Welcome! I'm Olivia Koo '26, hailing from Los Alamos, New Mexico. I hope to study biochemistry on the pre-health track, and I'm excited to supplement it with music, as a classical musician and songwriter! Some of my favorite things to do are watching YouTube videos about my favorite TV shows, fiddling on my guitar, and reading New York Times op-eds.
Academic Program
Biochemistry major, Music minor, pre-health
Favorite Thing Right Now
The thermos of breakfast tea I carry with me everywhere
Unsure whether I would enjoy the biology-heavy pre-health track, I took an intro biology class. I surprisingly found myself so invested each class—I didn’t think I’d ever be excited trying to determine if the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) had DNA or RNA, but here we are! I found it a great introduction to thinking processes at Dartmouth.
I loved coming to this class with its supportive environment! The professor's feedback really helped me improve in my writing. This course guided us through personal narratives and organizational writing while discussing what it really means to be authentic. It also introduced me to the library’s resources for writing and research!
This class was definitely not easy! The accelerated version of general chemistry, it was my first class at Dartmouth that used a textbook, and I had to adapt and learn how to use a textbook for a class properly. But that didn't mean I didn't have a good time! The classes were full of physical demonstrations, and I felt very supported in the lab and beyond.
This was the first group music class I took, and I loved it! Each class we'd move a little forward in time; one day we'd talk about medieval chants, and by the next couple weeks, we talked about Baroque music. We even got to observe original medieval music scores from the Rauner Library, and attend a performance of Baroque music by the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra!
In the fall term, I auditioned for the acapella groups at Dartmouth. There are eight groups on campus: three all-male groups, three all-female groups, and two co-ed (all genders) groups. At Dartmouth, the audition process for all groups were held at once, meaning that I auditioned for every group (except for the all-male groups). Through that process, I chose the Rockapellas! The Rockapellas are an all-female acapella group with the mission to spread social justice through performing "freedom songs" at their shows, songs that voice a specific issue.
The freshmen in the group ( me!). We're called Pebbles! (get it, Rocks?)
We rehearse three times a week for two hours each! Throughout the term, we performed in sorority and fraternity houses, and in the winterim, the group organized a trip to San Francisco, where we performed our songs, along with some Christmas classics. It was an amazing experience rehearsing with, performing with, and just hanging out with the members of the group, and I'm so thankful to be a part of this group!
We performed at the Old Skool Café, a non-profit supper club with a 1920s speakeasy theme! The Café is known for helping at-risk youth via employment.
We also performed at some private parties (many attendees were Dartmouth alums!). At this party, we were able to talk to one of the founding members of the Rockapellas, which was established in 1989!
We also had the opportunity to perform at a San Francisco alumni event!
Planning on visiting Dartmouth as a prospective student or an interested person wanting to see our beautiful campus? In this post, I share insider tips to ensure your visit is fulfilled!
Growing up in New England and transitioning to living at Dartmouth, I'm all too familiar with the unpredictability (and beauty) of New England's weather. Let me tell you about it here!
This past interim, I was part of an interfaith group that traveled to Washington DC! Houses of worship were a huge part of the trip and we were fortunate to have some wonderful tours and conversations.
