For nine-year-old physics genius Allegra Clarke, the sky's not the limit — she has her sights set on space.

"I'm still pretty young, so I've got a while to decide," she said.

At school, Allegra studies the curriculum of students a grade ahead and participates in "extension- extension classes".

She has completed maths and physics work at a senior high school level.

By the end of the year, she'll be studying her first university-level physics subject online, after being accepted by a university in New South Wales.

"I was studying year 11 and 12 physics online and I worked my way through it and, to be honest, I found components pretty easy, so I started researching subjects at universities," Allegra said.

"I found a physics course I liked for first-year students, [then] my parents had to contact the university after I found the course to make sure I was actually allowed because I'm only nine.

"I'm just excited that I'm nine years old and going to be studying a university subject."

Mother Kellie Clarke said Allegra put forward a proposal to her parents as to why she should be able to study at university at such a young age.

"She took it upon herself to do some research," Ms Clarke said.

"When she found one, she basically presented an argument to her dad and I about why she'd like to study physics at university, so we touched base with the uni.

"In the end they said, 'We think she could do this and be successful, we'd love to have her', which is unbelievable.

"She's asked to order the textbook already, she's doing some pre-reading … we're thinking she'll start in December."

Mastering black-hole theory by five

According to Ms Clarke, Allegra's passion for learning started from a young age, reading chapter books and encyclopaedias by four, and teaching her peers about black holes by five.

"She's always been quite bright and articulate, and interested in the world around her," Ms Clarke said.

"Because of that, she was recommended to start school a year earlier … So it kind of started from there and we've been lucky, she's had some great teachers and schools that have had great extension programs.

"When she was five at school they were doing a unit on the solar system and the teacher said to Allegra, 'Why don't you explain black holes and the physics to the class, because you actually know more on the topic than I do'.

"I think teachers really appreciate having a student who has that knowledge and that passion. I can imagine it would be frustrating at times but, for the most part, I think they enjoy it."

Ms Clarke said luckily, she and her husband Owen never had to help Allegra with her maths homework.

"[We] couldn't help her with that even if we wanted to," she said.

"We're actually a musical family, Allegra's dad was a professional conductor in New Zealand for many years, so she's grown up in music.

"I was originally a music teacher, so as a family, we have very little background knowledge or experience in science ourselves.

"We're lucky she's got wonderful supportive teachers".

Just a regular nine-year-old 

Ms Clarke said despite Allegra's advanced talents, in many ways she was still just a regular nine-year-old.

"She has play dates, sleepovers with friends, learns an instrument, plays sport," she said.

"Sometimes there's this real juxtaposition between this little girl jumping on the trampoline with her best friend, to half an hour later into a physics textbook reading.

"We monitor it a bit because she would happily just sit down all day and read her physics textbooks from front to back, it's phenomenal."

More girls in STEM

Eager to begin her physics studies, Allegra said she hoped to one day be working in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field.

"I've loved it [maths and science] from three when I got a lab coat and hydraulics set given to me," she said.

"I love everything, I love being challenged, I love maths, science and physics, music, playing the oboe and saxophone, drama, creating things."

"And I'm still pretty young, so I've got a while to decide, but I'm thinking one day I'll be an engineer or astronaut, or even a mathematician or scientist."

Allegra hopes that as she gets older, she'll see more girls in STEM classes and sharing the same passion for it as her.

"I really want to see that happen," she said.

"I'm the only girl in one of my extension classes and although I like being the only one, I kind of would like to see more girls extend themselves.

"Girls can be full of ideas that sometimes boys just don't know."

Story By | Tara Cassidy