Raymond Hsu aims high after acing the SAT Exam, and eyes tertiary future from New Zealand base.
Raymond Hsu, a 9-year-old student from Porirua, has taken another remarkable step in his academic journey—passing the SAT, a university entrance exam usually taken by 17- and 18-year-olds in the United States.
Having already completed his NCEA Level 1 literacy and numeracy exams last year, Raymond is now exploring pathways to higher education. His father, Michael Hsu, shared the news during an interview on RNZ’s Afternoons with Jessie Mulligan, expressing pride in his son’s latest milestone.
“I think growing up in bilingual and multicultural environments has certainly helped and was a good head start for him,” Hsu said.
Raymond’s early intellectual curiosity was evident from a young age. At just 6 years old, he was reading teenage novels, and by 7½, he was immersed in topics like capitalism, communism, and the world wars. Questions about square roots and irrational numbers became a normal part of the school drop-off routine.
Michael Hsu, an IT professional, has been guided by the “plan, do, check, act” method and said he’s tried to strike a balance between encouragement and pressure. “I have been pushing Raymond in some sense,” he admitted, “but children with special talent require some guidance to reach their potential.”
New Zealand’s lack of advanced academic assessments prompted Hsu to seek international benchmarks like the SAT. While Raymond’s academic feats are impressive, Hsu emphasised that his son still enjoys a full childhood.
“He goes to birthday parties. He’s currently crazy about aviation… He can tell you the structural differences between a Boeing and an Airbus—something I could never comprehend,” Hsu said.
Despite Raymond’s capabilities, Hsu is not planning to move him out of New Zealand’s education system prematurely. “He still benefits immensely from that,” he said, adding that tertiary study might be a goal for the teenage years rather than an immediate leap.
For now, Raymond continues to explore his interests, from maths to aviation, while quietly reshaping what’s possible for young learners in Aotearoa.
