8-year-old Delhi boy named one of the brightest students in the world by Johns Hopkins University – Times of India

Misra has been admitted to the university’s prestigious Center for Talented Youth (CTY), whose alumni include Mark Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga, the founders of Google, Rhodes Scholars and MacArthur Fellows. He also secured the second position in the US National Science Bee 2021.

A science enthusiast and a voracious reader, Advay is now focused on the International Geography Bee World Championships and International History Bee to be held in Quebec in August next year, for which he has qualified.

The US National Science Bee is a buzzer-based science competition for individual students, with questions ranging from biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, astronomy, mathematics, and other scientific fields. It includes a written qualifying exam, and buzzer-based regional and national championships.

He studied at Beekman Hill International School (Public School 59) in New York from grade I to IV and would now continue his education in one of Delhi’s schools. Misra was given the Grand Honors Award, the highest category for “exceptional performance in SAT, ACT, or similar assessment” taken by 15,000 students of grades II through VIII as part of CTY’s talent search programme. Test scores were based on the above grade-level testing and Misra was at “Advanced CTY level”, which approximated to four grade levels above the current grade.

“Organic chemistry is my favourite subject because it’s exciting to see the reactions of compounds. Mysteries and realistic fiction are also my favourites. Currently, I’m reading Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman, the essentials of physics explained by its most brilliant teacher, and a fiction, Accelerati Trilogy Book 3: Hawking’s Hallway by Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman,” said Misra.

The eight-year-old was showcased on the social media of New York City department of education for coding a “moodmeter”, an interactive socio-emotional learning tool. His work was also highlighted in the department’s blogpost enlisting six of the best examples of schoolwork in the 2020-21 academic session.

His interests include coding in python, physics, organic chemistry, geography, flags, mathematics and economics. These days he is working on particle physics and using programming to simplify economics, while he awaits admission to a regular school in India.