Duke TIP & Junior Scholars

The Duke Tip Program is a program that allows 7th grade students who did exceptionally well on the MAP or PASS test to take the SAT or ACT while in middle school. If your child qualified for Duke Tip, a notification letter has been sent home with the student. Please visit www.tip.duke.edu for more information .

The South Carolina Junior Scholars Program was developed by the State Department of Education during the 1985–86 school year to identify eighth-grade students with exceptional academic talent and to develop strategies for inclusion into special programs.

What does the program include? The program includes a process for screening a potential talent pool of students, identifying and recognizing those students with exceptionally high scholastic achievement and intellectual ability, and sponsoring summer opportunities in collaboration with participating South Carolina colleges and universities.

When does the program begin? Students are screened and identified in the eighth grade. Educational plans are developed following identification.

How will the students be recognized? Students who qualify for this special recognition will be recognized in local award ceremonies, will receive an Award of Merit certificate from the State Department of Education, and will be invited to attend summer opportunities at participating South Carolina colleges and universities.

Eligibility Criteria

• Students must currently be enrolled in eighth grade in a public, private, or home school in South Carolina.
• For public schools, potential Junior Scholars may include those students who scored advanced or proficient in English language arts and mathematics on the SCPASS in the seventh grade.
• For private and home-schooled students, the respective associations will determine the selection of potential Junior Scholars.

Identification Criteria

Eligible students who score 50 or higher on the PSAT in verbal, math, or writing will be identified as South Carolina Junior Scholars.

or

Students who participated in Duke University's Talent Identification Program (TIP) during their seventh-grade year, who met the eligibility requirements as outlined by that program, and were identified and recognized by Duke TIP will be automatically identified as South Carolina Junior Scholars.

Philosophy: The South Carolina Junior Scholars Program reflects the growing statewide effort to improve education in South Carolina and responds to the needs of students possessing unique abilities. The purpose of the program is to identify students and provide opportunities that will facilitate their intellectual growth, broaden their individual interests, and promote their scholastic achievement.