Published on Jul 21, 2013 
 
 Tanishq Abraham is a nine-year-old college student at American River College in Sacramento. He was a Mensa member at just four years old, a Davidson Young Scholar at age six and a college student at age seven! He has published astronomy articles on the NASA website and is the founding vice president of the Astronomy and Physics Club at American River College. Tanishq has been giving college and public talks since he was seven, including the Earth Day talks at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. He was the youngest poster presenter and speaker at a NASA conference at NASA Ames in 2012. This year, he was a guest panelist for SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas and the inaugural video speaker at the 10th Skoll World Forum at the University of Oxford. When he's not attending college, being home-schooled by his parents, writing papers or giving presentations, Tanishq's passions include chess, swimming, dancing, and soccer. Musically inclined, he has received formal training in piano since he was three and is a chorister with the San Francisco Boys Chorus. 
 
 
 
 In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations) ||||| SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It’s the time of year for many students to think about heading off to university and their next chapter. 
 
 A 12-year-old boy has already won a regents scholarship to continue college and he has even bigger dreams. 
 
 It began with a love of dinosaurs, and the next thing you know, Tanishq Abraham was asking his parents to allow him to take a college course. He was 6 years old. 
 
 “It’s like, you’re 6 years old and you want to take a college class,” his mother said. “So we just laughed it off.” 
 
 But at age 7, he came back and convinced Mom and Dad to ask American River College about attending a class. 
 
 “Lots of professors, they didn’t really want me in their classes because I was too young,” he said. 
 
 Finally, a professor agreed, but there was one condition—Mom had to participate. It didn’t take long for Tanishq to become the top student. 
 
 “There were times when I had to explain general relativity and special relativity to my mom,” he said. 
 
 She’s a doctor of veterinary medicine. His professors say he wasn’t afraid to ask questions, lots of questions. 
 
 Fast-forward five years at the ripe old age of 12, he has been accepted to UC Davis and received a regents scholarship to UC Santa Cruz. He plans on studying biomedical engineering and becoming a doctor and medical researcher. 
 
 “I think I’ll be 18 when I get my MD,” he said. 
 
 Tanishq says he knows child geniuses are often thought to be odd. 
 
 “When you think of a genius you think of a mad scientist kind of thing,” he said. 
 
 But he says he’s just an ordinary kid who plays with video games and not just microscopes. He says he just likes to learn. 
 
 He’ll be a junior transfer student when he enrolls in either UC Davis or UC Santa Cruz. ||||| Two California universities have offered admission to an unusual applicant: A student who is just 12 years old. 
 
 Tanishq Abraham, of Sacramento, received acceptances to the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of California, Davis. He plans to study bio-engineering. 
 
 "I'm pretty excited," Tanishq told NBC News on Saturday. "I've been waiting for this for quite some time now. I'll finally be working on my bachelor's. It's very exciting." 
 
 Related: 11-Year-Old Tanishq Abraham Graduates From California College 
 
 He hasn't yet decided which school he'll go to, but the wunderkind is no stranger to being the youngest pupil in class. Last year, at 11 years old, Tanishq earned three associate's degrees from American River College, a community college in Sacramento, where he was believed to be the youngest graduate ever. He graduated top of his class. 
 
 Tanishq Abraham, seen in April 2016, was accepted to two colleges at only 12 years old. Courtesy of Bijou Abraham 
 
 He got his high school diploma a year prior, an accomplishment that earned him a letter of recognition from President Barack Obama. 
 
 Tanishq, who joined the IQ society MENSA at only 4 years old, has always picked up knowledge quickly, his parents say. 
 
 "We tested him and discovered that he was pretty smart," dad Bijou Abraham told NBC News. "We were surprised when we started giving him advanced stuff and he was picking it up really fast." 
 
 Tanishq has big plans for the future: He hopes to become a doctor, a medical researcher, and finally, president of the United States. 
 
 "I think if he puts his mind to it, he can achieve whatever he wants. We're supportive of whatever he wants to do," added Abraham, a software engineer. 
 
 But first, Tanishq has to choose which college to go to. UC Davis is closer to home — his parents would only have to drive him 20 minutes each way — but UC Santa Cruz has offered him a Regents Scholarship, the highest honor awarded to incoming students. 
 
 "I am still debating between them," he said. "There are some benefits to both of them." 
 
 Related: Meet the 10-Year-Old Prodigy Who Just Graduated From High School 
 
 Thanks to his credits from American River College, Tanishq will be a junior-year transfer. He said wherever he ends up, he doesn't worry about fitting in with other students. 
 
 "Based on my experiences with ARC, at first, they're a little confused. But once they get used to me, they don't treat that differently," he said. "We're all just friends and have fun." 
 
 When he's not studying, Tanishq said he loves going on Twitter and playing video games with his younger sister Tiara, 10, a fellow MENSA member who is also taking college classes at American River. 
 
 "Me and my sister will just hang around, have fun. We'll just play with whatever we find," Tanishq said. 
 
 While both are bona fide prodigies, Tanishq said their strengths are different. 
 
 “ I think if he puts his mind to it, he can achieve whatever he wants.” 
 
 "She is into the arts, while I'm into the sciences," he said. Their father said Tiara sang at Carnegie Hall in New York City last year. 
 
 Tanisqh and his sister Tiara Abraham at Carnegie Hall. Courtesy of Bijou Abraham 
 
 The siblings' mom, Taji Abraham, was a veterinary doctor who abandoned a Ph.D program to stay with the kids and home school them when she realized how bright they were, he added. 
 
 Tanishq's intellectual prowess has earned him celebrity status: He's been interviewed by Conan O'Brien and other TV hosts, was featured on the Lifetime reality competition show "Child Genius," and has spoken at a NASA conference and TEDx Talk. 
 
 His intelligence doesn't prevent him from connecting to his peers, though, Bijou said. 
 
 "He's unique in that he can interact with people of all ages," he said. "When he's with kids his own age, it's more of a social thing. When he's with older people, it becomes more intellectual." 
 
 Tanishq was spending Saturday at the Maker Faire Bay Area, a science and technology expo. His parents thought it would be a fun reward for doing so well with his associate's degree studies. 
 
 "He's been wanting to go to the fair for a long time," Bijou said. "His college just finished, so it was good timing."
– Tanishq Abraham just got accepted by two California universities—not bad for a 12-year-old. The Sacramento boy, who graduated from high school at age 10 and received three associate's degrees from a community college last year, says he still hasn't decided which university to accept, NBC News reports. University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of California, Davis, have both accepted him as a junior-year transfer from American River College (ARC). "I'm pretty excited," says Tanishq. "I've been waiting for this for quite some time now. I'll finally be working on my bachelor's. It's very exciting." Tanishq says UC Davis is just a 20-minute drive from his parents' place, while UC Santa Cruz is willing to give Tanishq the Regents Scholarship, its top honor for new students. "I am still debating between them," he says. "There are some benefits to both of them." How did all this happen? His parents say he always digested information quickly and became a MENSA member at 4 years old. After wrapping up high school, he graduated as best in his class at ARC, appeared on Conan O'Brien and a Lifetime reality competition, and gave a Ted Talk. Now he's planning a career in medicine after studying biomedical engineering: "I think I’ll be 18 when I get my MD," he tells CBS Sacramento. Is he worried about fitting in at university? "Based on my experiences with ARC, at first, they're a little confused," he admits. "But once they get used to me, they don't treat that differently. We're all just friends and have fun."