Louisiana student breaks record with over $9 million in college scholarship acceptances
World
16-year-old West Bank New Orleans student hopes to net $10M in scholarships
UNITED STATES (Web Desk) – Louisiana native Dennis Barnes has made history by breaking the record for the most college scholarships received by a high school senior in the United States.
The 16-year-old student at the International High School of New Orleans has received over $9 million in scholarships from over 170 colleges and universities across the country.
Barnes, who achieved a 4.98 cumulative GPA, initially applied to a handful of schools that interested him, including Ivy League schools and historically Black colleges and universities.
However, as he received more scholarship funding, he applied to more schools, eventually breaking the previous record of $8.7 million in scholarships set by another Louisiana student in 2019.
Barnes says he never set out to break the record but, as it became a reality, he realized the significance of the accomplishment. He hopes his achievement will inspire others in the Black community to strive for academic excellence.
Barnes plans to continue his studies in computer science at college before going on to law school. He sees himself as a successful lawyer in 10 years, just beginning to reap the rewards of his years of schooling.
Barnes is also passionate about being more than just a strong academic student. He speaks fluent Spanish, has served as the executive president of the National Honor Society, and loves spending time with family and friends.
His school is working to make his new record official with the record-tallying company.
