Florida 15-Year-Old High School Senior Headed to MIT

April 20, 2011— -- What were you doing when you were 15? Well, Jennifer Tilton of Jupiter, Fla., is graduating as valedictorian of Suncoast Community High School's 2011 senior class and is heading to MIT in the fall.

She will go to the prestigious school known for its math, science and technology departments to pursue an undergraduate degree in engineering. For her, this all seems normal.

"I don't think [applying to college] was any different than for most people," Tilton told ABC News. "I've been ahead since I was 8 or 9."

Sounding like a typical high school senior, she told ABC News she waited to visit schools until after her acceptance letters had arrived so as not to waste time visiting schools she didn't get into.

"Most of the stuff I could find online," she said. "My Mom helped me some, too. It was a lot of work, but I think I handled it mostly by myself."

She also got help from her high school guidance counselor, but she didn't get special treatment. Tilton said they treated her like every other senior at the school.

She's always had a knack for logic, which has translated into an amazing proficiency in math and science. She decided on her major (for the moment) after taking an electrical engineering class at a local community college.

"While my classmates were cursing the hours and hours of labs, I thought it was really interesting," Tilton said.

So how does she do it? Tilton said it's all about efficiency.

"I think I've gotten this far by not procrastinating," she said. "I figure out what I need done and correlate it to the time I have."

The young prodigy has been skipping ahead since she was so young that she said she is excited and ready for college-level work, but what about college life? Many people might think college could be too much for a 15-year-old to handle. She disagrees.

"I'll be away from my family earlier than most kids would be, but it's not really different from going to boarding school in high school," Tilton said. "I've been expecting it, so it's not a surprise. ... It's not like I'm immature and heading to college as a little girl. I think I matured quicker than most people my age, because of the company I keep. Most of my friends are seniors."

She also credits her freshman calculus teacher and sponsor of the math club at Suncoast, Beth Bobay, with some of her success.

"She is kind of my role model," Tilton said. "She helped me grow up in high school."

Although she is far ahead of most teenagers her age, she said she isn't going to rush through college to get to the workforce. MIT does not accept her high school credits, so it will take her four years to complete her undergraduate degree.

"I definitely want to stay in school for a long time," she said. "I want to get a masters degree or a maybe even a Ph.D."

It is a bit far from her home in Florida, but she said she is very excited to be heading to Boston.

"I've been there many times, I'm a big Red Sox fan," she said. "It will be a good change from the hot weather."