SPOILERS for Young Sheldon 3.21. What if Sheldon makes a different choice of college?
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In the last episode of Young Sheldon season 3 he finds letters addressed to his parents from Caltech and other prestigious universities in the USA and Germany inviting Sheldon to start studying at their universities. Eventually Sheldon decides he isn't mature enough to leave Texas to study and persuades his parents to let him start his full time studies at East Texas Tech, the University of Dr. Sturgis. What if Sheldon wanted to study outside Texas?
After seeing all the letters addressed to his parents Sheldon was determined to visit all the universities that were interested in him. Eventually he agreed to limit his visits to universities in the USA. Therefore he sent a polite letter, in perfect German, to the University of Heidelberg declining their kind offer but stating that he would be happy to come as a visiting scholar after he had finished graduate school.
Sheldon and his father visited Caltech, University of Chicago, Harvard and Princeton. Sheldon was very impressed by what he saw. After all the visits had been completed and Sheldon had spent a lot of time on the phone asking more questions he finally made his choice. Later that day he made his announcement to his parents, Georgie, Missy and Meemaw.
"Hello my family, thank you for your support as I have been deciding on the next part of my life. After much consideration I have decided to start my university studies at Princeton in New Jersey. I was very impressed with Caltech but the opportunity to study where Einstein worked was too tempting, I might go to graduate school at Caltech. Princeton is going to offer me a full scholarship, a doctor who works at the University has offered to accommodate me during my studies, apparently she has a son who is close to my age. I am sure you will have lots of questions for her, she will be telephoning us in about 15 seconds time."
Right on cue the telephone rang...
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After a tearful farewell to his family at the airport, even Georgie was in tears, Sheldon flew off to New Jersey alone. Waiting for him at the airport in New Jersey
"Hello, you must be Sheldon, my name is Beverly Hofstadter, welcome to New Jersey."
"Pleased to meet you Dr. Hofstadter."
"This is my son Leonard."
"Hello Leonard, are you going to be studying at Princeton?"
"This one might make it in six years time if he ever gets round to doing some work."
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Journal of Child Psychology 25 144-198 (1993)
Preliminary observations of the development of an 12 year old university student
Beverly Hofstadter M.D. Ph.D, Department of Neuroscience, Princeton University
Abstract. In September 1992 an 12 year old boy came to Princeton start his undergraduate studies majoring in Physics, I have taken the opportunity to observe the development of this boy over the last six months...