Dennis “Maliq” Barnes, a high school senior who has received scholarship offers from over 150 schools, revealed his college choice at a news conference on Friday. The sixteen-year-old
Barnes, who is situated in New Orleans, declared earlier today on his high school campus, “I am delighted to disclose my ultimate choice of college for the autumn of 2023.”
He stated, “Being accepted into the Ivy League’s Cornell University College of Engineering in Ithaca, New York is a great privilege and honor.”
Barnes, wearing a white and red Cornell sweatshirt, received applause and cheers from the attendees and school officials at the conference, as well as from his parents.
Barnes said, “I intend to pursue computer science at Cornell University and I am committed to moving on to practice software development later.” Barnes expressed great gratitude for the support of professors at the collegiate level and at home in high school.
As of now, Barnes has received acceptance letters from 188 American colleges and universities, through which he has secured over $10.1 million in scholarship funds, establishing a new record for the highest amount of money received. Scholarships have been granted to him by more than 150 of these educational institutions.
Barnes said, “He has always been able to lift me up, even when I may be having a difficult week. I may feel tired. Days may be challenging. I want to thank him for allowing me to get through, even when I didn’t want to. I give all the glory to God, because he played a huge role in all my success and everything I am doing today.”
Barnes had college acceptances and scholarships from various universities across the nation, including the University of Iowa, the University of Arkansas, Kansas State, and Louisiana Tech, just to mention a few.
He mentioned that he initiated the college application procedure in August of last year.
“I am merely a student preparing for college, in search of a comfortable environment with an excellent program in my chosen field and the potential for financial support,” expressed Barnes. “Setting a record was not a specific objective or something I aimed to achieve.”
Fox News Digital contacted the Guinness Book of World Records regarding Barnes’ scholarship achievement.
The International High School of New Orleans (IHSNO), where Barnes is a student, stated that the previous documented figure for financial scholarship grants was achieved by a senior at a high school in Lafayette, Louisiana, who was awarded $9.4 million in 2019.
Denise James, Barnes’ college advisor, informed Fox News Digital that Barnes is “someone who sets goals.”
“He’s a person who is extremely diligent about deadlines in relation to his career path,” she stated. “He’s highly organized.”
Barnes, who was 16 years old, was promoted to the senior classification by achieving excellent grades in two tests and maintaining a GPA of 4.0.
He is the president of the National Society of Honor and is fluent in Spanish, having been granted the official qualification known as “Español en Diplomas” by the Cervantes Institute on behalf of the Ministry of Sports and Culture Education in Spain.
Barnes also participated in track and basketball activities during his time in high school.
Barnes intends to pursue a double bachelor’s degree in computer science and criminal justice.
He has been enrolled at the University of Southern New Orleans for the past two years, while completing his high school diploma and pursuing college credits.
Barnes has already accumulated 27 credits at the college level.
Barnes expressed his desire for other young individuals, regardless of their background or challenges, to maintain their concentration on education.
“Set a goal and remain committed to it,” expressed Barnes.
He continued, “Otherwise, it’s very easy to be influenced by peer pressure or other people and prioritize having fun all the time. However, if you make education a priority, you will definitely be successful. God should always come first, and if you keep Him as your top priority, you’ll see results in some way.”
Barnes’ high school graduation ceremony is scheduled for May 24 at Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center in St. Bernard Parish in Chalmette.