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WEBINAR REPLAY

9th-11th Grade Students: Summer Plans are Decided in The Fall: Former Admissions Officers Share Top Decisions to Make Now

A practical fall planning session to help families choose summer opportunities that build real momentum, not just a busier résumé.

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In this session, former admissions professionals Thomas Caleel, Founder and CEO of Admittedly and former Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at The Wharton School, and Tara Kalinisan, Admissions Strategist at Admittedly, former Associate Director of Diversity & Access Recruitment at Smith College, and former Associate Director of College Counseling at NY Country Day, explain how families can make summer decisions with more intention. Together, they show why the strongest summer plan is not defined by a program name. It is shaped by a student's interests, readiness, opportunities, responsibilities, and room to grow.

This replay helps families replace last-minute summer planning with a clearer framework. The right opportunity should give a student meaningful room to explore, contribute, and carry momentum into the year ahead.

Key Moments

✓ What Admissions Readers Actually Notice About Summer: Why a program name alone is not the story, and how readers look for evidence of curiosity, initiative, sustained engagement, contribution, reflection, and growth.
✓ How to Choose a Summer Opportunity That Fits: A practical way to weigh programs, internships, jobs, research, service, creative work, travel, family responsibilities, independent projects, and rest through the lens of the individual student.
✓ The Questions to Start Asking This Fall: What to identify now, from emerging interests and necessary skills to program research, application materials, and relationships that may support a thoughtful plan.
✓ A Grade-Appropriate Summer Plan: How the purpose of summer evolves for ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders, and why exploration, growing ownership, and preparation look different at each stage.

Ready to Take Action?

The webinar offers a useful framework. The next step is understanding how that framework applies to your student's actual interests, schedule, budget, family responsibilities, school context, and goals.

If the replay raised questions about which summer opportunities fit, what deserves more preparation, or how to avoid a rushed decision later in the year, a Strategy Call can help you explore whether Admittedly is the right fit for your family.

BOOK A STRATEGY CALL

Give summer a real purpose.

Admittedly works with students and families who want thoughtful, individualized support through the college admissions process. We help students make choices that reflect genuine interests, create meaningful momentum, and support both their growth now and their long-term goals.