{"podcast":{"title":"Admittedly: College Admissions with Thomas Caleel","slug":"admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707","podcast_index_feed_id":6069707,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/461571/rss","website_url":"https://sites.libsyn.com/461571","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/7/0/7/9/70790ea0084cb796a04421dee9605cbd/AP_cover_art.png","author":"Thomas Caleel","episode_count":140,"summary":"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.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-19T02:20:25.160577+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707"},"episode":{"title":"S5E17: What Makes a Great College Essay? Storytelling, Authenticity, & Finding Your Voice | Interview With Charles Loxton From Advantage Testing","slug":"s5e17-what-makes-a-great-college-essay-storytelling-authenticity-finding-your-voice-interview-with-charles-loxton-from-advantage-testing","published_at":"2026-06-18T14:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707/s5e17-what-makes-a-great-college-essay-storytelling-authenticity-finding-your-voice-interview-with-charles-loxton-from-advantage-testing","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707","url":"https://0d82b450-fcc2-4086-b871-7e76ac366a12.libsyn.com/s5e17-what-makes-a-great-college-essay-storytelling-authenticity-finding-your-voice-interview-with-charles-loxton-from-advantage-testing","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/0d82b450-fcc2-4086-b871-7e76ac366a12/FINAL_Loxton_Audio.mp3?dest-id=3894051","summary":"In this episode of The Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel sits down with Charles Loxton, Chief Communications Officer at Advantage Testing and an experienced application consultant, to explore one of the most misunderstood parts of the admissions process: the college essay. Drawing on decades of experience helping students develop their personal narratives, Charles explains why essays matter, how storytelling works in admissions, and why the best essays often start in unexpected places. Key Topics: Why the college essay is one of the few places students can show who they are beyond grades, scores, and activities The connection between storytelling, listening, and authentic self-reflection How to think about family, adversity, mental health, and other sensitive topics in admissions essays What the Additional Information section is really for — and the mistakes students make when using it The difference between Common App essays, UC personal insight questions, and UCAS personal statements Why students should stop obsessing over the perfect hook and focus on telling a compelling story first How to approach \"Why This College?\" essays in a way that feels genuine rather than formulaic Guest: Charles Loxton is the Chief Communications Officer at Advantage Testing and has spent more than two decades helping students develop compelling application essays and personal narratives. With a background in creative writing, documentary filmmaking, and educational consulting, Charles specializes in helping students uncover authentic stories that resonate with admissions officers. Learn more about Admittedly's partnership with Advantage Testing: admittedly.co/programs Follow Admittedly: Instagram & TikTok: @admittedlyco Follow Advantage Testing: Instagram: @advantagetesting","meta_description":"In this episode of The Admittedly Podcast, Thomas Caleel sits down with Charles Loxton, Chief Communications Officer at Advantage Testing and an experienc…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1857,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707/episodes/s5e17-what-makes-a-great-college-essay-storytelling-authenticity-finding-your-voice-interview-with-charles-loxton-from-advantage-testing/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707/s5e17-what-makes-a-great-college-essay-storytelling-authenticity-finding-your-voice-interview-with-charles-loxton-from-advantage-testing.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}