Nearly a decade ago, Marilyn McGrath-Lewis, then Director of Admissions at Harvard University, wrote that, “IB is well known to us for excellent preparation. Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are always pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Program on the transcript. GPA is not nearly as important a factor in university admission as the IB Diploma. If a student has to choose, choose the Diploma over protecting the GPA.” Dr. McGrath-Lewis represents the majority opinion among current university admissions officers, who fully recognize the rigor and comprehensive nature of the Diploma Program (DP). The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, grounded in nearly five decades of continuous programmatic development, is in a class all by itself. Graduates enter university further along in their intellectual development than their competition. Furthermore, the IB DP is widely regarded by the best universities across the globe. For these reasons, we chose the DP as the natural next step for Baldwin School.
GPA and its influence on college admissions, except as a trend variable and a corollary to outcomes on national standardized admissions tests like the SAT and ACT, is often misunderstood and oversold (see Michael Yager's College Admissions update this week). Rigor, the strength of a student's schedule relative to their school's overall program, carries significantly more weight in the admissions process. Externally-moderated programs, like the IB Diploma Program and Advanced Placement, are viewed by college admissions officers as more accurate and objective indicators of future success. The Diploma Program's high esteem among admissions officers is derived from the overall program design, which includes not only internationally-moderated post-course testing, but a variety of externally-vetted, subject-specific Internal Assessments (IAs) completed over two years: formal laboratory research and reporting, prompt-driven rhetorical and original research-based writing, artistic composition and performance evaluations, etc. Admissions officers know an IB Diploma candidate is fully prepared for success in college.
At the heart of the Diploma Program are three core elements: the Extended Essay (EE), a service-learning component called CAS, and the Theory of Knowledge (TOK). The Extended Essay is a significant original research paper. Students select a substantive problem of interest in an academic field of their choosing, and then research their problem and report their findings and conclusions. They may choose to work with experts in their area of interest, so long as their final essay is an expression of their original thought. The CAS program allows students to explore their creativity and co-curricular interests, and to take action in their communities. The Theory of Knowledge is a critical thinking course designed to challenge students' assumptions and make them more discerning consumers of knowledge and knowledge claims. Around this core are the six subject areas studied concurrently for two years. Students must enroll in both standard-level (advanced college preparatory) and higher level (college level) coursework. Generally, HL coursework correlates with a student's academic strengths. Both SL and HL courses dive deep into their subject areas.
We adopted the Middle Years Program (MYP) to prepare our students for the DP. Once in the Diploma Program, students receive regular support from core advisors for each separate program requirement. There is also a master schedule that ensures the manageable distribution of program elements like Internal Assessments and the TOK and Extended Essays. Furthermore, the Theory of Knowledge intellectually ties all subject areas together, both within the course and through guiding questions within the specific disciplines.
If you are still working to understand the Diploma Program, or the Primary Years or Middle Years programs for that matter, here are a few important tips. First, attend our regularly scheduled workshops noted in our campus calendars. While we just completed workshops on PYP and MYP, there are more on the way this year, including a DP workshop in the near future. We also hold workshops for MYP and DP students. Second, check out IBO.ORG, the official site of the International Baccalaureate. Third, visit our IB page at www.baldwin-school.org. You'll find a number of informative videos and other resources at both sites. Finally, make an appointment for a one-on-one consultation with our IB Coordinators. Share your thoughts, questions, and concerns. You can also attend regularly scheduled coffee-klatches with our MYP and DP Coordinators and the MUS principal. We are committed to complete program transparency. With authorization visits for the MYP and DP just around the corner, there's no better time than now to come and see us for clarification.
See you around campus.