Record-breaking high school senior who got accepted into over 185 colleges picks Cornell University

Dennis “Maliq” Barnes, a senior at International High School of New Orleans, made national headlines after he got accepted to over 185 colleges and received more than $10 million in scholarship offers. On Friday, the record-breaking high school senior announced he’ll be attending Cornell University in the fall, per CNN.

Barnes is said to have revealed the college he had decided to attend at his high school. He also wore a Cornell University sweatshirt when he made the announcement. “I have committed to attend Cornell University and intend to pursue computer science and to later move on to practice software development,” the 16-year-old said.

“Today is an exciting day for me and my family and I look forward to working with Cornell’s College of Engineering over the course of my undergraduate education.”

Barnes’ academic achievements so far are commendable, as he boasts a 4.98 GPA and will be walking across the stage two years early. In a previous interview with CNN, the 16-year-old said he intended to study computer science before getting into law school. He also said he had initially not intended to break any record when he began applying to colleges in August 2020.

“As I applied to more schools, as my numbers went up, with the financial aid and acceptances into universities, I became intrigued,” Barnes said. He also revealed he ultimately decided to go for it when he was informed he could possibly set the record.

Explaining why he picked Cornell University, Barnes said the prestigious educational institution is the “best Ivy League for engineering”, adding that his aim was to enroll at a school that would set him up for success and give him “a quality education.”

“I would like to get away from New Orleans. I love my city, but I do want to venture out and experience new things and see the new things that I haven’t seen before,” said Barnes. 

When he was asked about what he hopes to experience in college, Barnes said he hopes to establish new relationships and “get an understanding and different perspective of the world, have my eyes opened and my perceptions changed by the people around me for the better.”

Barnes’ academic achievements haven’t gone unnoticed as he received a proclamation from New Orleans Mayor, LaToya Cantrell. The 16-year-old also said he was able to reach the milestone because of the support he received from his family, adding that he would also love to receive advice from Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey. 

“Keep God first, not everybody is religious but one thing that I would definitely encourage is to keep God in the midst. I know that’s something that has always worked for me,” he said.