Our DS1 took the ACT in 7th grade thru Duke TIP & qualified for a State-Level Award (though 20+ students at his school also qualified, so it wasn't a "big deal" to the school). The state awards ceremony was held at our flagship state university and it was a nice event for DS1 to attend, along w/DH. The state U also offered an AM program & lunch - program focused on issues impacting high-ability kids in today's society - and we paid to attend, but then DS had a state soccer game & had to miss everything except the ceremony itself :-( However, he enjoyed knowing that his 7th grade ACT scores were high enough to enroll in the state U right then & there. So the ceremony & the insight into his abilities were worth the trouble to test, IMO. He did not prep, though he looked over the pamphlet sent by Duke TIP prior to the test. We cannot afford the summer programs - and they are typically a great distance from our area, anyway. We still get occasional newsletters, I believe.
DS2 (6th grade) recently took the EXPLORE thru Duke TIP. I have no idea what, if anything, he will receive in terms of recognition. Not sure 6th graders are even honored and we have received very little info from TIP. Not sure about summer programs, either, but cost & distance are still the prohibitive factors.
All-in-all, I would definitely recommend these talent search programs. If nothing else, your child gets a "preview" of testing that will be a real focus in high school. And maybe a medal, too. Higher-scoring students can also attend a national award ceremony at Duke, so that is likely a neat experience!
