IB Diploma Programme
Upcoming Events and Announcements:
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Overview of IB Diploma
Contact:
Lauren Jackson, IB Coordinator
lajackson@lwsd.org
Please Refer to the Official IB Site Links for additional information:
WHAT IS THE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME →
IB World School:
In March 2026, International Community School was authorized as an IB World School, the culmination of a rigorous two-year process. IB World Schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education—that ICS believes is important for our students.
ICS now offers the Diploma Programme (DP) in grades 11 and 12 and is also in the Schoolwide IB initiative, a group of schools that enroll all students in at least one IB course, believing that all students can succeed in IB learning environments.
For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org
IB Mission Statement:
The IB develops inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through education that builds intercultural understanding and respect.
As IB Learners, we will strive to be:
- 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.
- 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.
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
“Success in an IB Programme correlates well with success at Harvard. We are always pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Programme 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.” - Marlyn McGrath Lewis Assistant Dean of Admissions, Harvard University, USA
“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
“One of the advantages of an IB curriculum is its structure and quality. It is a coordinated program, well established, well known and well respected. We know the quality of IB courses, and we think the IB curriculum is terrific.” - Christoph Guttentag Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Duke University