A high school senior has broken a U.S. record for receiving the most offers to attend college.
So far Dennis Barnes, a senior at International High School of New Orleans, has received offers from 125 colleges and universities totaling $9 million in scholarships.
The previous record, which was set in 2019, was $8.7 million.
The New Orleans native applied to 200 colleges and universities across the country.
“I submitted college applications in August, with an eye on raising the bar high for college admissions. Decision letters were an overflow in my mailbox and hundreds of scholarship offers,” Barnes said.
And the letters are still coming in. He hopes to reach $10 million in scholarship offers by the end of April.
While more than 1 million scholarships are awarded each year, on average only 7% of students receive a scholarship. It’s estimated that first-year students who received government grants and scholarships receive $13,690 annually.
So what Barnes has achieved is no easy feat.
He’s managed to acquire the record-breaking amount of scholarships thanks to the hard work he’s put into his studies. Throughout his high school career he has maintained a 4.98 GPA and has held leadership positions in the National Honor Society.
Barnes is also fluent in Spanish and has been recognized by the Institute Cervantes on behalf of Spain’s Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports and the Honorary Consul of Spain in New Orleans for his command of the language.
Barnes, who will announce his college decision on May 2, plans to double major in computer science and criminal justice.
He is set to graduate with his classmates at the end of May.
READ MORE:
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- Teen student offered more than $1.6 million in scholarships after being accepted into 40 colleges
Congratulations, Dennis! You are an inspiration to many.
Please share and congratulate Dennis on his incredible achievements.