Duke TIP honors local seventh-grade students for academic success
Contact: Leslie Maxwell
Duke University Talent Identification Program
(919) 668-9127
leslie.maxwell@duke.edu
More than 67,000 academically gifted students take college admissions exams
Updated April 8, 2009
DURHAM, N.C. — Academically talented seventh graders in your area will be recognized this spring for their exceptional scores on the ACT or SAT.
The Duke University Talent Identification Program’s (Duke TIP) 7th Grade Talent Search identifies students in sixteen states in the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest who have scored in the 95th percentile on a grade-level achievement test. As part of the program, these academically talented students take above-level college-entrance exams (SAT or ACT) to learn more about their abilities.
Duke TIP hosts annual Recognition Ceremonies to honor the 7th graders who score highest on these SAT or ACT exams. This year, of the 67,438 participants nationally, 24,204 students (36%) have been invited to attend State Recognition Ceremonies and 1,769 students (3%) have been invited to the Grand Recognition Ceremony.
"The Recognition Ceremonies are inspiring events," says Martha Putallaz, Ph.D., Executive Director of Duke TIP and Professor of Psychology at Duke University. "It is rare that so many gifted students can come together to be honored for their achievements and encouraged by their intellectual peers. The honorees have proven, at this young age, their capacity for great things. We hope they consider their achievement to be an invitation to pursue an ambitious path in life."
The State Recognition Ceremonies honor seventh graders who have earned scores equal to or better than half the college-bound seniors who took the tests. Working with host academic institutions, Duke TIP sponsors 34 State Ceremonies in its 16-state Talent Search region during the months of May and June. Speakers include university administrators and professors from the host institutions, state and government officials, and accomplished former Duke TIP students. Get more details about each State Recognition Ceremony.
The Grand Recognition Ceremony honors seventh graders who have earned scores equal to or better than 90% of college-bound seniors who took the same tests. The event will be held May 18 at Cameron Indoor Stadium on the Duke University campus in Durham, N.C. Steve Nowicki, Ph.D., is this year’s keynote speaker. Dr. Nowicki is a professor of biology and Dean of Undergraduate Education at Duke University.
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About Duke TIP: The Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) is a non-profit educational organization that is recognized as a leader in identifying and serving the educational needs of academically gifted youth. Through identification, recognition, challenging educational programs, information, advocacy and research, Duke TIP provides resources to gifted students, their parents, educators, and schools for the development of the students’ optimal educational potential.
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