{"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":136,"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":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707"},"episode":{"title":"S5E4: Am I Doing Enough? The Right (And Wrong) Way to Approach Extracurricular Activities in Highschool","slug":"s5e4-am-i-doing-enough-the-right-and-wrong-way-to-approach-extracurricular-activities-in-highschool","published_at":"2026-01-21T23:28:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707/s5e4-am-i-doing-enough-the-right-and-wrong-way-to-approach-extracurricular-activities-in-highschool","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/admittedly-college-admissions-with-thomas-caleel-6069707","url":"https://0d82b450-fcc2-4086-b871-7e76ac366a12.libsyn.com/s5e4-am-i-doing-enough-the-right-and-wrong-way-to-approach-extracurricular-activities-in-highschool","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/0d82b450-fcc2-4086-b871-7e76ac366a12/AUDIO_S5E4-_Activities_LIBSYN_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=3894051","summary":"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. • Su…","meta_description":"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…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1441,"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/s5e4-am-i-doing-enough-the-right-and-wrong-way-to-approach-extracurricular-activities-in-highschool/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/s5e4-am-i-doing-enough-the-right-and-wrong-way-to-approach-extracurricular-activities-in-highschool.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}