Planning for College
At a time when increasing numbers of college and university applicants are presenting equally impressive GPAs or percentages, admissions officers must look for other evidence that the student will succeed in the challenges of the new academic environment. Admissions officers look for such factors as the quality of the courses represented on the transcript, the balance of courses across all disciplines, the record of the student’s research abilities, and the details of school and community involvement – all requirements of
the Diploma Programme.
The IB has shown that students are well prepared for university work and the Diploma Programme has earned an international reputation for rigorous assessment, giving IB diploma holders access to the world’s leading universities.
Many colleges and universities have developed their own recognition policies. The individual policies vary greatly, but they all have one thing in common. Through their policies, these institutions make it apparent that they understand and appreciate the Diploma Programme student and the rigor of the Diploma Programme itself. This recognition comes in many forms, but the most common are:
- Recruitment—actively recruiting Diploma Programme students
- Admission—ensuring that the IB diploma is fully recognized in the admissions process; addressing Diploma Programme students specifically in documentation and publications
- Placement—acknowledging the rigor of IB courses and establishing prerequisites for IB courses that are fair and equitable in comparison with those for state, provincial and/or other examination courses; understanding and acknowledging the English language proficiency of international Diploma Programme students
- Credit—providing detailed information on the courses for which credit is possible based on Diploma Programme examination scores; specifically understanding and recognizing theory of knowledge (TOK), the extended essay and the content of standard level (SL) courses as well as the content of higher level (HL) courses
- Scholarships—providing scholarships or scholarship opportunities specifically for IB Diploma students
