A few weeks ago, 16-year-old Dennis Barnes’ gained national attention after receiving over 185 college acceptance letters and more than $10 million in scholarships.
The New Orleans high school senior announced his decision Friday from his school, International High School of New Orleans.
“I have committed to attend Cornell University and intend to pursue computer science and to later move on to practice software development,” said Barnes, who put on a Cornell University sweatshirt during the announcement. “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, who has a 4.98 GPA and is graduating two years early, told CNN in April that he wanted to pursue computer science and then go to law school.
“As I applied to more schools, as my numbers went up, with the financial aid and acceptances into universities, I became intrigued,” Barnes said, adding that when he was told he was close to the record, he “just went for it.”
Barnes also said that he knew from a young age what he wanted to do and chose Cornell, located in Ithaca, New York, because the university is the “best Ivy League for engineering.” He said he wanted to attend a school that would “set me up for success, that would give me 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,” Barnes said, as he promised to “always” come back home.
He hopes to meet new people 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.”
“Cornell Engineering congratulates Dennis and his fellow members of the Class of 2027, along with their families, on all they have accomplished to reach this exciting moment in their educational journeys,” the school said in a statement to CNN. “We are excited to welcome this incredible group of future leaders to our campus community in just a few months.”
