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There are so many pre-tertiary programmes to choose from. But why are so many students opting for the IB Diploma?
Before the emergence of the IB Diploma, the GCE A-Levels and the Advanced Placement wrangled for top spot of the most popular pre-tertiary programme.
However, just in the last decade alone, the IB diploma experienced a meteoric rise in terms of popularity. New IB World Schools mushroomed around the world to meet the increase in demand for this coveted programme.
To give you a sense of the dizzying numbers and the scale of the IB programme, the IB Organisation reports that as of June 2022, there are 5,500 IB schools in 160 countries!
So what is it about the IB Diploma that has gotten students around the world clamouring to jump on the IB bandwagon and contribute to its roaring success? In this article, we provide our very own top 3 reasons.
1. Recognised and Respected by Top Colleges
Did you know that a study from the Higher Education Statistics Agency concluded that IB graduates have a higher chance of securing admissions to the top colleges in the UK and the US?
We are frankly not surprised. It is a known fact that many of these top colleges look out for evidence that the applicant (1) participated actively in school, (2) challenged himself in school and essentially (3) made the most of his opportunities in school. Undertaking the IB diploma is strong evidence of these.
First and foremost, the IB Diploma is widely recognised to be academically challenging and rigorous. Students are required to study a diverse range of subjects such as languages, humanities, mathematics and science. This is advantageous to college admissions because it shows that the applicant has challenged himself to get of his comfort zone and has tested and applied himself across different specialisations.
Moreover, students are examined on a research paper (Extended Essay) and an intellectually stimulating subject known as Theory of Knowledge. The Extended Essay as well as Theory of Knowledge pushes students to develop independent thought, gain new perspectives and insights by challenging their own pre-conceived notions and beliefs, and learn and apply tertiary-level research skills. While a daunting and definitely challenging process, completing the Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge course prepares students for college life and shows college admission officers of the same.
2. Split between Final Examinations and Coursework
Good news for those, who for one reason or another, do not test well. In the IB diploma, it is not all do or die in the final examinations. While the final examinations still carry a heavy weightage of the overall grade, a substantial percentage (at least 20%!) of the final grade is allocated to course work such as internal assessments, written tasks and oral presentations etc.
This means that IB students will be rewarded for their consistent work. Even if they were to panic and underperform in the final examination, it’s not all doom and gloom. They will still have their internal assessment grade to fall back on and hopefully pull them up.
3. Become Socially Conscious and Socially Active Individuals
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. In the IB, students would not be awarded their diplomas if studying was all they did. The IB wants students to apply themselves in three areas: (1) the creative space, (2) sports, projects and interest groups/clubs, (3) as well as service to community. These three areas make up the IB’s CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) requirement. The hope and aim of CAS are for students to become more aware of what is going on in the world they live in today, and be groomed into engaged, active and productive members of society.
Our experience with IB students around the world is that many are vocal and even more are determined to advocate and champion social causes to leave the world a much better place than they found it.
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