Columbus North High School freshman Matthew Liu loves to learn. He plays the piano. Tennis is his favorite sport. He loves to be around his friends.
Oh, and he is recognized as one of the brightest students in the world.
Liu, 15, is among 60 middle school students worldwide who earned a perfect score on the math or reading portion of the College Board SAT, ACT or similar assessment as part of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Talent Search.
The Center for Talented Youth uses above-grade-level testing to identify advanced students from around the world and provide a clear picture of their true academic abilities.
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The Columbus teen took the exam in seventh grade as a way to challenge himself beyond what he was learning in the classroom.
“I wanted to be academically challenged because I’m really interested in learning,” Liu said. “When I heard about CTY Johns Hopkins’ renowned program, my mom and I thought I should try it out.”
Liu was automatically accepted into the program when he earned a perfect score on the math portion of the exam.
He was honored for his accomplishment among nearly 2,000 students who scored in the top 12 percent on their test at an awards ceremony on the Johns Hopkins University campus in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 18.
He also qualified for the Center of Talented Youth’s summer, online and family programs, where academically advanced students can meet and form a community of engaged learners with their peers from around the world.
Prior to taking the SAT in 2017, Liu said he never strayed much beyond his school assignments and self-learning on his own, but he started to think he could do more.
He started to search for programs and activities to advance his knowledge. That’s how he discovered the Center for Talented Youth.
“I was really happy and sort of surprised,” Liu said. “At that young of an age, if I were to compare myself now to my 2017-self, I definitely have learned more. To be able to get such a good score at such a young age means I had learned a lot up to that point, and I can continue learning more.”
During his freshman year at North, which he completed last week, Liu took courses in accelerated English, principles of bio medical science, pre-calculus honors, world history and civilization, and Advanced Placement chemistry. He earned straight A+’s and is currently ranked fourth in his class as a freshman. Many of these courses, Liu said, are not typically offered to freshmen students.
His mother, Lijun Tian, said she is proud to support her son’s dreams and goals.
“He performs very well in school here,” Tian said. “I found out about this program and told him it was a challenging program. ‘Do you want to challenge yourself?’ I asked him. It was a good opportunity to meet new friends, work with peers at the same level and work with very good academic educators.”
In April, Liu also received a perfect score on the comprehensive mathematics exam at the Indiana State Math Contest. He said while all the recognition feels good, especially when he sees how his hard work pays off, he also makes sure to remain humble to avoid any disrespect from his peers.
“People don’t need to be reinforced that you’re smart,” Liu said. “I feel like it’s important to teach and share your intelligence with other people so not only you benefit, but you can teach other people to learn and understand the material.”
As time goes on, Liu said he wants to continue to push his limits.
He hopes that by shining a light on the importance of education and its power, other people will be inspired to take on new challenges.
“If people start to learn more, they’re going to be able to think about the world around them and their surroundings and understand them better,” Liu said. “As a result of that, they’ll be able to make better decisions and be better critical thinkers.
“At the same time, we shouldn’t stress academics too much. I feel like education is meant for people to want to learn more about the world around them. We should allow people to learn and pursue things they prefer. In essence, education is what helps us as a human civilization advance further.”
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Matthew Liu
Age: 15
Hometown: Columbus
Parents: Tom Liu and Lijun Tian
Education: Parkside Elementary School, Northside Middle School, Columbus North High School
Class rank: No. 4
Favorite subject: “They’re all interesting. They all target different parts of the brain and challenge me to think in different paths.”
Favorite sport: Tennis
Favorite musicians: Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Favorite book series: Harry Potter
Role models: Parents, first-grade teacher (Mrs. Huckabee)
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The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth is focused on recognizing academic talent in exceptional K-12 students and supporting their growth with courses, services and resources designed to meet their specific needs.
CTY draws students from 50 states and more than 60 countries worldwide. Each year, CTY awards more than $5 million in need-based financial aid to families.
For more information, visit https://cty.jhu.edu/.
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