(Trends Wide) — Dennis “Maliq” Barnes, the New Orleans high school senior who has been accepted to more than 185 colleges and received more than $10 million in scholarship offers, announced Friday that he will attend Cornell University in the fall. .
Barnes made his decision known from his school, the International High School of New Orleans.
“I’ve committed to going to Cornell University and intend to study computer science and later go into software development,” shared Barnes, who donned a Cornell University sweatshirt during the announcement. “Today is an exciting day for me and my family, and I can’t wait to work with the Cornell College of Engineering throughout my undergraduate education.”
Barnes, who has a 4.98 GPA and graduated two years early from high school, told Trends Wide last month that he wanted to go into computer science and then go to law school. He began applying to schools in August 2022 and said he initially had no intention of breaking any records.
“As I applied to more schools, as my numbers went up, with financial aid and college acceptances, I was intrigued,” Barnes said, adding that when told she was close to the record, “it just went to for him”.
This Friday he said that from a very young age he always knew what he wanted to do and that he chose Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, because it is the “best Ivy League for engineering.” He said that he wanted to attend a school that “prepared me for success, that gave me a quality education.”
“I would like to get away from New Orleans. I love my city, but I want to venture outside and experience new things and see new things that I haven’t seen before,” Barnes said, vowing to “always” come home.
Asked what he hopes to get out of his college experience, Barnes replied that he hopes to meet new people and “understand the world from a different perspective, to have the people around me open my eyes and change my perceptions for the better.”
Dennis Barnes speaks during an interview at International High School in New Orleans on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Credit: Gerald Herbert/AP
He previously said he plans to pursue a double major in computer science and criminal justice.
“Cornell Engineering congratulates Dennis and his fellow Class of 2027 members, along with their families, for all they have accomplished to get to this exciting time in their educational journeys,” the school said in a statement to Trends Wide. “We are excited to welcome this incredible group of future leaders to our university community in just a few months.”
Barnes received 27 college credits in the past two years and has been dually enrolled at Southern University in New Orleans, according to his institute. The student received internship opportunities and other recognition for his academic achievements, including a proclamation from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
He attributes his achievements to the support of his family and says he would love advice from former President Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey, two history-makers he admires.
“Not everyone is religious, but one thing that I would definitely recommend is to always keep God in mind. I know it’s something that has always worked for me,” he says.
