<p>The kid said he wants to be a physicist, not a doctor or a lawyer. I would guess that it would take him another 10 years to get a BS + PhD, then add another 2-3 years for a postdoc, which everyone does these days. So he would be 23 at the youngest when he would be fully trained. </p>
<p>Is there a “point” to doing that? I think it’s irrelevant in this case, because he is already very advanced and there aren’t a lot of alternatives. I would assume that we all agree that he should keep learning something academic somewhere, especially because he seems to be enthusiastic about it. Apparently he and his parents think TCU is the best option.</p>