Thirteen-year-old Joe Petraro-Hyppolite set for NYU Master’s

# 13-Year-Old Long Island Student Set to Begin Master’s Program at NYU

A 13-year-old student from Long Island, New York, is preparing for another major academic milestone, with plans to pursue a master’s degree at New York University after completing his undergraduate studies next year.

Joe Petraro-Hyppolite has progressed through school at an extraordinary pace. By the age of 10, he had scored 1,590 out of 1,600 on the SAT, and he earned his high school diploma at just 11. He later continued his education at Louisiana State University, where he is now completing his undergraduate degree.

Petraro-Hyppolite told CBS News New York that his planned master’s studies at NYU will focus on sports management, while he also has academic interests in kinesiology and biology. He expects to complete his undergraduate degree in May 2027 before moving on to graduate-level education.

The teenager has also spoken publicly about his reported IQ of 168. During his interview with CBS News New York, Petraro-Hyppolite confirmed the figure himself when asked about his intellectual abilities.

His age has naturally made him stand out among his university classmates. Petraro-Hyppolite said older students sometimes take a second look when they realize how young he is, comparing their reactions to seeing someone who appears much younger than the typical college student.

His academic achievements began attracting attention years ago. He completed the SAT at age 10 and achieved a score only 10 points below the maximum. A year later, he had already completed high school and was moving into university-level education.

Now, his next step is graduate school. Petraro-Hyppolite acknowledged that starting a master’s program at such a young age could be intimidating, but he also described the opportunity as exciting because it will open new possibilities for him.

His mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, said the family has found his rapid academic progress difficult to fully comprehend. She recalled that her son was previously placed in special education classes after being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, making his subsequent educational achievements particularly striking to the family.

Despite his accelerated academic journey, Petraro-Hyppolite has emphasized that being academically gifted does not mean that learning is effortless. He has explained that he still needs to study and understand new material before mastering it.

Beyond university and academics, the teenager also spends time volunteering at a nursing home, where he helps residents. His interests extend beyond his current studies as well, with paleontology among the fields he hopes to explore in the future.

For now, his immediate objective is to complete his undergraduate degree in May 2027 and prepare for his transition to NYU. If his current plans stay on schedule, he could finish his master’s degree around the time he becomes old enough to legally drive, according to CBS News New York.

Petraro-Hyppolite’s educational journey highlights an unusually accelerated path through secondary and higher education, while his own comments emphasize that his progress has involved continued learning and effort rather than simply relying on his reported intellectual abilities.