New Orleans student scores $9M in scholarships from 180 colleges

A New Orleans high school student set a new record by raking in $9 million in college scholarship offers among 180 college acceptance letters.

Why it matters: It's fun to see a local student do so well. And he's not done yet, with new offers continuing to arrive from the more than 200 schools where he applied.

• He's probably going to need a bigger mailbox.

That's some resume: International High School student Dennis Maliq Barnes is a senior at just 16 years old, having been promoted to the 10th and 11th grades ahead of schedule.

• Barnes has a 4.98 GPA, according to the school, and served as executive president of the National Honor Societies.
• He's also fluent in Spanish, having received an official qualification known as "Diplomas en Español" from the Institute Cervantes on behalf of Spain's Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.
• And he’s gotten a jump-start on his college degree, having been dually enrolled at Southern University of New Orleans for the past two years.

What he's saying to other students: "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 says.

Louisiana record setters: Barnes' haul beats out Lafayette student Normandie Cormier's 2019 record-setting $8.7 million in scholarships.

• The Guinness Book of World Records has been contacted about Barnes’ new record, a release says.

What's next: Barnes expects to make his decision about where he'll attend college by May 2, and then he’ll graduate with his class May 24.

• He plans to pursue a dual undergraduate degree in computer science and criminal justice.