Most colleges have a “Big Man On Campus,” typically the football star who gets all the attention.
It’s a little different at Georgia Tech this fall semester. Much of the focus is on 13-year-old Caleb Anderson, who began his first day of classes Monday as a full-time student, where he’s studying aerospace engineering. Anderson, a lanky lad who said he had a recent growth spurt to 5 feet, 4 inches, became a teenager just two weeks ago.
Anderson took an Integral Calculus class and Chemistry II and then sat for several rounds of interviews with curious reporters eager to find out what it’s like for him to be at Georgia Tech, which is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top public universities.
“It really feels like home to me,” Anderson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Georgia Tech officials are unsure if Anderson is the youngest student ever, but he’s certainly one of the youngest in recent memory. Young students like Anderson are rare, but not entirely unique, on college campuses in Georgia. Martin Luther King Jr. was 15 when he enrolled at nearby Morehouse College. More recently, Sydney Wilson drew some acclaim when she enrolled at Spelman College two years ago at the age of 14.
Anderson raced through advanced classes at the now-closed Shreiner Academy when he was a toddler. An IQ test cemented that he was profoundly smart. Anderson, from Marietta, enrolled at Chattahoochee Technical College two years ago, saying he needed a tougher academic challenge than the private schools he attended.
Anderson expressed his desire to attend Georgia Tech last year, drawing immediate interest from its president, Ángel Cabrera. He w
as interested in the school because it’s close to home (his two younger siblings didn’t want him to leave the Atlanta area) and he believes in the aerospace program.
Administrators saw his potential, although Anderson hasn’t taken the SAT. Georgia Tech, which is part of the University System of Georgia, waived its test score requirements for fall 2021 admission due to uncertainty about the scheduling of SAT/ACT testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One challenge that faced Anderson was financial. He was too young to receive any of the state’s merit-based educational scholarships, his family explained. Comedian and radio/television personality Steve Harvey offered to help pay for his education, which he’s done through his foundation. Anderson, who met Harvey, said he’s “grateful for everything he’s done for me.”
Anderson is a commuter student. His parents are driving him to campus, about a 30-minute commute. Georgia Tech has set aside space on campus for his father, Kobi, to work while his son takes classes. Anderson will be bringing lunch from home.
Anderson is taking 12 credits this semester. He’s carrying over credits from Chattahoochee Tech and hopes to earn his bachelor’s degree in two to three years. He wants to get his master’s degree at Georgia Tech and then his doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His long-term goal, by adulthood, is to work for SpaceX or start his own company. Anderson wants to provide similar educational opportunities for young people like himself.
Georgia Tech’s youngest student was surprised — and a little nervous because of the COVID-19 pandemic — by the size of one class, which was more than 100 students. Anderson said he has interest in a couple of clubs on campus and getting back into fencing.
The school has arranged for two students in the aerospace engineering program to mentor Anderson. He believes mentors, along with parental support, are critical for anyone his age considering a similar academic path.
“There is no way you can do this on your own,” he said
