Joe: The youngest graduate student in NYU's history

Joe's IQ is 168, which is higher than the level attributed to Albert Einstein, who is believed to have had an IQ of around 160. The boy scored 1,590 out of 1,600 on the SAT when he was 10, and graduated from high school the following year.

He is expected to finish his bachelor's degree at Louisiana State University in May, although some of his classmates are nearly a decade older than him.

"My IQ is 168," Joe told CBS. "Whenever I tell people that, they're like, 'Oh, like little Sheldon or Doogie Howser.'"

He will begin his studies at New York University next fall, where he plans to study sports management, along with kinesiology and biology.

“I'm also excited, because new doors will open for me,” he said about his move to New York.

He was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2021, and also suffered from undiagnosed Tourette Syndrome, a neurological disorder that had previously placed him in special education classes.

Despite his academic excellence, Joe emphasizes that his exceptional abilities do not mean that everything comes easily to him, saying: “It is not as if I was born knowing everything I know now. I have to learn it once or twice, and then I will know it.”

His mother, Anne, said she feels very proud of what her son has achieved despite everything he has faced, adding: “He just loves learning. He is like a sponge.”

There are no media reports about a student younger than Joe being accepted into a master's program at the university, while New York University is investigating whether he will officially become the youngest graduate student in its history.

The average age of people starting graduate school in the United States is 33 years old, more than twice Joe's age.