Oliver Falvey: In His Own Words
By now you have likely heard Oliver Falvey's good news. His applications to four Ivy League universities - Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth - were accepted. We interviewed Oliver on the topic this week. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.
By now you have likely heard Oliver Falvey's good news. His applications to four Ivy League universities - Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth - were accepted.
According to the New York Times and Time Magazine, as well as the schools themselves, Ivy League admissions rates declined this year. In an already startlingly selective process, seven out of eight Ivy schools report a larger applicant pool and decreased offers of admission. Harvard University was the most selective, admitting only 5.8% of its 35,023 applicants, a record low. Princeton accepted 7.3% of its 26,498 applicants. Given these statistics, admission to one Ivy League school is improbable; admission to four is remarkable and certainly an unparalleled feat by a student from the Halifax Grammar School. We interviewed Oliver on the topic this week. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.
“I'm still a little bit blown away by this. People are asking me all these questions, and I'm like 'I don't know, I can't even believe I got in!' This is a really humbling experience. I'm going to be going to school with geniuses. A common misconception about these schools is that only the best students get in. My SAT scores were far from perfect. But the applications for these schools include personal, challenging questions. I wrote a very personal essay. Ms. Brock helped me choose a strong topic. My essay was about kindness and making a difference in people's lives. That may be how this fantastic and surprising thing happened.
I'm focused on trying to make the world a little better, and I know that's a cliché but it's really something I tried to focus on as I've prepared my applications. At this point, I'm hoping to either become a pediatrician or go into research, I don't know exactly yet, it's still early, but I've got some time to decide that and I'm really excited about the schools I'm looking at because the strength of these schools is the liberal arts program. For the first two years before you declare a major you take courses in a lot of different areas. It's like IB in that way. My goal is to help people in ways that make a tangible difference, but that could come from anywhere. I could be a teacher and help people. Maybe I'll write. Any field can achieve that purpose. When I talked to Daniel Lewis'09, (now attending Princeton), he said he was looking to major in science when he got there, but he became an economics major, working with a Nobel Prize winner.
I love Grammar. I enrolled in grade eight, and I jumped on every opportunity I could as soon as I got here, so I joined the drama club and I've enjoyed that for five years. Joined debating and I've been doing that for five years. Enjoyed Call to Remembrance in the Middle School and have been coaching that since. Joined touch football in grade nine and have been coaching that since grade ten. I think there's a lot of merit in going to a small school, and taking those opportunities. My 30 best friends are all in my graduating class. It's a very tight knit community, very supportive. A good example is when I had my Princeton interview, here at the school, John was running around the lounge trying to get everyone to quiet down. We really look out for each other. These are the people who have made me stop and look around and make me appreciate the moments I have, because I'm the kind of person who tends to speed along and do everything, take on too much, but people here stop me and make me relax. I really had a lot of help in discovering who I am. I think I sent about 300 emails to Ms. Brock over the past year, and she answered every single one."
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According to the New York Times and Time Magazine, as well as the schools themselves, Ivy League admissions rates declined this year. In an already startlingly selective process, seven out of eight Ivy schools report a larger applicant pool and decreased offers of admission. Harvard University was the most selective, admitting only 5.8% of its 35,023 applicants, a record low. Princeton accepted 7.3% of its 26,498 applicants. Given these statistics, admission to one Ivy League school is improbable; admission to four is remarkable and certainly an unparalleled feat by a student from the Halifax Grammar School. We interviewed Oliver on the topic this week. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.
“I'm still a little bit blown away by this. People are asking me all these questions, and I'm like 'I don't know, I can't even believe I got in!' This is a really humbling experience. I'm going to be going to school with geniuses. A common misconception about these schools is that only the best students get in. My SAT scores were far from perfect. But the applications for these schools include personal, challenging questions. I wrote a very personal essay. Ms. Brock helped me choose a strong topic. My essay was about kindness and making a difference in people's lives. That may be how this fantastic and surprising thing happened.
I'm focused on trying to make the world a little better, and I know that's a cliché but it's really something I tried to focus on as I've prepared my applications. At this point, I'm hoping to either become a pediatrician or go into research, I don't know exactly yet, it's still early, but I've got some time to decide that and I'm really excited about the schools I'm looking at because the strength of these schools is the liberal arts program. For the first two years before you declare a major you take courses in a lot of different areas. It's like IB in that way. My goal is to help people in ways that make a tangible difference, but that could come from anywhere. I could be a teacher and help people. Maybe I'll write. Any field can achieve that purpose. When I talked to Daniel Lewis'09, (now attending Princeton), he said he was looking to major in science when he got there, but he became an economics major, working with a Nobel Prize winner.
I love Grammar. I enrolled in grade eight, and I jumped on every opportunity I could as soon as I got here, so I joined the drama club and I've enjoyed that for five years. Joined debating and I've been doing that for five years. Enjoyed Call to Remembrance in the Middle School and have been coaching that since. Joined touch football in grade nine and have been coaching that since grade ten. I think there's a lot of merit in going to a small school, and taking those opportunities. My 30 best friends are all in my graduating class. It's a very tight knit community, very supportive. A good example is when I had my Princeton interview, here at the school, John was running around the lounge trying to get everyone to quiet down. We really look out for each other. These are the people who have made me stop and look around and make me appreciate the moments I have, because I'm the kind of person who tends to speed along and do everything, take on too much, but people here stop me and make me relax. I really had a lot of help in discovering who I am. I think I sent about 300 emails to Ms. Brock over the past year, and she answered every single one."
