The Thomas County School System recently announced that four of its middle school students were recognized as a part of the 2018 Duke University Talent Identification (TIP) Program.

Campbell Smith, Caleb Kinneer, Gavin Melnick, and Bishop Jackson, seventh graders at Thomas County Middle School, were among a select group of students statewide to meet the criteria to be Duke TIP students.

In December 2017 and January of this year, the four took either the ACT or SAT through TIP. They sat for the exams in Thomasville alongside the usual group of college-bound 11th and 12th graders, and many earned scores that rivaled or surpassed those earned by the older students in the next seats.

Thomas County Middle School’s TIP Club Advisor Retha Lee said, “We are proud of these seventh-grade students for taking on the challenge of exams such as the PSAT, SAT, and ACT. The high scores our students received are indicative of the academic rigor of their MERIT courses here at Thomas County Middle School, as well as the students’ intelligence and motivation. We hope the work they’ve done in our Duke TIP Club will continue to serve them well in their academic careers.”

The Duke TIP Club advisor, Retha Lee, helps students prepare for national tests such as the PSAT, SAT, and ACT by guiding them through sample test questions and showing them online resources for further practice.

All four students scored high enough to be eligible for participation in Duke’s Summer Studies programs.

MERIT Program Coordinator, Dana Studdard said, "We are extremely proud of these MERIT students. Earning recognition as Duke Tip State Qualifiers is a tremendous accomplishment. This accomplishment reflects years of dedication to excellence and hard work from these students and their teachers.  They are top notch representatives of their families, our school, and our community."

TIP identifies 7th graders in sixteen states in the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest who have scored at the 95th percentile or above on a national grade-level achievement test, but several students from TCMS scored higher than the 90th percentile nationally on this assessment. TIP provides participants with suggestions for using their ability more effectively, and a variety of educational materials and publications.

Pictured below from left to right is Campbell Smith, Caleb Kinneer, Gavin Melnick, and Bishop Jackson.