12-year-old boy enters top Chinese university

Liu Yao, a secondary school student in Shanghai, received an A in the early admission round of USTC, which included both proficiency tests and interviews, The Paper reported.

USTC is currently ranked 57th globally according to Times Higher Education (THE).

Liu’s mother revealed that her son has been self-studying since a young age. After entering secondary school, she often found study materials for him. Liu has a passion for science, particularly math and physics.

Teachers at Liu’s school quickly recognized his talents, allowing him to skip grades and begin studying high school and college-level natural science materials. He ultimately advanced to a 12th-grade class at just 12 years old.

Liu applied to the youth talent program at USTC to accelerate his education.

“I wouldn’t have to go through three years of high school. I have basically mastered the knowledge at this grade level, although I’m a bit weak in literature,” he said, as cited by The Paper.

Liu’s mother stated that his academic progress is natural, and the family supports his interests and decisions to help him find his own path through experience.

In his free time, Liu enjoys reading science fiction, such as the “Three-Body Problem” by Chinese author Liu Cixin, Lai Times reported.