Lake Hamilton student honored by Duke TIP

Lake Hamilton Middle School student Austin Barnes was among the students recently honored by the Duke University Talent Identification Program for their exceptional scores on the ACT or SAT.

He was recognized at the Grand Recognition Ceremony held on May 21 at Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.

According to a news release, Duke TIP’s 7th Grade Talent Search identifies students across the United States who have scored at or above the 95th percentile on a grade-level standardized test. As part of the program, the students take above-level college-entrance exams to learn more about their abilities, a news release said. Duke TIP then hosts annual recognition ceremonies to honor the seventh-graders with remarkable ACT or SAT scores. Those with the highest scores are invited to the Grand Recognition Ceremony. Of 48,569 students who took the exams through Duke TIP — all of whom are in the 95th percentile of their grade level — only 2,611 were invited to the Grand Recognition Ceremony.

“We are extremely proud to recognize our remarkably talented students who have demonstrated key aspects of their academic potential by achieving scores on the ACT or SAT approximately equal to the 90th percentile for college-bound high school seniors taking these tests,” Shawna Young, executive director of Duke TIP, said in the release.

“As an alum of our 7th Grade Talent Search, I still remember how it felt to be recognized by Duke and TIP in seventh grade, as well as my excitement and anxiety at taking the SAT at such a young age. As an organization, we cherish the opportunity to celebrate each of our ceremonies honorees for such an outstanding accomplishment.”

In order to be invited to attend the Grand Recognition Ceremony, a student had to score at least a 31 on English, a 31 on Reading, a 29 on Mathematics, or a 28 on Science.

Barnes qualified in two areas, scoring a 32 in Reading and a 33 in English with a composite score of 27. Barnes’ English score was higher than 99 percent of all the Duke TIP students across the nation.

Submitted photo HONORED STUDENT: Lake Hamilton Middle School student Austin Barnes was recently honored among other students across the country by the Duke University Talent Identification Program for exceptional scores on the ACT or SAT.