Recognition Ceremonies
By Invitation Only
Students who participate in the 7th Grade Talent Search may qualify for recognition ceremonies based on SAT and ACT scores. Qualifying students receive invitations in April.
Note: Students who test after February do not attend ceremonies; their awards are mailed in August.
State Recognition Ceremonies
Held in each of Duke TIP's sixteen states, these award ceremonies bring families together to celebrate the outstanding achievement of 7th Grade Talent Search participants.
State Qualifying Levels
Students invited to the State Ceremony meet at least one of the following criteria:
ACT
ACT English > 20
ACT Math > 20
ACT Reading > 21
ACT Science > 21
* Or with three of the four following scores English = 19, Math = 19, Reading = 20, Science = 20
SAT
SAT Math > 520
SAT Critical Reading > 510
SAT Writing > 500
*Or with two of the three following scores: Math = 510, Critical Reading = 500, Writing = 490
Grand Recognition Ceremony
7th Grade Talent Search participants with the highest scores on the SAT or ACT are honored at the Grand Recognition Ceremony. Held in Cameron Indoor Stadium on the Duke University campus, students receive a medallion as an acknowledgement of their achievement. See the Grand Ceremony page for a schedule of the days events for the 2009 Grand Recognition Ceremony and read past keynote addresses for more information and inspiration.
Grand Qualifying Levels
Students invited to the Grand Ceremony must meet at least one of the following criteria:
ACT
ACT English > 28
ACT Math > 28
ACT Reading > 30
ACT Science > 26
ACT Composite > 26
SAT
SAT Math > 670
SAT Critical Reading > 650
SAT Writing > 650
SAT Math + Critical Reading + Writing > 1850
How did Duke TIP determine these qualifying scores?
Duke TIP routinely evaluates their ceremony score levels to make sure that they are in line with the national percentile rankings (NPR) for juniors and seniors (traditional testers) taking the SAT and ACT. Duke TIP has set the state level criteria at approximately the 50% NPR and the grand level criteria at approximately the 90% NPR.