A teenager is going to be attending the same university as his much older sisters after taking his A-Levels in year eight.
Elias Kim from Oxfordshire is one of the UK’s youngest people to attend university at just 14 years old.
He will be setting off for Imperial College London this month to study Biomedical Engineering.
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The teenager won’t be partaking in the partying activities of Freshers’ Week, though he has swapped his bus to school for a commute to the capital alongside his sisters, who also study there.
Juliana, 24, and Clara, 22, are both excited for their younger brother to join them, albeit a bit shocked he’s already reached this milestone.
Elias is getting ready to leave this week, but instead of being nervous, he’s excited for the adventure.
“I’ve interacted with older people ever since I was young,” he told What’s The Jam.
“I’m confident with making new, older friends.
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“It’s going to be an exciting adventure.
“My friends have cheered me on for my success and said they are relieved to have a ‘smart’ person who can help them when they need it.”
Clara added: “We’re a decade apart from Elias, yet he’s almost at the same stage of life that we are.
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“It’ll be a brand new experience going to university with him for sure.
“And we are excited.
“He is, too, as he can’t wait to explore the capital.”
Elias has always been very quick at absorbing new information and skills, picking up English as a tot after watching children’s shows.
He is a champion at chess, and in primary school, he skipped straight to year three after nursery.
His family, noticing he was “different” from other children, didn’t want to waste his talent.
Clara said: “My mum suggested he take his GCSEs in primary school.
“He accepted the challenge and excelled.
“Even though he thought his results were “so-so”, they were actually really good.
“It surprised us all.”
Elias achieved grade 9s in all subjects at GCSE level, going on to score A*s in maths, further maths, chemistry and physics, with an A in biology, in his A-Levels.
But how did he get so smart?
Juliana said: “Both our parents have academic backgrounds.
“My mum teaches maths, piano and languages.
“And my dad is a senior lecturer of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
“She’s very ambitious and has supported us by teaching alongside our standard school education.
“My mum has always suggested a routine where we study for a few hours and have breaks in between.
“Elias, however, carried out his studies in his own way, where he gets distracted easily and decides to have fun rather than return to the books.
“It’s fascinating how he can get such high grades without even trying.”
Elias, who thanks Juliana and Clara for their help while studying, applied through UCAS to Imperial, UCL and Oxford.
He received unconditional offers from his first two choices, though he was declined from Oxford due to his age.
And even though his first choice was to study medicine, his age, again, means he isn’t able to do so right now.
Clara said: “UCL had no doubt.
“Imperial had never accepted someone under 16 before, so this is their first time.
“They were very surprised and amazed by him.
“And if he does well, they are open to accepting more underage prodigy children in the future.”
Despite being a genius, Elias is just like any other teenager his age.
Juliana said: “He enjoys playing Minecraft, Roblox and Genshin – a lot.
“He also invests himself in learning magic and playing chess, as he likes using his brain in a different way,
“And of course, he loves watching television and reading comics.”
Elias isn’t the only young prodigy in their family.
Their little sister, Ariel, aged 11, sat her GCSES a year earlier than him, achieving grade 9s in maths, further maths, chemistry, physics and a grade eight in biology.
She is planning to sit her A-Levels next year and follow in her brother’s footsteps by going to university at the start of her teenage years.
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