A high school student in Louisiana may be on course to set an impressive record after receiving more than $9 million in scholarship offers.
Dennis Barnes, a senior at the International High School of New Orleans (IHSNO), obtained scholarship offers from 125 colleges and universities.
The 16-year-old student applied to 200 colleges across the country back in August and heard back from 125 after maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 4.98.
"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 told WWL-TV of his achievement.
The teenager is hoping to collect more than $10 million in offered scholarships and he is waiting on responses from the remaining academies he applied to. That would see him shatter a US record set three years ago by fellow Louisianan Normandie Cormier.
Back in 2019, Cormier - who attended the Xavier University of Louisiana and is now completing a master's degree at Louisiana State University - was offered total aid of $9.4 million from more than 130 schools.
The successful student spoke about Barnes' amazing record and remarked: "I hope [Barnes’s] story, along with mine, inspire students to exceed expectations, reach beyond the stars, and explore all opportunities for a debt-free education," per The Guardian.
Barnes revealed to the publication that his social media page "blew up" as word spread of his accomplishment.
He not only has leadership positions in the National Honor Society but is also fluent in Spanish. He received the Jose Luis Baños Award for Excellence in Spanish Language by the Honorary Consul of Spain in New Orleans.
In addition to this, the teen has been taking classes and acquiring college credits at the Southern University of New Orleans as well as being enrolled in IHSNO.
Barnes stated that applying to several schools had not been "overwhelming like most people would think," explaining: "I started in the beginning of the school year and over time, over a long period of time, I was applying."
He shared some advice with his fellow seniors in the college application process and urged that they "plan ahead" and keep their ambitions in mind.
"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 shared.
In a statement released by IHSNO, the high school student intends to pursue a dual degree in computer science and criminal justice. Next month he will announce which college he plans to attend.
Congratulations to Barnes on his success!
