A Georgia high school senior cast an unusually wide net, and it paid off.
Patrick Pruitt, an African American student from Henry County, Georgia, was accepted into 264 colleges nationwide and received more than $17 million in scholarship offers after applying to 270 colleges and universities. He was rejected by six.
Pruitt told WSB-TV, “You want to open yourself up to as many opportunities as possible. I just used what strengths I had to offer.”
He graduated from Woodland High School with a 3.8 unweighted GPA and a 4.2 weighted GPA, backed by advanced coursework. He finished in the top 10 percent of his class and scored 1200 on the SAT, which qualified him for free tuition at public colleges in Georgia.
Outside the classroom, Pruitt competed in varsity cross country and track and field. He also completed an internship with the Henry County Water Authority, where he developed a strong interest in environmental science and focused on college programs in that field.
Pruitt first aimed for 100 college acceptances. After learning about a 2024 graduate, Madison Crowell, who was believed to hold a record of 231 acceptances, he raised his target and reached 264.
School counselor DeAnna Miller-Wooden said Pruitt represents what students can achieve when they take advantage of available opportunities. She said the school community takes pride in his accomplishments.
Pruitt chose Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he received a scholarship package worth about $260,000. He still faces about $5,000 in costs per term and plans to keep applying for additional scholarships.
His mother, Alicia Brantley, said she feels “super proud” of him.
She said, “He’s very self-driven, self-motivated, resilient. After all this is said and done, he can see the fruits of his labor, and that’s a beautiful experience to witness.”
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