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15year-old from my 6th Form going Cambridge!

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The kid's fat and ugly, has vaguely mongoloid features . . . I doubt he'd be getting laid even if he were 18 and if that's the case who cares about socialising?

Reply 41

D R E A M Z

Everybody seems to be forgetting how ugly he looks.

Reply 42

harr

v-zero

It's actually quite college dependant.

Agreed, but I don't see what relevance that has to your original statement.

Reply 43

ganyalex

Arrogant Git

Where the hell is Magdalen College? Certainly not in Cambridge...

I would say that going to University at that age is silly. You'll have nothing in common with the rest of the people and you won't be able to participate in many of the activities. You'd be better off being at school for a couple more years, rather than being pushed through the system at a record place. There were a couple of guys in my school who were pushed through the maths system by 3 years, but they did other A-levels in sixth form too and only went to university at the right time.

Also, remember that a maths offer is not equal to a maths place. The lad may very well fail to pass the STEP exams - 50% of people who take them don't get the grades they need.

very true

Reply 44

v-zero

harr

Agreed, but I don't see what relevance that has to your original statement.

Magdalene is one of the more harsh colleges, that's all really. It's no Trinity, but it's still not friendly.

Reply 45

Eien

It's not a record, though, Ruth Lawrence entered Oxford at 12 and gained her Maths Degree at 14 (in two, rather than 3 years), I think the naturally gifted will have no problem on an academic level, but it tends to be at a sacrifice to other areas of growth.

Reply 46

Cowtipper

Kolya

We don't know anything about his parents, so I think it is a bad idea to make hasty and unnecessary assumptions about their role in the boy's education.

Quiet, Kolya. The adults are talking.

Reply 47

conroe-killed-the-k8-star

thegluups

but a lot of parents would rather their kid just enjoyed himself, and did sports/extra curriculars...;

I know someone who's parents had the option of getting him into Cambridge at a similar age quite a few years ago but deliberately didn't do that , and they felt it was quite justified in their case so he could gain life experience while not being pressured.He did go to Cambridge in the end and is now reading for a PHd there in Computer Science.

Good luck to Niall although I'm quite surprised Cambridge would make an offer to someone so young.There's going to be quite a few issues I think in general with him integrating (in a social sense :biggrin:

) as people have said because very few people would be of a similar age to him and some social settings might not be very appropriate.

Reply 48

Kolya

Cowtipper

Quiet, Kolya. The adults are talking.

How is that an appropriate response to the charge that you made an unwarranted assumption about the child's parents? If you think that such an inane comment constitutes an appropriate reply then I suggest you post in the GD or Chat forums instead.

Reply 49

edanon

He looks like a monster.

Reply 50

becky.fm

Bloody hell, 15 is way too young to be going to uni. Three years of no drinking = ****.

Is he a complete recluse?

Reply 51

jonny23563

He's going to have no friends at all, I reckon he'll regret this in a year's time. He'll have colleagues, yeah, but they won't be able to go out with him. Think how much you grow up between 15 and 18.

On the other hand, fair play to him, he's obviously clever and been able to keep up with the advanced work.

Reply 52

Amit92

I reckon hes going to do really well! But it will be hard for empolyers to believe his age and his uni degree and at what uni lol when he goes looking for a job.

Reply 53

Prince-Myshkin

A 16 year old girl from my school went to Magdelene last year to do Maths aswell

En Lynn Kwo (Beech), who has been a boarder for five years and is only 16, managed to achieve three straight A grades and the top Scholarship grade in the hardest of the Cambridge extension (STEP) papers in only one year of study. She leaves us to take up a place at Cambridge to read Mathematics- a remarkable achievement.

Reply 54

i_<3_you

congrats to him.. but hmm his pic scares me tbh :p:

anyheww.. hes 15!!! he wont be able to go out clubbing or hang around much of the people.. so in a little way i feel sorry for him...if i was him id be overwhelmed but nervous, as ill be surrounded by much older people... who will be having fun, while hell be at home drinking hot milk and cookies and what not

Reply 55

cpchem

I really don't see the point. In the long run, it would almost certainly be better for him to do something... anything... else, until he's actually reached a more appropriate age. A fair number of these 'child prodigies' (notice how it always seems to be in maths?) end up screwed up. Oxford's stopped allowing it, I believe.

Reply 56

username250504

congratulations to him

Reply 57

User182034

I think it's awful the division in different schools as to who they'll allow to take subjects early. For example, i was made to sit my gcses after being home educated before i was allowed to take my a levels despite being ready age and ability wise to take my a levels...

Reply 58

aura1947

He may be smart. But he is ugly.

I guess when God gives you something, he takes away something else.

Nothing impressive really, he is sitting for A Levels at 15, I will be sitting for them at 16. Two of my friends will be sitting for them at 15 as well.

Meh.

Reply 59

Denny Crane

Jealousy is rife in this thread. I'm sure the interviewers considered the same things when making their decision about him an offer. They even came to the conclusion that he might be able to handle it.