Courtesy of Daniel Roth
Jillian Jolly
Jillian Jolly is pictured with Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, congratulating her on her full-ride acceptance to Yale.
If someone would have asked 18-year-old Jillian Jolly a year ago if she thought she would get into Yale, her answer would have been “no.” Despite the fact that she had top-tier grades and years of various leadership and community involvement experience, she knew the odds were low.
“Yale was not even in the question, but something just kept getting to me, and I was like, ‘I’ve got to try it,’” Jolly, a Ramsay High School graduate, said.
In spring 2019, Jolly found out all her hard work paid off and that she was offered a full-ride scholarship of $300,000 to Yale University, known widely as one of the most prestigious Ivy League schools. Although she was accepted into 11 other schools, she announced her commitment to Yale in May.
“It’s just been outrageous, the people supporting me,” she said.
Jolly said she takes inspiration from her mother, a single mother of three, as well as her grandmother, who always pushed her to pursue education.
She said she also found great support through the College Choice Foundation, a Homewood nonprofit that provides opportunities to high-achieving students with financial barriers to pursuing a college education. When the foundation opened up to Birmingham City Schools students in 2018, Jolly was the first one they accepted.
Jolly said she was the one who ultimately decided to apply to Yale, though, despite people telling her it was a huge risk. Jolly said she’s so glad she “took a leap of faith.”
