From 13-Year-Old Prodigy Heads to Grad School:
Greg Smith, who graduated from Randolph-Macon College at age 13, will attend graduate school at the University of Virginia, the university said Wednesday.Smith will pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics. He plans to take two summer courses and attend U.Va.’s orientation on Monday, his 14th birthday.
“It has been my plan since I graduated from high school to apply to U.Va. for my graduate work,” said Smith. “I am so excited to have this wonderful opportunity to study at one of our country’s best universities.”
Smith has kept a rapid academic pace since early childhood, solving math problems at 14 months and reading by age 2. He was 10 when he enrolled at Randolph-Macon, where he majored in math and graduated cum laude Saturday.
Smith has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with International Youth Advocates, a group he founded to champion nonviolence and children’s rights.
“His record of intellectual achievement, combined with his dedication to international service, fit well into the U.Va. tradition,’ said Gene Block, the university’s vice president and provost.
As Kevin and Bean say, “At that age, I was throwing rocks at my neighbor, Robbie Joyner.”