LONG ISLAND TEENAGER SET FOR NYU MASTER’S AT 13

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 after completing his undergraduate degree in 2027. Petraro-Hyppolite, who has an IQ of 168, is currently pursuing his undergraduate studies and is expected to graduate in May 2027 before moving on to the NYU programme.

The teenager has already achieved several academic milestones years ahead of the usual timeline. He scored 1,590 on the SAT at the age of 10 and obtained his high school diploma at 11. He has also attended Louisiana State University and currently studies alongside students considerably older than him. Petraro-Hyppolite said his age sometimes surprises other students when they discover that he is only 13.

He has been accepted into a master's programme in sports management at NYU, with additional areas of study involving kinesiology and biology. Although he admitted that he was nervous about the next stage, he said he was also excited about the opportunities ahead. Petraro-Hyppolite said the new academic chapter would open more doors for him as he continues his education.

His mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, said her son’s achievements were particularly significant because he had previously been placed in special education classes after being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. She described his academic progress as surreal and said he had always loved learning. Petraro-Hyppolite, however, said being gifted did not mean that everything came naturally to him, explaining that he still had to learn and understand things before mastering them.

Outside his studies, the teenager spends some of his free time volunteering at a nursing home in the Five Towns area of Long Island, where he helps residents. Despite his current focus on sports management, kinesiology and biology, Petraro-Hyppolite said he eventually wants to pursue a career in palaeontology. If he completes his master's programme as planned, he would graduate at roughly the same time he becomes legally eligible to drive a car.