IB Diploma Program

• Inquirers: We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
  
   
• Knowledgeable: We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
   
• Thinkers: We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
  
  
   
• Communicators: We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
  
  
   
• Principled: We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

What colleges say about IB…

“The rigour of IB Diploma requirements meets our recommendation for the strongest high school preparation possible. … In sum, the IB diploma candidate who has met the challenge successfully receives strong consideration from the William & Mary admission committee.” - Allison Jesse former Associate Dean of Admissions, William and Mary College

“The IB is a first-rate programme, one we are familiar with, and it prepares students well for a university like ours.” - Fred Hargadon Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Princeton University

• Open-minded: We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
   
• Caring: We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
  
   
• Risk-takers: We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
   
• Balanced: We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives–intellectual, physical, and emotional– to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
   
• Reflective:  We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

“A transcript that reveals a student’s enrollment in International Baccalaureate courses serves notice to the admissions officer that the applicant is someone who accepts rather than avoids educational challenges. Further, a successful IB student will enroll at Michigan with some advantages over students who have taken less intensive programs…Unquestionably, a school that graduates each year a number of students with IB diplomas has demonstrated its commitment to high educational standards and that commitment will serve to influence admissions decisions at the University of Michigan.” - Cliff Sjogren former Director of Admissions, University of Michigan