Nationwide — Patrick Pruitt, an African American student from Henry County, Georgia, earned acceptance into 264 colleges nationwide and received more than $17 million in scholarship offers after a wide-reaching college application effort.
He submitted applications to 270 colleges and universities and received acceptance from all but six. He 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, supported by advanced coursework. He placed 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 academics, 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 targeted related college programs.
School counselor DeAnna Miller-Wooden said Pruitt represents what students can achieve when they take advantage of available opportunities. She added that the school community takes pride in his accomplishments.
Pruitt originally set a goal of 100 college acceptances. After learning about a 2024 graduate, Madison Crowell, who was believed to hold a record of 231 acceptances, he aimed higher and eventually reached 264 acceptances.
He chose Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he received a scholarship package worth about $260,000. He still faces around $5,000 in costs per term and plans to continue 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.”