Cormac secures place at prestigious Harvard University

Cormac secures place at prestigious Harvard University

27 January 2021

A TEENAGER will be swapping Downpatrick for Harvard University later this year.

Cormac Savage is the first pupil from St Patrick’s Grammar School to be offered a place at the world famous American university.

Seventeen year-old Cormac, who is head boy at St Patrick’s, says it’s a dream come true to be given an opportunity to study at what is regarded as one of the top universities in the world.

He’s also grateful to his family and the teachers at St Patrick’s, including the principal, Mr Joe McCann, for encouraging him to apply in the first place.

Harvard is one of the fabled ‘Ivy League’ universities in the United States and Cormac was one of 10,000 students to apply for a place, of which only seven per cent were successful.

“While I’d always wanted to study in the USA, it wasn’t until a year ago I seriously considered Harvard,” he said.

“It was always my dream university but I was convinced I wouldn’t get in. It was the support and encouragement from the teachers in St Patrick’s who convinced me I should apply.

“I’m still in disbelief and so grateful to St Patrick’s for everything they did to support me.”

Cormac, who is studying French, Spanish, Politics and English for his A-Levels, leaves for Harvard in August.

“One of the things I like most about US universities is that I don’t have to declare what I’ll major in until my second year, so I’ll have freedom to explore in year one,” Cormac explained.

However, he thinks he’ll probably end up studying government at the renowned Kennedy School of Government and languages. 

“Harvard appeals to me because of the Kennedy School of Government — one of the best places to study politics.

“The experience of the professors is immense — a lot of them are former politicians and diplomats.

“Since being admitted I’ve been able to see courses I can take and among my possible classes is speechwriting taught by President Obama’s former chief speechwriter — how incredible.”

Cormac is deeply interested in politics. He was a member of the UK Youth Parliament for three years and has even rubbed shoulders with new US President Joe Biden.

Cormac explains: “I was a massive fan of President Biden long before he launched his campaign. When he visited Ireland in 2016 on his last trip abroad, my then-school principal, Mr Sloan, had heard on the radio he’d be coming and came to tell me.

“I wrote a letter to the Vice President and the embassies in Dublin and Washington and was invited to an event in Dublin Castle where he was the keynote speaker. I got to speak to him for a minute or two and can say he is genuinely the friendly and warm person he seems.

“It was an incredible experience and totally cemented wanting to study in the USA.”

Cormac added: “When Trump won the 2016 election, I knew exactly who would be the 2020 winner and am still very proud about this prediction.

“He was exactly the person America needed to heal the divisiveness of the last four years.”

Cormac added: “I’m so grateful for all the teachers and Mr McCann in St Patrick’s. The school was absolutely incredible in supporting my application and I know without the school’s encouragement I wouldn’t have even applied, never mind be accepted.

“St Patrick’s sent a student to Princeton a couple of years ago but as far as I know, and from what Mr McCann tells me, I’m the first to go to Harvard.”