13-year-old genius Joe with IQ of 168 to start master’s programme years ahead of average student age

• Joe Petraro-Hyppolite, 13, is preparing to start a master’s programme at NYU in 2027.

• The teenager scored 1,590 on the SAT at age 10 and earned his high school diploma at 11.

• He has an IQ of 168 and is completing an undergraduate degree before starting postgraduate studies.

• Joe will study sports management at NYU, with interests in kinesiology and biology.

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 (NYU) in 2027, years earlier than the typical age many students begin postgraduate studies.

Petraro-Hyppolite, who has an IQ of 168, is currently completing his undergraduate degree and is expected to graduate in May 2027 before moving on to his master’s programme at NYU. According to CBS News New York, the average age a person in the United States starts a master’s programme is 33, making Joe’s academic journey highly unusual.

The teenager has already achieved several academic milestones at a young age. He scored 1,590 out of 1,600 on the SAT at age 10 and earned his high school diploma when he was 11. He later attended Louisiana State University (LSU), where he studied alongside students much older than him.

Joe has been accepted into NYU’s master’s programme in sports management, with additional academic interests in kinesiology and biology. Speaking about the next stage of his education, he said he was excited about the opportunity despite feeling some nervousness.

“Yeah, I mean, who wouldn’t be? But then again, I am also excited, because new doors are opening,” Joe said.

The young student said his academic ability does not mean learning comes effortlessly.

“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.

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Joe’s mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, said his achievements are particularly meaningful because he was previously placed in special education classes after being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. She described him as someone who loves learning.

“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.”

Despite his academic achievements, Joe maintains a range of interests outside the classroom. He volunteers at a nursing home in Long Island and has said he hopes to pursue a career in palaeontology in the future.

If he completes the master’s programme as planned, Joe would graduate at an age when many people are still beginning their undergraduate studies.