HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A Woodland High School graduate has been accepted into 264 colleges and was awarded over $17 million in scholarships - potentially a national record.
Henry County Schools said Patrick Pruitt applied to 270 colleges and universities and was accepted into all but six.
“You want to open yourself up to as many opportunities as possible,” Pruitt said in a statement. “I just used what strengths I had to offer.”
He graduated with a 3.8 unweighted GPA, weighted to a 4.2 with advanced coursework, and in the top 10% of his class.
His SAT score of 1200 made him eligible for free tuition at any Georgia public college or university.
Pruitt ran varsity cross country and track, and he completed an internship at the Henry County Water Authority last summer. He is passionate about clean water and the environment, and he applied to schools offering an environmental science program.
“Patrick Pruitt is proof of what can be achieved if you dig deep and seek opportunities,” said his school counselor, DeAnna Miller-Wooden. “We are all very proud of him.”
His initial goal was to reach 100 college acceptances. However, after reading about Madison Crowell, a 2024 graduate of Liberty County High School who was believed to hold a national record of 231 college acceptances, Pruitt decided to break the record.
Pruitt has chosen to attend Knox College, a private liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois. He has received a scholarship package worth about $260,000, meaning he owes about $5000 per term.
He plans to continue applying for scholarships to cover the remaining amount.
His mother, Alicia Brantley, said she was “super proud” of her son.
“He’s very self-driven, self-motivated, resilient,” she said. “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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