A 13-year-old boy from Long Island, New York, Joe Petraro-Hyppolite, is set to begin a master’s programme at New York University next year, despite still completing his undergraduate degree.
Petraro-Hyppolite, who has an IQ of 168, has already achieved several academic milestones at an unusually young age. He scored 1,590 in the SAT at age 10 and earned his high school diploma at 11.
He has also attended Louisiana State University and is currently completing his undergraduate studies alongside students considerably older than him. He expects to graduate in May 2027.
His next academic step will be a master’s programme at NYU, where he plans to study sports management, alongside areas including kinesiology and biology.
Although he admitted to feeling some nervousness about the next stage, Petraro-Hyppolite said he was excited about the opportunities ahead.
His mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, described his academic journey as “surreal,” particularly because he had previously been placed in special education classes after being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. She said her son simply loves learning and absorbs information quickly.
Despite his extraordinary academic record, the teenager insists that his abilities do not mean everything comes naturally to him. He said he still has to learn and understand things before mastering them.
Outside academics, Petraro-Hyppolite also spends time volunteering, including helping residents at a nursing home in the Five Towns area of Long Island.
He eventually hopes to pursue a career in palaeontology. If he completes his master’s programme as planned, he could graduate at roughly the same time he becomes legally eligible to drive.
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