April 8, 2011
Greetings Everyone,
We are finally getting some warmer weather here in Seoul and are very glad for it. The winter has been unusually long and cold (or at least it seems so). Along with the warmer weather comes the time our students are hearing back from the colleges and universities to which they have applied.
I am increasingly aware of the importance of our IB program as a strong preparation for college and for college acceptance. I recently read some research from the University of California system which stated, “…students participating in the IB, earned higher grade point averages and graduated at higher rates than comparison group students as well as students in the University of California system overall. This trend was observed across all income groups.”
The research went on to say, “…Performance in the Diploma Programme was the best predictor of college performance, accounting for around 25% of variance.” Whereas universities around the world have long known about the quality of the IB, currently more and more US colleges and Universities are looking for students who have experience with the IB, and give preference to students who have earned the full Diploma.
In another recent report from the University of Oregon, it was found that, “…the key cognitive strategies emphasized in the diploma program – critical thinking skills, intellectual inquisitiveness and interpretation- were found to be fully aligned with the expectations of university faculty. The study also confirmed that the IB Diploma Programme standards demonstrate a very high degree of alignment with the KSUS (Knowledge and Skills for University Success) college-ready standards in all subject areas.”
More and more college admissions officers are aware of the IB. Here is a sampling of their impressions of the IB Programme:
Marlyn McGrath Lewis, assistant dean of admissions, Harvard University writes, “IB is well known to us as excellent preparation. Success in an IB programme correlates well with success at Harvard. We are pleased to see the credential of the IB Diploma Programme on the transcript.”
“Diploma Programme students are well-rounded, multifaceted, multi-skilled and have studied in depth. They have good time-management skills, they score higher than students in other national systems, and the IB score is worldwide the same measure,” writes Hrilina Lock, undergraduate admissions manager, London School of Economics, UK.
“We are looking for students who specifically took academic challenges, who sought a rigorous curriculum. Our policy is t0 admit all IB students to the Honors Program, regardless of diploma attainment or attempt.” This was written by Dr. Christy Fox, director, Honors Program, Utah State University, USA.
Finally, in an article published in Education Week, Barmak Nassirian of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers called the Diploma Programme “the best-kept secret in high school reform” and “the gold standard of high school curriculum in admissions circles.”
We are so pleased we can offer this kind of high level challenge to our students at SFS. We are convinced of its underlying philosophy and the way in which it prepares our students for the next level of work.
Faithfully Yours,
John Engstrom
Head of School, Seoul Foreign School
School Head's Blog 