"I see burnout as a choice"
An 18-year-old student with a higher IQ than Stephen Hawking has achieved 23 A-levels, all graded A or A*.
Mahnoor Cheema, who has an IQ of 161, one point higher than the renowned physicist, secured an unconditional offer to study medicine at the University of Oxford.
The London teenager said the achievement fulfilled her childhood dream.
But her journey was not without hurdles. Henrietta Barnett School (HBS), in north-west London, was questioned over her attendance record and was almost blocked from sitting her exams after missing lessons to take the necessary tests.
The school also challenged her plans to study 31 A-levels.
Most students in England and Wales take three A-levels. HBS initially objected but agreed she could attempt 23, more than seven times the national average.
Mahnoor secured four A* grades in her first two months of sixth form. Her early subjects included environmental management, marine science, English language and thinking skills.
Explaining her drive, she said: “I have loads of interests, that’s why I wanted to do so many subjects – it doesn’t take that much time or effort.
“I think if you have the capability to do more, it should be explored – I would be bored doing only three subjects over two years.
“Burnout is a big thing for some people but I’m just motivated and driven and it doesn’t affect me.
“I see burnout as a choice – it’s not burnout if you enjoy what you’re doing.”
Alongside her A-levels, Mahnoor had already sat 34 GCSEs, gaining 33 grade nines and one grade eight. Her mother, Tayyaba, supported her studies from home.
This week, Mahnoor added A* grades in Law and History, as well as qualifications in French and Physics. Her other subjects included psychology, sociology, business, economics, Latin, German, computer science, politics, maths, further maths, chemistry, biology and English literature.
Mahnoor said she was never in doubt about reaching Oxford.
She said: “I was absolutely set on it [studying medicine at Oxford].
“There was not a world in my mind where I would not get in.
“That is not cocky but that was my determined life path. If I did not get in I would have reapplied.”
Henrietta Barnett School is among the best-performing state schools in the UK, with a 43% success rate for Oxbridge applications.
Mahnoor was born in the UK before moving with her family to Lahore, Pakistan, in 2010. They returned to Britain in 2016.
Her mother, a full-time parent with a master’s in economics, said her daughter was “quite different” from an early age.
By six, Mahnoor had read all seven Harry Potter books. By 11, she had memorised the Oxford English Dictionary.
She was one of thousands of students across the UK to receive results this week. Nationally, 28.3% of entries were graded A or A*, compared with 27.8% last year and 25.4% in 2019.
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