Dennis Barnes, an African American high school student from New Orleans, Louisiana, has reportedly broken the world record for the highest amount of scholarship money offered after receiving 125 scholarship offers totaling a whopping $9 million.
“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 WWLTV.
Dennis Barnes, a senior at the International High School of New Orleans, is said to have applied to over 200 schools nationwide. Barnes has received acceptance letters from 125 schools so far, with more responses expected from other schools. He anticipates receiving $10 million in scholarship offers before the end of the month.
Dennis Barnes has currently surpassed the previous Guinness Book of World Records record held by Lafayette high school senior Normadie Cormier, who received $8.7 million in scholarships from more than 130 colleges in 2019.
Dennis Barnes, who has a 4.98 GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society. He is also fluent in Spanish, and the Honorary Consul of Spain in New Orleans awarded him the Jose Luis Baos Award for Excellence in Spanish Language.
Barnes also intends to pursue a dual undergraduate degree in computer science and criminal justice. Because of his dual enrollment at Southern University of New Orleans, he has earned college credits in the last two years while still in high school. He has not yet decided on a college or university to attend.
“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,” Barnes said.