Welcome! I'm Olivia Koo '26, hailing from Los Alamos, New Mexico. I am studying biological chemistry on the pre-med track, and I'm excited to be supplementing it with music as a classical pianist and singer-songwriter! Some of my favorite things to do are watching YouTube videos about video games, singing and playing my guitar, and reading The Dartmouth. Look through my page for information about Dartmouth's pre-med track, STEM research, acapella/music, and study abroad opportunities!
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!
Songwriting 1 was the first time I was able to work on something creative/in the arts at Dartmouth, and I really loved it! I got to learn how to improve my songwriting and get to know a community of fellow songwriters on campus. The class was both supportive and constructive, and I pushed myself to my creative limit with the assignment of writing one new song a week. This class inspired me to continue writing and being expressive, whether in an academic setting or not.
For one of my classes on the London Music FSP, I got to attend a myriad of musical performances in London and discuss them with my class! It was a once-in-a-life-time experience–getting to watch multiple operas, ballets, jazz sets, and a musical, as well as seeing beautiful performances from the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and more, helped me grow my ear so much and my inspirations as a musician.
I took this class to learn a little more about the social landscape around medicine, and this class delivered that by a mile. From environmental exposure to racial inequities in medicine/health to the discussion of medicine itself as a manipulative tool in colonialist social structures, this class helped me rethink medicine and my role within it.
As the culminating experience for my music major, I took a class with all of the music majors at once, and we got to explore all sorts of subjects about analyzing music, music academia, and got to do some cool music analysis projects of our own. We really felt like a cohort by the end of the class, which was awesome.
Although this class was challenging, it was fun to learn more about the background of inorganic chemistry and applying it to my own research, which is in bioinorganic chemistry!
As a senior at Dartmouth College, I'm no stranger to the reputation that the college has with prospective students, wondering if they should apply or attend. To me, the points have become familiar: the lush scenery and rural setting, the tight student-professor relationships, the plethora of study-abroad opportunities, the academic freedom of a liberal arts education, and more. The list goes on!
But one that tends to give pause for many is the Greek life presence on campus, and ultimately, how one navigates the school if they do not want to participate, or are unsure about participating. I, too, wasn't sure whether I wanted to give Greek life a try. And, it turns out, I did not.
So, in this blog, I hope to share my perspective about Dartmouth as a senior who has not participated in Greek life, and how I have navigated my time here without it. So what's the TLDR? Thriving at Dartmouth is entirely possible even without Greek life, and it's up to you how much you'd want to take part!
How big is Greek life at Dartmouth, really?
The statistic that circulates on the internet is that approximately 50% of eligible students on campus participate in Greek Life at Dartmouth—and, in some ways, that percentage shows. The majority of late-night events take place in Greek houses, with student bands, DJs, and performance groups using these houses and their events as their performance venues and gigs. The fall term always sparks a flurry, and there is a nervous excitement in the air as sophomores take their first opportunity to rush. I nearly always pass at least one Greek house on the way to class.
For me, as someone not involved in Greek Life, the Greek letters ended up blending into the school's aesthetic and scenery rather than serving as a marker of an exclusive, secretive club. I've been able to go into houses for casual birthday parties, club socials, and friend meet-ups; the Greek houses become settings for people to make their own fun! It isn't required to be affiliated to attend any events—all that's needed is a Dartmouth ID.
A chilly view of Webster Avenue, where many fraternities and sororities reside.
How do you find community at Dartmouth without Greek life?
The social setting at Dartmouth ensures that one's first encounter with other students does not center around Greek life. First-Year Trips gives every first-year a taste of Dartmouth wilderness (a perfect setting for some class bonding). First-year students are not allowed to set foot in Greek spaces for most of their first quarter (we call it the frat ban), allowing them to make their own fun and connections without going through the Greek system!
I was able to meet and find people through shared academic and extracurricular interests! Since the student body is smaller, I was able to get to know the people in my classes, seeing some of them consistently across quarters due to our shared classes, fellowships, study abroad programs, etc. There are also lots of extracurricular groups at Dartmouth where people find their "people," whether it be acapella, dance, theater, comedy, school music ensembles, debate, club/intramural sports, the Dartmouth Outing Club—need I list more?
Naturally, I won't find myself in the throes of my peers who dedicate more time towards their Greek houses and events, but I've found like-minded people who I consider good friends, just through striking up conversations in class or trying out a PE class for fun.
Most activities on campus don't require affiliation at all, including ice skating on Occom Pond in the winter!
Do I regret not participating in Greek life?
When I speak with people who rushed, regardless of whether they chose to continue the process towards affiliation, they found a lot of value from the Greek life process for being able to meet lots of new people, exploring outside of their comfort zone, and familiar circles. And I think there is something to be said about that!
Despite that, I personally don't regret not participating in Greek life at all. My experience at Dartmouth may not be the average one because of my choice not to participate, but I feel that my time here was valuable all the same. When I look back on my Dartmouth experience, I'll think about the awesome people I've gotten to meet and get to know, my favorite seat in the library, my favorite professors and classes, and the glint of the sun on the river. It won't include any specific sorority, and that's okay!
Thanks to West House, one of the housing communities I'm part of, I got the chance to go on an overnight trip to New York City. Read on to hear all about the experience!
After three terms apart due to Dartmouth's D-plan, junior spring marks a joyful reunion with old friends, deepened by the Toulouse study abroad group that has carried their bond seamlessly back to campus.
