By: Odeh Favour Adiya
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.
Petraro-Hyppolite, who boasts an impressive IQ of 168, is currently working towards completing his undergraduate degree and is expected to graduate in May 2027.
The teenager has already achieved several academic milestones at an unusually young age, including scoring 1,590 on the SAT at just 10 years old and obtaining his high school diploma at 11.
Petraro-Hyppolite revealed that he had been accepted into an NYU master’s programme in sports management, with studies also involving kinesiology and biology.
Speaking on his academic path, Petraro-Hyppolite said, “My master’s is going to be sports management but other than [that] it’s also kinesiology and biology.”
Expressing his enthusiasm for the next stage despite some natural anxiety, the teenager remarked, “Yeah, I mean, who wouldn’t be? But then again, I am also excited, because new doors are opening.”
He noted that other students sometimes react with surprise whenever they realise his age, as he currently studies alongside peers who are much older than him.
Addressing perceptions about his intellectual gifts, Petraro-Hyppolite clarified that his abilities do not mean everything comes effortlessly to him.
“It’s not like I was shot out the womb knowing everything I know. I have to learn it once or twice. Then I’ll know,” he said.
His mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, explained that her son’s academic progress was particularly significant because he had previously been placed in special education classes after being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.
Reiterating her awe at his accomplishments, she stated, “It’s just surreal. When he graduated high school so young, it was surreal, but this is … everything he does is surreal. He just loves to learn. He is like a sponge.”
Petraro-Hyppolite, who has also attended Louisiana State University, spends part of his free time volunteering to assist residents at a nursing home in the Five Towns area of Long Island.
Looking ahead to his long-term aspirations, the young scholar disclosed that he eventually wants to pursue a career in palaeontology.
If he completes the master’s programme as scheduled, he will graduate at roughly the same time he becomes legally eligible to drive.
