Oliver McCoy Commits to Columbia

“I applied to a lot of [schools] not really believing I would have gotten in. But, if we’re playing a game of statistics, the way I look at it, attending prestigious schools is a game of luck and the more times you play, the more chances you have at getting in,” McCoy said.

He ultimately decided Columbia was the best fit for him because of its location and law program, as McCoy plans to study political science before attending law school. He is especially looking forward to living and studying about 20 minutes away from his older brother who attends Manhattan College.

“The joke I told people when I first got the likely acceptance letter [from Columbia] was that I think my admissions reader really loved trains because I wrote about my interest in public transportation and politics for at least
two parts of the essays, and that was the one continuous thing I carried throughout the application,” McCoy continued.

While the rowing captain, Political Issues Club vice president, summer camp counselor, and high-achieving student spoke humbly about his academic and extracurricular achievements, it is clear his academic drive will follow him to the next chapter of his life at the Ivy League University.

McCoy also hopes to continue his rowing career at the collegiate level as a walk on to the Division 1 team.