Move over, Doogie Howser—there’s a new teenage academic sensation heading to campus.
Joe Petraro-Hyppolite, a 13-year-old from Long Island with an IQ of 168, has been admitted to New York University’s master’s program after battling leukemia and Tourette’s syndrome, according to university officials and his mother.
The young prodigy plans to pursue sports medicine at NYU next fall and could become the university’s youngest graduate student, reports indicate.
“My IQ is 168,” Petraro-Hyppolite, who is from East Rockaway, told CBS. “Whenever I tell people, they’re like, ‘Oh, Young Sheldon’ or ‘Doogie Howser.’”
Albert Einstein’s IQ is often estimated at about 160, a score widely associated with extraordinary or “genius-level” intelligence.
At just 10 years old, Petraro-Hyppolite earned a remarkable 1590 on the SAT. He finished high school the following year.
He is set to receive his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in May, even though he is nearly 10 years younger than many of his classmates.
His age can leave fellow students stunned. “They’d do a double take, like, ‘Wait, what?’” he said of the reactions he sometimes receives in class.
Although he admits to feeling nervous, the academic standout is also eager to begin his next chapter in New York City.
“I’m excited, because new doors are opening,” he said. “My master’s will be in sports management, but I’m also interested in kinesiology and biology.”
Petraro-Hyppolite was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2021. He also faced undiagnosed Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological condition that resulted in him being placed in special education classes.
Still, he emphasized that exceptional ability does not make every challenge disappear.
“It’s not like I came out of the womb knowing everything I know,” he said. “I have to learn something once or twice, and then I’ll know it.”
His mother, Anne Petraro-Hyppolite, said her son’s accomplishments are especially meaningful because of the obstacles he has overcome.
“It’s surreal. When he graduated high school so young, that was surreal, but this is … everything he does is surreal,” she said. “He just loves to learn. He’s like a sponge.”
The Taipei Times reported that in 2017, Taiwan’s Chiang Ching-liang became the youngest student admitted to NYU’s undergraduate program when he enrolled at age 13.
However, no media reports have identified anyone younger than Petraro-Hyppolite who was accepted into an NYU master’s program.
An NYU representative told The Post on Friday that the school was checking whether Petraro-Hyppolite would officially become its youngest graduate student ever.
According to Council of Graduate Schools data, the average U.S. student begins graduate school at age 33—more than twice Petraro-Hyppolite’s age.
