Jillian grew up in the Bronx and was no stranger to fighting for what she wanted.  When she found debate through the IMPACT Coalition, it led her to a full scholarship to the University of Vermont.  Now she is a PhD candidate at University of Massachussetts-Amhearst.  How does she spend her free time?    She re-started the debate team at UMass so students could prosper as she did.  During the summer, she tours to cities along the East Coast as one of the most highly-requested debate instructors in the country giving back everywhere she can. 

Debate Delivers Dreams.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST Awards and Opportunities

The Connecting to College Program address issues of concern for urban students who aspire to go to college and parents who want to see their children succeed there. While our students would be an asset to any college, few have the resources to make it there alone. They need assistance and encouragement to manage the cumbersome college entry hurdles, including the college search, application and standardized testing procedures, writing samples, and financial aid. IMPACT’s college navigation program prepares students to put their debate skills into practice as they start to steer through the bureaucracy associated with applying to college. In recent years, graduating students earned debate related scholarships to Northwestern University, Emory University, Middlebury College, Columbia University, NYU, Vanderbilt University, Pace University and many other universities.

By providing a comprehensive college access program, IMPACT facilitates the college admissions process as well as college management planning to help students stay in school once accepted that is often-overlooked. IMPACT can more easily address issues of concern for urban students who have only recently begun to view college as a possibility and provide support for parents eager to see their children succeed.

The Chronicle of Higher Education also reports on the most recent Pell Institute study in Higher Education and points to the urgent need for support services to get low-income students into college. The president of the Council for Opportunity in Education states, “Our nation must take steps right now to seriously expand programs that improve access to higher education so that we can open the doors of post-secondary education for all students.” (“Choices Limited for Need Students,” S. Burd, October 1, 2004.) College tuition at four-year private colleges increased an average of 5.9 percent this year and 7.1 percent at four-year public universities, according to the College Board.

“IMPACT STUDENTS RECEIVED OVER $2 MILLION IN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS IN 2004”

During all tournaments that IMPACT hosts, there are volunteers available to speak with students about college and other post-secondary opportunities. These locations are called college roundtables and they are set up in one area in the cafeteria. Students feel free to approach anyone with questions about college admissions, selection process, financial aid and scholarships, and personal statement readers. All of the volunteers act as intake workers--referring the students to the other sections if they cannot answer the questions themselves. This model accommodates many volunteers, but also shrink down to fewer people.

• General Help/College Admissions Station

College applications, information sheets, and timelines from a variety of schools. IMPACT showcases options.

• Financial Aid and Scholarships Station

FAFSA forms, information sheets, lists of scholarships. Volunteers are comfortable with answering specific financial aid questions. Grad students make ideal volunteers as they have recently filled out the FAFSA form. There should be information on debate scholarships as well as Opportunity Programs in New York.

• Personal Statement Reading Station

This is the station where students can bring their personal essays at any stage in their development. The volunteers are there to help them brainstorm ideas, edit, and refine their statements. This is where the one-on-one is especially needed. We then have the “roving volunteers” who are not in charge of a specific aspect of the process, but rather to get the students to come visit the rest of us! If we are just sitting in one area, we could easily be overlooked. The volunteers will visit the students and announce that there is personalized help available.

"IMPACT provides college roundtables, scholarship newsletters, college fairs, and financial aid workshops for parents"

Visits to Universities – With over 30,000 universities in the US, choosing the best one can be a challenge for even the most informed student to navigate. Students and parents often cannot make realistic assessments of colleges until they spend a day on campus. They can gather important information about a school during campus tours and conversations with other students and admissions representatives. Yet, many NYUDL students have never had an opportunity to visit a college campus. In addition to maintaining its summer scholarship program, which funds students’ attendance at prestigious summer debate institutes hosted at universities across the country, IMPACT will arrange a series of campus tours during the school year to provide out-of-town visits for students who otherwise would not be able to afford it through tournament events at Hunter college and a regional college fair held in conjunction with the Eastern Urban Debate Championships.

Financial Literacy Workshops for Parents – Most of us did not have financial literacy courses in high school. However, fiscal planning often can make the difference between particular universities being accessible or inaccessible. Low-income students and their families often do not know the financial aid resources that are available. IMPACT offers financial literacy workshops at urban debate tournaments led by financial-planning professionals to offer assistance to families who are committed to their child’s college education. These workshops will also help students and their families locate need and merit-based scholarships.

"IMPACT staff assist students as they identify and complete applications for appropriate scholarships and financial aid"

IMPACT’s college navigation program rounds out the debate experience and focuses on a neglected dimension of student learning: the process of maneuvering through educational bureaucracy. Besides providing young people with the many benefits of participating in debate, IMPACT is offering them a wealth of educational and career opportunities by helping them navigate the initial obstacles of getting into college and staying there.

Data Tracking: To make this be a resource that helps students through all aspects of the process and responds to their needs, it is necessary to track the progress of each student. Every student who comes to the information tables will go through intake that lists the primary questions they had. These questions will be entered into a database so we can track which students are returning for help.