12-Year-Old Youngest Student of Calif. College

D A V I S, Calif., Sept. 29. , 2000 -- Nicole Tan wants to cure cancer, find a vaccine for AIDS and treat sick children in Vietnam.

It might soundimpossible to squeeze all that into one lifetime, but Tan has moretime than the average college student.

The 12-year-old started her first day at a four-year collegeThursday with 14 units of physiology, chemistry and Chinese.

The biology major from Byron, Calif., is the youngest full-timestudent to ever enroll at the University of California, Davis.

It runs in the family: Before Nicole, her only sibling, Andrew,was the youngest student at the college. Now 14, he is a senior.

Nicole said she can’t imagine what it would be like to be in aregular classroom with other 12-year-olds.

“Home schooling was a big advantage because you can go at yourown pace,” she said.

Tan’s legs aren’t long enough to touch the floor when she sitsback in her chair. Dressed in a small UC Davis shirt featuring asurfing Snoopy, the shy preteen doesn’t look intimidating, but shewill likely throw off a few test curves.

Getting Ahead

Tan passed the state high school proficiency exam three yearsago and has since taken enough courses at a Pittsburg, Calif.,community college to make her a junior in college.

Accelerated home schooling allowed her to skip some dreadedteenage experiences: junior high and the SAT college entranceexams.

She declined to provide any information about her parents, whodeclined to be interviewed. The family has moved into an on-campusapartment.

“I play with other children my age,” Tan said. “I don’t studya fixed amount. Sometimes I study all day and sometimes not atall.”

University administrators admit they had some concerns aboutenrolling a 12-year-old, but say Andrew Tan’s success at theuniversity convinced them.

“We love to have young scholars here,” said admissionsdirector Gary Tudor. “We are paying high attention to herwell-being. But she has earned the right to be here and we arepleased to give her the opportunity of some accelerated learning.”

Davis students say the young student should also try to squeezein other college activities.

“A big part of college is finding out what kind of person youare and you can’t get that just by studying,” freshman LisaRobbins said.

Nicole said she probably won’t go to football games, but wantsto hang out with her classmates. She might even help them withtheir homework.

“If they ask, probably,” she said.