KU News Release

Area students to take part in Duke TIP ceremony at KU

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas will host a state recognition program for about 400 academically talented seventh-grade students selected for the Duke University Talent Identification Program.

The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at the Lied Center. Marlesa Roney, vice provost for Student Success, will preside. Robert N. Sawyer, founding executive director of Duke TIP, will deliver the special address to the students and their families and guests.

Selection to Duke TIP is based on college entrance-exam scores that students take while still in middle school. The top 5 percent are chosen for the program. Students participate by taking either the SAT or ACT national achievement tests. Working with host academic institutions such as KU, Duke TIP sponsors 33 state ceremonies in its 16-state talent search region.

Each Duke TIP student receives a medallion. The state recognition ceremonies honor seventh graders who have earned scores above the average scores of college-bound high school seniors. About 900 students qualified in the Kansas region. About 400 are expected to attend the ceremony.

The program is in its 27th year, and this is the ninth year KU has hosted the Kansas state recognition program. In addition to Kansans, additional students taking part in the ceremony at KU are Missouri residents from the Kansas City metropolitan area or towns near the Kansas-Missouri state line. Information tables to answer students’ and parents’ questions about KU programs and activities will be in the Lied Center lobby during the event.

Duke TIP is a nonprofit educational organization that identifies and helps cultivate the talents of academically gifted youth. Since 1980, more than 1 million students have taken part in the program that is supported by student fees and donations from individuals, corporations and foundations.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.