13-year-old boy with 168 IQ accepted into NYU master’s programme

A 13-year-old boy from Long Island, New York, Joe Petraro-Hyppolite, has been accepted into a master’s programme at New York University.

Joe, who says he has an IQ of 168, has already achieved several academic milestones far ahead of his age. He scored 1590 on the SAT at 10 and earned his high school diploma at 11.

He is currently working towards his undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University, where he studies alongside students much older than him.

Speaking to ThePress Nigeria New York, Joe said he is both nervous and excited about starting his master’s programme.

His mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, said the achievement is particularly meaningful because Joe was once placed in special education classes after being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.

“He just loves to learn. He is like a sponge,” she said.

Joe, however, said being gifted does not mean everything comes easily to him.

“It’s not like I was shot out the womb knowing everything I know. I have to learn it,” he said.

Joe plans to complete his undergraduate degree in May 2027 before proceeding to NYU, where he will study sports management, with additional areas of study in kinesiology and biology.