As high school students across the country prepare to make their college decisions, one student in New Orleans has racked up a record-setting amount of scholarship money.
With scholarship offers from 125 colleges across the country totaling $9 million, Dennis Barnes, a senior at International High School of New Orleans, broke the previous Guinness Book of World Records total of $8.7 million set by another Louisiana student in 2019, according to local CBS station WWL. And his impressive total could go even higher as he waits for other decisions to come in. Barnes says he hopes to reach $10 million dollars in scholarship offers before the end of the month.
“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,” he told WWL.
Barnes, who wants to major in both computer science and criminal justice in college, says he plans to announce his final choice on May 2. And if his college career is anything like what he’s done in high school, he’s sure to go far. The teen has held down a 4.98 cumulative GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. And if all of that wasn’t enough, he’s also been getting jump start on his college credits in high school by taking classes at Southern University.
And as he prepares to move on to the next chapter in his academic career, Barnes advises other students to take the lead on planning for their futures. “The road to a successful future is to plan ahead, network with the collegiate partners, and know that If you can see your vision, you can achieve your goal,” he said.