A teenager who began studying for a university degree at just 13 years old has achieved an impressive first-class mark in his first year at Imperial College London.
Elias Kim, now 14, achieved an overall score of 84.77 per cent in the first year of his Biomedical Engineering degree, earning an Upper First despite being several years younger than his classmates.
The Bicester boy's achievement is the latest milestone in an educational journey that has seen him progress far beyond the expectations typically associated with his age.
According to his family, Elias showed signs of exceptional ability from an early age. While still in primary school, he was reading fluently, quickly absorbing new information and demonstrating a strong aptitude for science, mathematics and strategic thinking, including chess.
His abilities became particularly noticeable in Year 1 when teachers recognised he was performing well above the level of his peers. The family later chose to continue much of his education through home-schooling, supported by his parents and older sisters.
Working together, they guided Elias through GCSEs and A-levels at an unusually young age.
By the age of 13, he had completed five A-levels, achieving four A* grades in mathematics, further mathematics, chemistry and physics, alongside an A in biology.
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Following his A-level success, Elias applied to some of the UK's most prestigious universities, including Oxford, University College London (UCL) and Imperial College London.
While he performed strongly in admissions testing, his family said Oxford ultimately decided not to offer him a place because of concerns relating to his age and the practical aspects of the course. However, both UCL and Imperial made unconditional offers.
Elias chose Imperial College London and began studying Biomedical Engineering in September 2025. He is expected to become a Master of Engineering by June 2029.
Reflecting on his first year, Elias said: "I felt very nervous and worried that I was not able to follow along well with the other university students, but I tried my best.
"I am very happy to achieve 85 per cent, an upper first class, and I am motivated to work hard in the next year as well."
He joins his younger sister, Ariel, 11, who added three top grades, including 9s and 8s, to her GCSE winning streak this year, bringing her total to seven.
Their parents believe the family's collaborative approach to education has been central to success.
They said: "We faced lots of difficulties after coming from another country, but our children have always supported one another. We are very proud of what Elias has achieved."
Their older sister, Clara, added: "We are so proud to see how well he is doing, even better than us. His motivation and resilience are exceptional and we will continue supporting him in the future."
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