High school IB programs.. international advantages? Experience?

[Anonymous]

I am confused about the IB programs. I have read through other posting on this forum, but still would like to hear more from people who have done it (or have watched their kids do it).

I also wonder about the "international" part. Our kids are half German, and we wonder if it really would be helpful for them if they want to go to college in Germany instead of here. Anyone here who went through an IB program and went on to study overseas? Were you better prepared?

thanks!

[Anonymous]

I'm involved with an IB diploma program in Montgomery county. There is a lot of information available about the program on the IB website - ibo.org. In short, diploma students in their final two years of HS take six IB courses (English, social science, second language, experimental science, math, and an arts course or an extra course from another one of the course areas), plus a core course called theory of knowledge which links everything together. Students also write a 4000 word Extended Essay on a researchable topic of their choosing, and participate in a Creativity, Action, and Service program which can include all kinds of things but generally sports, music/art, tutoring, community service, and more in various forms. Students take IB-made exams at the end of their course sequences which determine whether or not they pass the diploma.

IB diplomas are recognized all over the world including in Germany. The IB diploma can be used for German university entrance in lieu of the Abitur. Some university programs will put special stipulations on the diploma - an engineerng program might require an advanced math course from IB, for example - but generally different university programs will publish a specific score minimum on the diploma exams for entry into programs. But it's much easier than trying to enter with a state diploma from Maryland or any other state.

In my school, about 10-15% of our diploma candidates leave the country to attend university in many different parts of the world. The great majority stay home or go to Canada. North American universities do recognize the rigor of IB programs a but generally admit students on SAT /ACT scores and grades as opposed to whether they achieve their IB diploma or not.

There are several public schools that offer IB programs in Montgomery county. Most of them only require that you reside within the school service boundaries. One of them - Richard Montgomery - is a competitive admissions program where students test in in eighth grade and begin attending in 9th grade.

Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is looking at McGill or one of the Scottish schools like University of Edinburgh or St. Andrews, the IB isn't strictly necessary as these will take SATs for entrance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm involved with an IB diploma program in Montgomery county. There is a lot of information available about the program on the IB website - ibo.org. In short, diploma students in their final two years of HS take six IB courses (English, social science, second language, experimental science, math, and an arts course or an extra course from another one of the course areas), plus a core course called theory of knowledge which links everything together. Students also write a 4000 word Extended Essay on a researchable topic of their choosing, and participate in a Creativity, Action, and Service program which can include all kinds of things but generally sports, music/art, tutoring, community service, and more in various forms. Students take IB-made exams at the end of their course sequences which determine whether or not they pass the diploma.

IB diplomas are recognized all over the world including in Germany. The IB diploma can be used for German university entrance in lieu of the Abitur. Some university programs will put special stipulations on the diploma - an engineerng program might require an advanced math course from IB, for example - but generally different university programs will publish a specific score minimum on the diploma exams for entry into programs. But it's much easier than trying to enter with a state diploma from Maryland or any other state.

In my school, about 10-15% of our diploma candidates leave the country to attend university in many different parts of the world. The great majority stay home or go to Canada. North American universities do recognize the rigor of IB programs a but generally admit students on SAT /ACT scores and grades as opposed to whether they achieve their IB diploma or not.

There are several public schools that offer IB programs in Montgomery county. Most of them only require that you reside within the school service boundaries. One of them - Richard Montgomery - is a competitive admissions program where students test in in eighth grade and begin attending in 9th grade.

Hope this helps.

Thank you! That was helpful. Besides wondering how accepted it is internationally, I guess what I'm trying to tease out is whether it is simply more rigorous than regular high school, or actually enriches the school experience for the kids. Like a lot of people, I don't like the currrent teach-to-the-test culture, and am leary of things that just make more work for the kids. More work is fine, but only if it is stimulating and engaging, if not exciting! I see high-achieving high school kids being so overloaded that it's hard for them to achieve balance in their lives. I hope for my kids to have a great education, but one that doesn't burn them out.

[Anonymous]

14:55 again. I'd have to say it's both more rigorous and enriching. Students study in greater depth, see the relationship between their courses, and really focus on writing and critical reading (it's pretty telling that there are very few IB-made multiple choice tests). That said, the students work hard. Learning time management and organizational skills is the key to survival in IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:55 again. I'd have to say it's both more rigorous and enriching. Students study in greater depth, see the relationship between their courses, and really focus on writing and critical reading (it's pretty telling that there are very few IB-made multiple choice tests). That said, the students work hard. Learning time management and organizational skills is the key to survival in IB.

I'd agree on "more enriching" (with the caveat that this depends on the school and teachers), but I'd have to disagree on "more rigorous." AP tests are absolute killers, and they are taken starting in sophomore year. Time management and survival are critical if your kid is taking 5-10 AP classes in high school. IB is hard if the teacher is a challenging grader, but with AP the rubber meets the road at the end of the year when you take the AP test. Whereas the IB test isn't taken until the end of senior year, and the college accepts you before they know whether you've done well.

I've heard, and DCs' experience bears this out, that the general rule is to go the AP route if your kid is interested in math or sciences, and the IB route if your kid is interested in humanities.

[Anonymous]

20:27 again. IB programs are sprouting up all over Montgomery County, thanks in part to the Post's Jay Matthews and his ranking rubric for high schools based largely on a school's percentage of IB and AP participants. It's pretty clear that the quality of IB programs varies greatly from school to school, even within Montgomery County and within other districts. While it's true that all are certified by the international IB organization, the quality of instruction will make a big difference to scores at the end of senior year. So two points about this: (1) IB programs may or may not be of higher quality than other alternatives; and (2) check out quality of the IB program at the school you're considering.