While most 15-year-olds are waiting for Sweet-16 invitations and drivers licenses, 15 year-old Brittney Exline is waiting to meet her Math 104 professor.
She's also trying to test into a higher level math class - and don't be surprised if she does.
Exline, the youngest black female ever to be admitted to an Ivy League institution, is enrolled in the Liberal Arts and Technology Program, a joint-degree program between the College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
She graduated from her public high school in Colorado Springs, Co., last year with an International Baccalaureate, wowing admissions officers, her peers and even national media.
But don't remind her of her record-breaking status.
"I'm pretty neutral about it. I'm not shy going through it, but I'm not boasting about it," Exline said. "Most people don't even realize [my age] until I tell them."
Exline decided to apply to college at age 13 - the same time she finished her public high school's math curriculum and started taking classes at a local university.
She took anthropology and education classes at Harvard University last summer, helping her family decide she was ready to go to school away from home.
Those around Exline say they barely notice anything different about her.
"I was pretty surprised, but I wasn't too shocked," said Engineering freshman Miguel Gonzalez, who only learned about Exline's age two weeks after they finished the PENNCAP pre-freshman program. "She doesn't seem like a little girl."
Though Exline's route may be unconventional, her mother, Chyrese Exline, says she has no concerns about her daughter being too young for college.
Her daughter agrees: "I don't think there are any extra difficulties because I'm 15," she said.
Still, there's certainly been plenty of attention on campus surrounding the 15-year-old "genius," as Exline is referred to by many in the Penn community.
Exline has to sort through "hundreds of new friend requests on Facebook," many of which are sent from people she does not know personally.
But while her new, real friends "joke around" about her age, they seem to accept Exline as just another freshman.
"She's just one of us," Wharton freshman Marko Vucetic said.
And admissions officials felt confident that that would be the case.
"Her motivation, discipline and maturity provided clear evidence that, despite her age, she was ready to travel halfway across the country and thrive in Penn's rigorous academic environment," Interim Dean of Admissions Eric Kaplan wrote in an e-mail.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
