Russian teen prodigies earn third set of master's degrees; Next step, doctorates

Russian sisters Anjela and Diana Kniazeva prefer econometrics to hiphop and CNN to MTV, but they insist they're just plain teenagers.

"We're not seriously different," says Diana, who just turned 15.

However, their considerable academic achievements belie that claim.

On Sunday, the Kniazevas earned their third master's degrees -- this time in international policy studies. They already hold graduate degrees in law and economics, plus two bachelor's degrees from Russian universities. At the ages of 10 and 11, the sisters graduated from high school in Moscow with straight-A grades.

"They are true prodigies," says history Professor Norman Naimark, director of the International Policy Studies (IPS) Program. "The girls are extremely talented, and I'm glad that IPS was a part of their education. I treated them like the other master's students. Academically, everything went splendidly."

The sisters came to Stanford on a scholarship funded by the Russian president that allowed them to study anywhere for one year. On campus, the teens took courses alongside mid-career professionals on subjects ranging from quantitative methods to international economics.

The teens already speak English, French and German, so at Stanford they took up Spanish and Italian. "It's been great at Stanford," said Diana. "The best financial and economic education is [available] here. In Russia, there are very few elective courses. Here, it's much more flexible."

Outside the classroom, the Kniazevas spent time in-line skating, biking and listening to music -- all in the company of their parents, Yulia Kniazeva and Yevgeny Bykov. Naimark said the parents accompanied their daughters to Stanford because they are minors and, as a result, the girls had little interaction with other students. "Socially, the parents are very, very involved," Naimark said. From an early age, the parents have hovered over their brainy offspring and guided their achievements.

Despite hitting the books much of the time, 16-year-old Anjela said she enjoyed her time on the Farm. "The diversity of the community at Stanford taught us about the dynamic interchange of cultures," she said in studied English. In a more relaxed tone, Anjela admitted that the balmy California climate sometimes made it hard to study. "It's like summer all around the year here," she said.

Both girls are unfazed by the wide age gap with their academic peers. In fact, Anjela said she is thrilled to have done so much at such a tender age. "I feel like I'm happier than ever," she said. "The time I invested when I was younger is paying off."

The sisters want to become successful businesswomen or researchers when they grow up. They are interested in transitional economies and, on campus, assisted Hoover Senior Fellow Alvin Rabushka, an expert on Russia's flat tax. Rabushka said he asked the Kniazevas to help him translate Russian tax forms. "It was incredibly exhilarating to see brilliance," he said. "After two hours with these teenage girls, every ounce of mental energy in my body was drained."

The teenagers' next step on the academic ladder is to earn doctorates. They are weighing offers from five American universities, including Columbia and New York University. They also may return to Russia for some time for family reasons. "I miss grandma," said Diana.