Move over, Doogie Howser, 13-year-old Bronx girl heading to college

This fall, Autum Ashante will be like any other giddy freshman starting college, with one notable exception - she's 13 years old.

The Pelham Parkway teen has been accepted at the University of Connecticut, where she plans to study medicine.

"I know it's going to be hard, but I'm excited," she said.

Autum will move to Norwalk, Conn., with her father, Batin Ashante, later this summer, to be close to UConn.

"What she's doing is groundbreaking but this is not about vanity," he said. "It's about setting the tone for other black and Latino children who will come behind her. They're always being told they are underachievers. We want to show this can be done."

Petite and cheerful, Autum has always proved exceptional. She could walk at 10 months old; she could read at age 2 and by the time she was 3, she was writing and performing poetry.

By age 8, she reportedly had an IQ of 149 (the average college graduate has an IQ score of 115).

Her father took it all in stride.

"She would stand on stage and read a book, and everyone used to marvel at that," he said. "I just thought 'How do I enhance this?' "

Ashante, a single father, chose to home-school his daughter and sought out retired teachers from the community to help tutor her.

Autum, who speaks Arabic, Swahili and Spanish, has never set foot in a ****oom, but that's all right with her.

"My dad always says 'the world is a ****oom.' I got to go places and do different things, so it never really is boring," she said.

Indeed, Autum keeps quite busy. She regularly performs spoken-word poems at different venues across the country; she does muay thai, a form of kickboxing, and she is working on a photography/poetry book and a spoken-word album.

In her downtime, she likes to read mysteries, work out and "play around and be crazy" with her friends.

"She is a blessing from God," Ashante said. "All the things we've gotten to do together have been a blessing."

Raising a genius though, he said, has its challenges. The 50-year-old retired Corrections officer said he sometimes struggles to keep up with Autum's active mind.

"She tries to outthink me all the time," he laughed. "She's quick with it. You have to be sharp. She has me drinking ginkgo on the regular."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2011/06/21/2011-06-21_move_over_doogie_howser_13yearold_bronx_girl_heading_to_college_.html#ixzz1Q3kywu8W

So, how do these children enter universities at such a young age? Do they take a test and all pre-requisites are waived? Is that how this works? I don't understand.

That's pretty cool. Maybe she will discover the cure for aids or something major like that.

Cool story, but really just because you don't skip grades and go to college early, that doesn't infer that you aren't a genius. I know lots of people from my school who breezed through school not having to study, getting high scores on all their standardized tests. Who is to say we couldn't have done it earlier? School appeals to the lowest denominator, not the leaders of the pack. I know from personal experience that we had this thing in middle school called Duke TIP, where in 7th grade some select students took either the ACT or SAT. Almost all of us passed the average college scores, and most of those who did that did exceptionally well for our age (high twenties-low thirties).

I am calling this girl nothing special? Not all, she is very gifted, but my point is that a lot more kids are capable of doing this, but don't get the opportunity because some districts don't really like kids skipping grades.

All in all, she has an impressive resume, but this article is very presumptious, acting as of she is the only person with these talents.

my point is that a lot more kids are capable of doing this, but don't get the opportunity because some districts don't really like kids skipping grades.

All in all, she has an impressive resume, but this article is very presumptious, acting as of she is the only person with these talents.

cgi15

I'm sorry but no,

Anyone with that high of an aptitudinal output at such a young age can receive easily obtain output from external avenues. District won't let you skip grades? Well there's plenty of scholarships and private schools that will be more than willing to accept a genius. You're calling this article "presumptuous" yet I think you're expressing an unwarranted level of jealously. What exactly is written in this article that's outside a normal expected reception of a 13-yr old genius?

Yes, her story isn't unique, but there's over 300 million people in America, and only a handful that falls within her ranks and I think that's worth mentioning.

I've known a lot of people at young age go to a University. This doesn't surprise me at all.NerubianWeaver

Same here. And it seems I've heard stories like this before too...

Impressive, I'm not going to downplay her intelligence, I'm sure she's very intelligent, but I'm not sure I understand the point of this. Why not slow down and live your life. I had to opportunity to graduate HS this year at 16, but I plan on going for two more years, I still have lots to do, and there's no point in going to college so early, imo at least.

Wow. Does she write each night on a blue computer screen?Mr_Snrub_

Impressive, I'm not going to downplay her intelligence, I'm sure she's very intelligent, but I'm not sure I understand the point of this. Why not slow down and live your life. I had to opportunity to graduate HS this year at 16, but I plan on going for two more years, I still have lots to do, and there's no point in going to college so early, imo at least.

TacticalDesire

Try looking at it from her point of view. People like her are not just high in intelligence but often in maturity as well. She would have difficulty blending with other kids and most likely annoy faculty members out of boredom due to lack of challenging curriculum. She wouldn't be just slowing down, she'd be wasting time.

[QUOTE="TacticalDesire"]

Impressive, I'm not going to downplay her intelligence, I'm sure she's very intelligent, but I'm not sure I understand the point of this. Why not slow down and live your life. I had to opportunity to graduate HS this year at 16, but I plan on going for two more years, I still have lots to do, and there's no point in going to college so early, imo at least.

Blue-Sky

Try looking at it from her point of view. People like her are not just high in intelligence but often in maturity as well. She would have difficulty blending with other kids and most likely annoy faculty members out of boredom due to lack of challenging curriculum. She wouldn't be just slowing down, she'd be wasting time.

I understand, but I just sometimes feel as though the decisions are made based off of an alluring excitement that causes young "geniuses" to want to enter college. If she really is on a specific career path, then by all means go ahead, but I just don't feel that a 13 year old, however smart is really ready for college.

I've known a lot of people at young age go to a University. This doesn't surprise me at all.NerubianWeaver

Me too.

I wonder if this was her choice. If she decided she wanted to go to college early, or if her father suggested it.

I bet she won't have any effect on society, but what do I know; I am not in college.

Wow. Does she write each night on a blue computer screen?Mr_Snrub_

Good for her.

*Goes back dealing with own problems*

good for her

I got an IQ of 139, no one puts me in an Univ at young age or talks about me :cry:

College is not only about the acadameic part; the fact you can understand the classes doesn't mean you should share the same enviroment than those of 18+ years of age. She will either be ostracized or abused.

Very good story an all, but is class censored? Classroom, Class-room, class room.m25105

Wasn't Doogie doing appendectomies by that age?

Man thats still got to be hard skipping all those grades is like skipping out on a chapter in your life. I mean this girl isn't even fully developed yet.

Nevertheless, I hope her talents don't go to waste.

Good for her. Finally she can move out of the ghetto.

[QUOTE="m25105"]Very good story an all, but is class censored? Classroom, Class-room, class room.Fuhgeddabouditt

It's probably the fact that you posted a link. GameSpot doesn't like it when you post links and put the word class in the same post.

Why wouldn't she just go to school for a few more years and then get into an Ivy league instead of Uconn?

School appeals to the lowest denominator, not the leaders of the pack.cgi15