific interests and talents, besides having good grades. The 'uniqueness' of a student is what is making the difference, and a job can really help in this way.

Key Highlights

• It's normal to feel pressure as a freshman when thinking about college.
• A good college is fundamental, but it's not a guarantee of success.
• Why is it important to think about college ahead of time?
• A lot of students have the same thoughts and concerns by this time.
• It's ok not to know what you're passionate about as a freshman.

About Thomas

Thomas is a parent and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his MBA at the Wharton School in 2003, he moved to Silicon Valley. For three years, he was director of admissions and financial aid at Wharton School. He worked closely with admissions professionals, students, alumni, and professors to create the best possible MBA class.

Thomas has been an entrepreneur his entire life in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, and sporting goods. As the founder of Global Education Opportunities, he works with diverse and underserved communities to help them become successful college students. Thomas started the podcast Admittedly because he is passionate about demystifying the application process for parents and applicants.

Related Links

Apply to be a guest: www.thomascaleel.com/apply-for-podcast

Follow Admittedly on Social Media

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast

Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

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 effective choice.

Although having the courage to follow your passion in college is important, not every student will know what this passion is, and it's ok. That's why talking to professionals can really help.

Key Highlights

• It's normal to feel pressure as a freshman when thinking about college.
• A good college is fundamental, but it's not a guarantee of success.
• Why is it important to think about college ahead of time?
• A lot of students have the same thoughts and concerns by this time.
• It's ok not to know what you're passionate about as a freshman.

About Thomas

Thomas is a parent and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his MBA at the Wharton School in 2003, he moved to Silicon Valley. For three years, he was director of admissions and financial aid at Wharton School. He worked closely with admissions professionals, students, alumni, and professors to create the best possible MBA class.

Thomas has been an entrepreneur his entire life in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, and sporting goods. As the founder of Global Education Opportunities, he works with diverse and underserved communities to help them become successful college students. Thomas started the podcast Admittedly because he is passionate about demystifying the application process for parents and applicants.

Related Links

Apply to be a guest: www.thomascaleel.com/apply-for-podcast

Follow Admittedly on Social Media

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast

Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

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 navigate the next steps.

If you were admitted, it's time to celebrate but it's also time to be thoughtful about your colleagues and other students. If you were denied, don't take it personally. If you were relocated to a waitlist, it's time to analyze the situation… Tune in to learn more!

Key Highlights

• No matter what the outcome is, remember there are many paths to get what you want.
• With so many colleges reaching out, it's important to analyze all your options.
• At the end of the day, you can only go to one school.
• See what makes sense financially.
• Enjoy your education opportunity.

About Thomas

Thomas is a parent and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his MBA at the Wharton School in 2003, he moved to Silicon Valley. For three years, he was director of admissions and financial aid at Wharton School. He worked closely with admissions professionals, students, alumni, and professors to create the best possible MBA class.

Thomas has been an entrepreneur his entire life in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, and sporting goods. As the founder of Global Education Opportunities, he works with diverse and underserved communities to help them become successful college students. Thomas started the podcast Admittedly because he is passionate about demystifying the application process for parents and applicants.

Follow Admittedly on social media

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast

Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

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 they can also be a gratifying experience.

Summertime also means academic programs and some parents might wonder whether or not those are good for their children. Thomas says that it depends because some of these programs are offered by third parties. Tune in to learn more!

Key Highlights

• Summertime is important for relaxation and connection but also for self-growth.
• Summer jobs are great opportunities to listen, question, and learn.
• Visiting universities can be helpful during this time.
• Summer is also a great time to get ahead in your application.
• Don't forget to enjoy your summer and relax as well!

About Thomas

Thomas is a parent and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his MBA at the Wharton School in 2003, he moved to Silicon Valley. For three years, he was director of admissions and financial aid at Wharton School. He worked closely with admissions professionals, students, alumni, and professors to create the best possible MBA class.

Thomas has been an entrepreneur his entire life in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, and sporting goods. As the founder of Global Education Opportunities, he works with diverse and underserved communities to help them become successful college students. Thomas started the podcast Admittedly because he is passionate about demystifying the application process for parents and applicants.

Follow Admittedly on social media

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast

Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

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 they present their accomplishments to the admissions committee.

Thomas discusses why it's so important for parents to uncover that one thing that will allow their child to shine and embrace their authentic self. The secret to discovering what makes one unique, he explains, can be found once they have the courage to step out of their comfort zone, to do something different, meaningful, and with impact.

Key Highlights

• Unlocking your child's unique potential
• How courage can be a student's guiding light in the admissions process
• The key to successful negotiations
• Having the courage to embrace a different academic track
• Starting a club with a strong purpose

About Thomas

Thomas is a parent and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his MBA at the Wharton School in 2003, he moved to Silicon Valley. For three years, he was director of admissions and financial aid at Wharton School. He worked closely with admissions professionals, students, alumni, and professors to create the best possible MBA class.

Thomas has been an entrepreneur his entire life in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, and sporting goods.

As the founder of Global Education Opportunities, he works with diverse and underserved communities to help them become successful college students.

Thomas started the podcast Admittedly because he is passionate about demystifying the application process for parents and applicants.

Follow Admittedly on social media:

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast

Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

"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 doing something totally out of left field like beekeeping won't get you into Harvard (at least, it's not a strategy to hitch your wagon to).

In this episode, Thomas will talk about the importance of identifying your unique set of opportunities, privileges, and circumstances in order to determine the best activities for you. Some students are employed, some aren't. There are trade-offs to both. In either case, the activities you take part in are those which offer you a competitive edge at the collegiate level.

To start with, look for an activity that you're passionate about. It should be something that you can commit to regularly with increasing levels of responsibility over time. Finally, the organization or community you build has to be meaningful and have staying power, perhaps one that can even be passed on to the next generation. By creating something that has lasting impact, you can become an interesting and diverse candidate in the application pool.

Key Highlights

• Considerations around employed students
• Why you need to be objective about how good you are at what you do
• Deciding on activities that you're passionate about
• Creating an organization with lasting impact
• Becoming an interesting and diverse candidate in the application pool

About Thomas

Thomas is a parent and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his MBA at the Wharton School in 2003, he moved to Silicon Valley. For three years, he was director of admissions and financial aid at Wharton School. He worked closely with admissions professionals, students, alumni, and professors to create the best possible MBA class.

Thomas has been an entrepreneur his entire life in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, and sporting goods.

As the founder of Global Education Opportunities, he works with diverse and underserved communities to help them become successful college students.

Thomas started the podcast Admittedly because he is passionate about demystifying the application process for parents and applicants.

Follow Admittedly on social media:

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast

Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

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's requirements, and more. Thomas discusses what to avoid when applying to a new school, what admissions at your new school will look for when considering you, and how to prepare for transferring.

The transfer process is different from applying to college initially. It's important to understand these differences because transferring can be a lot of work, and you don't want to be scrambling at the last minute. The purpose of this episode is to help you better understand the transfer process so that you can be prepared for this next big step in your life.

Key Highlights

• Admissions requirements to pay attention to at the schools you're applying to
• Questions to ask yourself about your reasons for changing schools
• Taking stock of your experience at your current school
• What you need to consider when writing your essay
• Why transferring is different from applying to college for the first time
• What colleges will want to know about you

About Thomas

Thomas Caleel is the former Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid for his alma mater, The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas also served on the Dean's Globalization Committee and was a member of the Wharton Graduate Executive Board. Thomas has been an entrepreneur his whole life and is currently the Chairman and Founding CEO of Global Education Opportunities, LLC, an international education consulting and Admissions Advisory firm. Although education is his passion he has also worked in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, skincare, and sporting goods. Thomas received his MBA in Finance from the Wharton School and his BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas started the Admittedly Podcast because he is passionate about demystifying the application process and wanted to be provide helpful information and advice to parents and students who are feeling overwhelmed by the whole process.

Follow Admittedly on social media:

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

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 further explored in future episodes, but with the tips discussed in this episode, you can start planning and thinking about schools that work for your family, your budget, and your goals right now.

Key Highlights

• When to start the admissions process
• The first step juniors need to take
• Examining your grades and extracurriculars
• Showing initiative and work ethic
• What to do during the summer
• Some questions to ask yourself about the academic and physical environment you want to be a part of
• What to look for in a college when you're researching
• How you can get started right now
• Selecting the right schools to apply to

About Thomas

Thomas Caleel is the former Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid for his alma mater, The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas also served on the Dean's Globalization Committee and was a member of the Wharton Graduate Executive Board. Thomas has been an entrepreneur his whole life and is currently the Chairman and Founding CEO of Global Education Opportunities, LLC, an international education consulting and Admissions Advisory firm. Although education is his passion he has also worked in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, skincare, and sporting goods. Thomas received his MBA in Finance from the Wharton School and his BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas started the Admittedly Podcast because he is passionate about demystifying the application process and wanted to be provide helpful information and advice to parents and students who are feeling overwhelmed by the whole process.

Follow Admittedly on social media:

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast Instagram: @admittedlypodcast

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 his extensive knowledge of the process with more people who would otherwise be unaware.

This is an exciting time in your life and if you work hard, research, and prepare, you'll find the right school. Stay tuned to this podcast to dive deeper into each of these topics and learn to present yourself to schools in the best possible light.

Key Highlights

• Thomas' background and path to Admittedly
• Preparing yourself for the college application process
• What you can expect to learn on this podcast

About Thomas

Thomas Caleel is the former Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid for his alma mater, The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas also served on the Dean's Globalization Committee and was a member of the Wharton Graduate Executive Board. Thomas has been an entrepreneur his whole life and is currently the Chairman and Founding CEO of Global Education Opportunities, LLC, an international education consulting and Admissions Advisory firm. Although education is his passion he has also worked in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, skincare, and sporting goods. Thomas received his MBA in Finance from the Wharton School and his BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas started the Admittedly Podcast because he is passionate about demystifying the application process and wanted to be provide helpful information and advice to parents and students who are feeling overwhelmed by the whole process.

Follow Admittedly on social media:

TikTok: @admittedlypodcast Instagram: @admittedlypodcast