The takeaway from this story is a condemnation of US higher education tbh. Exquisitely gifted 13 year old graduates from college with a major in physics & a minor in math — wants to apply for PhD programs but his parents can’t afford it https://abc11.com/elliott-tanner-college-graduate-university-of-minnesota-physics-major/11788944/
At least in my experience, it's basically never the kids who want to do this--it's always the parents. The kids just want to learn cool and interesting shit, which they can do while also being allowed to be kids. If they can take classes at an appropriate level in their area of interest, and maybe engage in some research, they're happy. They don't give a fuck if they get called a grad student or not, unless mom and dad have manipulated them into thinking that graduating from high school at 12 is the only thing to make them interesting.
At least in my experience, it's basically never the kids who want to do this--it's always the parents. The kids just want to learn cool and interesting shit, which they can do while also being allowed to be kids. If they can take classes at an appropriate level in their area of interest, and maybe engage in some research, they're happy. They don't give a fuck if they get called a grad student or not, unless mom and dad have manipulated them into thinking that graduating from high school at 12 is the only thing to make them interesting.