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WEBINAR REPLAY

Watch the Replay:
Red Flags & Dealbreakers

Common Grade 10 & 11 Mistakes
That Hurt College Applications

In this session, Thomas Caleel (Former Director of MBA Admissions at The Wharton School, UPenn; Founder of Admittedly ) and Kirsten Sharett (Senior Counselor; Former Admissions Reader, Princeton University; B.A., Barnard College; M.S., Columbia) break down the most common and costly mistakes made during sophomore and junior years. From course rigor miscalculations to the “well-rounded” trap, learn exactly what admissions officers consider “dealbreakers” and how to build a strategic, compelling profile before it is too late.

This replay is intended to help families of 10th and 11th graders identify hidden missteps and course-correct early, ensuring a competitive application profile by senior year.

Key Moments

✓ The Academic Trap: Why a strong GPA is not enough if it's built on the wrong courses, and how admissions officers really evaluate your transcript.
✓ The "Well-Rounded" Myth: Why doing everything is actually a red flag, and how to build a focused, "angular" profile in 10th and 11th grade.
✓ The Extracurricular and Summer Disconnect: How to tell which activities and summer experiences actually move the needle and which ones look like transparent resume padding.
✓ The Narrative Vacuum: How to audit your student's current profile for coherence and build toward one clear, compelling identity before senior year.
✓ The Visibility and Recommendation Gap: Why waiting until senior year to build relationships with teachers is a critical error, and how to start cultivating them now.

Ready to Take Action?

Insight is useful only if it changes the plan. If the replay helped you realize that your 10th or 11th grader might be making critical missteps, whether in their course selection, extracurricular focus, or overall narrative — the next step is to determine whether Admittedly is the right fit to help you course-correct.

Build a stronger application
before senior year begins.

Admittedly works with students and families who want strategic, thoughtful support through the college admissions process. If your student is a sophomore or junior and you want to ensure they are on the right track, we encourage you to apply for a call so our team can learn more about your goals, timeline, and fit.