Press Releases

View More In This Section

Ramsay High senior Jillian Jolly accepts $300,000 full ride to Yale University

By Chanda Temple

Ramsay High School senior Jillian Jolly, 18, has dreamed of attending Yale University since she was in kindergarten.

“I always heard that Yale was the school where smart people went. It was the top school, and I wanted to be there,’’ she said.

Thirteen years later, her dream has become a reality: She has accepted a full-ride, four-year scholarship worth nearly $300,000.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin congratulates Ramsay High School senior Jillian Jolly for her scholarship to Yale University. They are joined by Jillian’s mother, Jacqueline Harrell. — By Daniel Roth, City of Birmingham

“It’s not just a big accomplishment for me, it’s a win for the whole community,’’ said Jillian, who’s ranked No. 4 at Ramsay High School with a 4.4 GPA. “I don’t look at it as, ‘Jillian got into Yale.’ I look at it as everyone benefits from it.’’

But getting to this point wasn’t easy.

Some people doubted her ability, telling her that only 5 percent of applicants are accepted into Yale, that her ACT score was too low or that her school did not have the resources as other students accepted into Yale. It was hard for Jillian to hear people say she had a “slim chance’’ of being accepted, or Yale was a “reach school’’ for her. Doubt crept in, and she almost didn’t apply. But she eventually reminded herself she was made for Yale. She had to at least try.

Following the recommendation of her 11th grade language arts teacher at Ramsay, she applied to College Choice Foundation. The Alabama-based nonprofit, which is funded by donations, was created to help high-achieving and academically talented students from low-income families apply for college and find their best and most affordable college fit. Among other things, they helped Jillian identify colleges, covered costs for multiple college visits, offered ACT prep classes, helped her complete financial aid applications, prepped her for college scholarship interviews, helped her with her resume, reviewed her college application essays, paid for college application fees, and offered weekly one-on-one mentoring. Additionally, College Choice Foundation will continue to provide guidance to Jillian during her time at Yale and even graduate school.

College Choice Foundation admitted Jillian into their scholars’ program in June 2018 before the start of her senior year and immediately connected her with ACT tutors. After working with the tutors and putting in lots of hard work, Jillian’s ACT score increased substantially in just a few months.

And even with the higher score, some people still dismissed her chances. Again, Jillian remained focused on her goal of going to Yale and continued to grow at Ramsay. She buried herself in essay after essay for various college applications, while also serving as senior class vice president; president of Youth in Government; and a participant in the concert choir, math team and the Birmingham City School Superintendent Student Advisory Council. Giving up was not an option.

“What kept me going was I trusted the process. I believed in the work that I put in, and I had to give it a shot,’’ she said. “I took a leap of faith. I took risks.’’

Not only did Yale accept her and offer her a full scholarship, but so did most of her 11 other colleges. Collectively, she has amassed more than $2.3 million in scholarship offers from the 12 colleges. (The other schools are Wake Forest University, Howard University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Boston College, Tuskegee University, Boston University, Emory University, Washington University in St. Louis, Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, Berea College and George Washington University.)

Ramsay High senior Jillian Jolly, center, takes a selfie with Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring, far right; senior Kennedy Whisenant, a far left, and junior Micaiah Collins on May 1, 2019 after announcing she plans to attend Yale University. — By Chanda Temple, City of Birmingham 

College Choice Foundation is a five-year-old organization that helps students primarily in Homewood and Birmingham public schools. They started accepting applications from Birmingham City Schools in 2018. Jillian was their first student from the school system, and she is their first true ivy league scholarship student.

“Jillian is an extraordinary student. She is going to change the world,’’ said Josephine Lowery, president and co-founder of College Choice Foundation. “Yale is lucky to have her.’’

The organization is now accepting applications for the 2019/2020 school year. The deadline to apply is May 24, 2019. Applicants must be a rising junior or senior currently enrolled in a Birmingham or a Homewood public city school. Applicants must meet several qualifications, including having at least a 3.5 GPA. For more information, please visit www.collegechoicefoundation.org.

In her college admission essays, Jillian wrote about people’s perceptions of her versus her reality. On the surface, people think she comes from a two-parent home, devoid of any challenges, she said. But underneath, there’s another story of struggle and resilience.

“I kind of made a way out of no way,’’ she said. “I’m from a single-parent home, where others have had to serve as a father figure for me. I have two younger sisters, and I’m a parent figure to them. I’ve given up summers to watch them because my mother didn’t have the money to send them to summer camps. I helped my mother take care of my grandmother before she died.’’

“My mother, a college graduate, has a chronic illness. But every day, she goes to work to provide for us,’’ Jillian said. “Like my mother, I’ve never backed down. I’m very determined.’’

In her free time, Jillian has volunteered to address youth crime in Birmingham, tutored students, served as a youth leader at church and collected canned goods for the needy. “I guess I’m a voice for the voiceless,’’ she said.

Ramsay High School senior Jillian Jolly is surrounded by classmates on National Signing Day, which is when many seniors across the country reveal their college choice. Jillian announced that she has received a full-ride scholarship to Yale University, has been accepted by 12 colleges, and has amassed more than $2 million in scholarship offers. — By Chanda Temple, City of Birmingham

Jacqueline Harrell, Jillian’s mother, said her daughter has always put school and her faith first. “I’m so proud of her. She never gave up,’’ Harrell said. “She remained strong and persevered and made it to where she is today.’’

“We have had a lot of stumbling blocks along the way. She would get down, but she didn’t stay down,’’ said Harrell. “You have to thank God that she was able to see another day. With a new day comes new opportunities and another chance to follow your dreams.’’

For months, classmates have speculated where Jillian would go to college. On Wednesday, May 1, which is College Signing Day in many schools across the nation, she revealed her plans. Reactions from her peers, community members and the school system have been nothing but positive. Jillian is the second Ramsay High student in the last two years to get accepted into Yale. In 2018, Ramsay student Brooklin Ballard received a full-ride scholarship.

“I’m giving a lot of hope to people,’’ Jillian said. “When I tell people where I’m going, you should see them light up. They see the opportunity and feel that they can do it. ’’

This fall, Jillian plans to major in psychology and later become a surgeon. “I just have this desire to help people and fix things,’’ she said. “I’d also like to start my own nonprofit that helps inner city kids navigate the college application process and make students more aware of the options that they have.’’

Bob Battle, a Birmingham attorney and chair of the Yale alumni schools committee for the state of Alabama, said Yale is truly a school that selects students based on merit, regardless of income level.

“Jillian and Brooklin are superstars, and they each have bright futures ahead of them,’’ said Battle, a 1992 Yale graduate. “Birmingham has so much to offer, and I hope after they graduate from Yale, they’ll choose to return to Birmingham to start their careers and continue to make a positive impact on the community.’’

Recently, Jillian was one of six students recognized during the Youth of the Year Scholarship Program, presented by the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham. Jillian was the only student from Ramsay, which continues to be named to U.S. News and World Reports’ list of top schools in America.

Sitting in the Kiwanis Club audience were Battle and Mayor Randall Woodfin. As videos played on each student and their involvement in the community and school, Jillian’s video impressed Woodfin.

“I’m proud of her. Any time you have a Birmingham graduate who is a hard worker and is motivated and supported by family, community and her school, the Mayor’s Office and the City of Birmingham are happy to support her, too,’’ Woodfin said. “She already has a local network of Yale graduates cheering for her, and she hasn’t even walked across the graduation stage yet. What she is doing has inspired me, and I hope she will inspire others.’’

To see Jillian’s Kiwanis Club video interview, which starts at the 4:32 mark, please visit: https://bit.ly/2IRMTji.