SBS '영재발굴단' alumnus Baek Gang-hyeon challenged the admissions for the University of Oxford's department of computer science but did not make it over the final acceptance hurdle.
On the 13th, Baek Gang-hyeon conveyed the admissions result himself on his channel, saying "Today the long-awaited announcement of successful applicants to the University of Oxford's computer science department was made" and "Many people supported me, but unfortunately I did not receive an offer."
He frankly said, "I had fairly high expectations. I was so upset that I sat down and cried," but added that "it was a meaningful challenge and I learned a lot. I will not stop here," expressing his intention to get back up. He added, "I thank everyone who cheered for me."
Earlier, in September last year Baek Gang-hyeon disclosed that he had applied to the University of Oxford's department of computer science and shared his application process. At the time he said, "I understand my grades are within the top 1%," and "Even if accepted, a student visa is available from age 16, so actual enrollment could be three years later. My goal is to become an AI expert."
In November he revealed that he had received an interview invitation email from Oxford, raising expectations. With about 1,600 applicants related to computer science and roughly 400 interviewees, making it to the interview stage itself was considered a challenging hurdle for Baek Gang-hyeon.
However, there were administrative restrictions due to his age. The U.K. university unified application system (UCAS) restricts registration for those under 13, so Baek Gang-hyeon said he had to contact the admissions office directly to confirm procedures.
Meanwhile, when Baek Gang-hyeon appeared on SBS '영재발굴단' in 2016 he attracted considerable attention after being measured at a Wechsler IQ of 164 and a Mensa IQ of 204 at the age of 3 years and 5 months. He later enrolled at Seoul Science High School in 2023 but withdrew after one semester, and at the time his father claimed there had been school violence, drawing social attention once again.
[Photo] SNS
[OSEN]