East Rockaway, New York — A 13-year-old Long Island prodigy with an IQ of 168 is preparing to take an extraordinary academic leap, heading to New York University for graduate school after overcoming leukemia and challenges related to Tourette’s syndrome.
Joe Petraro-Hyppolite, of East Rockaway, has already accomplished milestones that would be remarkable for students many times his age. Now, he is expected to become one of the youngest graduate students in NYU history when he begins his master’s program next fall.
His journey to the university has included an extraordinary academic record as well as serious personal challenges.
A 13-Year-Old Heading to Graduate School
Petraro-Hyppolite plans to study sports management, kinesiology and biology, with a particular interest in sports medicine.
He is currently completing his undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University and is expected to graduate in May. By then, he will still be only 13 years old, making him nearly a decade younger than many of the students who typically sit alongside him in college classrooms.
His academic achievements began years earlier.
At just 10 years old, Petraro-Hyppolite scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT, a near-perfect result. He then graduated from high school the following year.
His age has naturally attracted attention from classmates and others who encounter him in academic settings.
“They shot like a double glance, like, ‘Wait, what?’” he said of the reaction he sometimes gets in class.
His IQ Has Drawn Comparisons to Famous Geniuses
Petraro-Hyppolite says his IQ is 168, a figure that has led people to compare him with fictional child prodigies such as Young Sheldon and Doogie Howser.
“My IQ is 168,” Joe Petraro-Hyppolite, of East Rockaway, told CBS. “Whenever I tell people, it’s like, ‘Oh, Young Sheldon, Doogie Howser.’”
Albert Einstein is often estimated to have had an IQ of around 160, although there is no verified record of Einstein actually taking a modern IQ test. The comparison has nevertheless become part of the attention surrounding Petraro-Hyppolite’s remarkable academic abilities.
Despite the extraordinary numbers, the teenager says his achievements are not simply a matter of knowing everything immediately.
“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.
He Faced Cancer and Other Challenges
Petraro-Hyppolite’s academic journey has unfolded alongside serious health challenges.
He was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2021, forcing him to deal with cancer at an age when most children are still in elementary school.
He also reportedly experienced undiagnosed Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological disorder that affected his early educational experience and resulted in him being placed in special education classes.
Despite those obstacles, he continued pursuing his education at an unusually rapid pace. His mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, said she has watched her son continue to push forward through every challenge.
“It’s just surreal. When he graduated high school so young, it was surreal, but this is … everything he does is surreal,” she said. “He just loves to learn. He is like a sponge.”
NYU Could See Its Youngest Graduate Student
Petraro-Hyppolite’s admission could potentially give NYU a remarkable age record.
In 2017, Chiang Ching-liang of Taiwan was admitted to NYU’s undergraduate program at age 13, according to the Taipei Times.
However, there are no widely reported examples of anyone younger than Petraro-Hyppolite being accepted into an NYU master’s program.
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An NYU representative said the school was looking into whether he would officially become its youngest-ever graduate student.
The distinction would put his academic path even further outside the norm. The average age of someone beginning graduate school in the United States is around 33, according to data from the Council of Graduate Schools.
A New Chapter in New York
For Petraro-Hyppolite, however, the attention surrounding his age appears secondary to what comes next. The teenager said he is nervous about beginning graduate school but is also excited about the opportunities ahead.
“I am also excited, because new doors are opening,” he said. “My master’s is going to be sports management but other than [that] it’s also kinesiology and biology.”
After completing high school years ahead of schedule, earning an extraordinary SAT score, pursuing college while still a child and overcoming cancer, Petraro-Hyppolite is now preparing for another major milestone.
What do you think about this 13-year-old’s incredible academic journey? Share your thoughts in the comments and tell us what you think his future could hold.