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 New York Times op-eds. 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.
What is College Life Even Like? A Spin on the "Why Dartmouth" Question
In all honesty I wasn't sure what college was even like coming in. I had read and watched stories about raucous campus partying and roommate drama, but the truth about college life was a mystery. Visiting college campuses were exciting because I felt like an adult walking around, but I couldn't fathom entering such enormous buildings just to go to a class. And dormitories? As an eldest daughter of immigrants, I had no basis of knowledge to pull from for the American college experience.
I'm glad that Dartmouth College has been the place that I've found what my college life looks like. What does it look like?
I am smothered with the smell of pines and brightly colored leaves peeking through windows with dark wood trim. I wake up some days, heart already pumping from the exam I have later that day. My shower will be filled with ideas to plan a cappella rehearsal, brainstorming for my essay, and scheduling my research hours for the week. I always check the weather app to decide my outfit; each day brings something different.
I pass classmates and peers with a quick smile or a wave on the way to breakfast, whether our paths had crossed in First-Year Trips, a difficult chemistry class, or circumstances of which neither of us remember. As Baker Tower rings signifying the hour I will quickly walk to my first class, or, if the day permits, I will choose my favorite spot in the library to do some work. If I can I'll choose a spot with a view of a tree.
Class is a whirlwind each hour; professors will ask difficult questions, or write on the chalkboard so quickly, each moment distracted could mean a crucial detail missed. It's intense, but it's exhilarating. And when I finish class I will pop over to the lab to check the results of my experiment the previous week, exchanging some stories with the graduate students as I do. If I need a moment to breathe and the weather is good, I'll take a brisk walk around Occom Pond.
And of course, I'll find time to spend with friends—a dinner to catch up after what feels like years, a rehearsal where we'll do karaoke during our breaks.
College life can be a lot. Getting sick is never fun, but in the blink of an eye one week passes, then the next, until I find myself packing up my dormitory and checking in for my flight home. Sometimes it can feel too fast for me to take a step back to really see what's going on around me, but I think there will be a time—a few years from now—in which all of this will have felt like a beautiful dream in the woods.
When I look back on my time at Dartmouth, and it is hard to believe I will be graduating in just two weeks, I know that Africa Week will always stand out as one of the moments when this campus felt most alive, most joyful, and most like home.
In my freshman year, I wrote a blog revisiting my decision of attending Dartmouth College. Now that more than a year has passed, I would love to revisit my decision again, with a more realistic lens.
