Kindness is not often a word that one associates with the college admissions process. With rigorous competition, academic pressure, rising costs, and evolving expectations, a flurry of other adjectives usually come to mind. But for Mr. Jarrett Tate, who joins the Haverford community as a college counselor, Third Form advisor, and swimming coach, everything begins with kindness.
After growing up in the Atlanta area, Mr. Tate earned a B.A. in English from Rhodes College. He has worked in college admissions at the University of Georgia, Kenyon College, Georgia State University, and the University of South Carolina. Wanting to round out his experience and add to the value and perspective he could bring to students, Mr. Tate moved to “the other side” of the admissions process. First as a college counselor at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton, FL, and now, here at Haverford.
He hopes his perspective, having worked at undergraduate institutions, will be of benefit to students, parents, and his colleagues. According to Mr. Tate, a common misconception is that college admissions representatives don’t care about the students they work with. Nothing could be further from the truth.
There is a sense of pride here…Everybody here holds each other to a higher standard.
Mr. Jarrett tate
“College admissions representatives are looking for a reason to bring students onto their campus. There is a huge sense of pride when a student whom a college rep has met with as a sophomore or junior arrives on campus to begin his college career.”
He advises students to find balance in the college application process.
“Spread out the work, start early, and don’t leave everything until senior year.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated changes in standardized testing and the overall application process that were already in the works prior to the pandemic. Mr. Tate expects these changes to be permanent.
“Standardized tests aren’t going anywhere, but their relevance is changing.”
Mr. Tate felt an immediate connection when he arrived at the school.
“There is a sense of pride here,” Mr. Tate said. “Everybody here holds each other to a higher standard.”
That high standard is something Mr. Tate has applied to himself his entire life.
A lifelong competitive swimmer, he first entered the pool at age six after an unsuccessful try at baseball. He was a state champion by the age of 10, a junior national swimmer in high school, and he finished high school with a sprint freestyle time .03 seconds off an Olympic Trials cut. Mr. Tate continued his swimming career at Rhodes College. His personal and professional experience with athletic recruiting will be a benefit to students. Although his specialty is sprint freestyle, he enjoys coaching butterfly and breaststroke. He is looking forward to helping on Haverford’s pool deck this winter as an assistant coach.
Mr. Tate’s personal motto, “the dream is free, the hustle is sold separately,” reflects both his optimism and his belief in hard work.
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