{"podcast":{"title":"The Dad Edge Podcast","slug":"the-dad-edge-podcast-522814","podcast_index_feed_id":522814,"rss_url":"https://gooddadproject.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"https://thedadedge.com/podcast/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/f/6/5/2/f652108ec70d8db2a04421dee9605cbd/Dad_Edge_Show_Art_new.jpg","author":"Larry Hagner","episode_count":1516,"summary":"The Dad Edge Podcast is a movement. It is a strong community of Fathers who all share a set of values. Larry Hagner, founder of The Dad Edge, breaks down common challenges of fatherhood, making them easy to understand and overcome. Tackling the world of Fatherhood can be a daunting task when we try to do it alone. The mission of The Dad Edge Podcast is to help you become the best, strongest, and happiest version of yourself so that you can help guide your kids to the best version of themselves. Simple as that. Everything you need and all of our resources can be found at thedadedge.com/podcast","last_synced_at":"2026-07-17T10:20:46.741003+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dad-edge-podcast-522814"},"episode":{"title":"Is College Actually Worth It For Your Kids? (The Seventh Grade Math Test to Decide) featuring Thomas Caleel","slug":"is-college-actually-worth-it-for-your-kids-the-seventh-grade-math-test-to-decide-featuring-thomas-caleel","published_at":"2026-04-20T00:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dad-edge-podcast-522814/is-college-actually-worth-it-for-your-kids-the-seventh-grade-math-test-to-decide-featuring-thomas-caleel","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dad-edge-podcast-522814","url":"https://thedadedge.com/1467","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/gooddadproject/4.19.26_-_Thomas_Caleel.mp3?dest-id=264727","summary":"In this episode, I sit down with Thomas Caleel — former Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School, founder of Admittedly, and one of the most clear-eyed voices in the college admissions space. This one is personal — I've got an 18-year-old headed to University of Arkansas in four months, and a sixth grader whose decisions today will quietly shape where he ends up ten years from now. Thomas opens the black box of college admissions and explains what's actually changed, what most parents are getting wrong, and what admissions officers are really looking for. The shift from well-rounded candidates to \"vertical spikes\" of deep passion and genuine interest is one of those things that sounds simple but changes everything about how you should be thinking about your kid's path right now. We talk about the right time to start, why the seventh-grade math assessment quietly matters more than most parents realize, how doing fewer things with real intentionality is more powerful than stacking clubs and activities, and why your child's college essay should tell their story — not yours. We also get into the financial reality most parents aren't prepared for — new federal loan caps, how to negotiate financial aid after admission, what Juno is and why it matters, and why sending your kid to a low-tier private college that costs $50,000 a year is something Thomas calls criminal. And he gives a refreshingly honest answer to whether college is actually worth it. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Larry's 18-year-old is leaving for University of Arkansas — and Thomas's son is heading to NYU [2:45] When change goes according to plan — and why it hits harder than you expect [4:45] What most…","meta_description":"In this episode, I sit down with Thomas Caleel — former Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School, founder of Admittedly, and one of the most clear…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3315,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-dad-edge-podcast-522814/episodes/is-college-actually-worth-it-for-your-kids-the-seventh-grade-math-test-to-decide-featuring-thomas-caleel/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dad-edge-podcast-522814/is-college-actually-worth-it-for-your-kids-the-seventh-grade-math-test-to-decide-featuring-thomas-caleel.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}