IB information for EU/UK families
WHY THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE?
“Diploma Programme students are well-rounded, multifaceted, multiskilled, 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.”
Hrilina Lock, undergraduate admissions manager, London School of Economics, UK
“When I interview for top jobs, I always look for people with a breadth of skills and knowledge. The IB Diploma provides this breadth, plus language skills and an all-round balance. It invariably gives applicants who hold it an advantage over other job candidates.”
Peter Forbes, Head of Sales UK, Streamline Merchant Services, Royal Bank of Scotland
The IB Advantage in Europe and the UK.
For university admissions around the world, the IB Diploma is the gold standard of world diplomas, and it is accepted in all EU countries. Numerous articles attest to its desirability for the level of rigor and critical thinking required to receive high scores.
Many students who finish international education set their sights on the UK university system, where the IB Diploma has a clear advantage.
An article in The Independent describes such benefits to local students.
Principal Paula Holloway of St. Clare’s, Oxford made a comparison to British A level results:
“How difficult is the A-Level when compared with the IB Diploma? The maximum score achievable for the IB is 45. Only about 65 students worldwide are able to do so each year. The pass mark is 24 points.”
“The percentage of students achieving a Diploma each year has remained constant over the last decade, which indicates that, unlike the A-Level, there has been little grade inflation.”
The IB Diploma simply is the most difficult program on the planet. It requires student competency, dedication, and high-quality teaching: International School of Estonia provides this rigor.
Most university admissions provide a table of desirable scores and/or courses for their programs. As students get closer to choosing IB courses, ISE will help investigate local requirements to ensure students have the right courses and possibilities for the schools of their choice. A great advantage to students who study at ISE is that they receive a constant flow of university counseling in order to apply with recommendations and a CV that works to their benefit. ISE provides essay and personal statement help along with all other issues involved in the process of applying abroad.
In general, we find that students who are seeking English language university programs are rated above their national peers in the admissions process and are often given special admissions and grants.
University recognition:
https://ibo.org/programmes/career-related-programme/what-is-the-cp/university-recognition/
Why the IB?
https://www.ibo.org/benefits/why-the-ib-is-different/
How does an IB education transfer or compare to European standards and expectations for students?
Transferring back to a home country is a critical parent concern when placing their child in an international school abroad. No doubt, students will miss information or topics in a new system. However, there are great advantages in what an IB student gains.
Students who participate in IB programs who then return to traditional systems find that they exceed their peers in all areas of critical thinking, creativity, depth of learning, global awareness, and presentation skills. Students at ISE are world leaders in IT integration, and students have clear digital fluency in all forms of media.
Students may be behind if their new system focuses on surface content knowledge instead of depth and conceptual learning. As an example, some history programs may emphasize local history, and your child may have missed such information. If specific knowledge in a given subject area is required, we can assist parents in finding programs to follow while their child is abroad. For example, we can help find space and time in their schedule if there is a mother-tongue need or help in test preparation. ISE has wide experience helping students to keep up with their various home countries’ requirements, and you can ask for any help needed to support your child. This is not generally the case, however, and our transcripts and recommendations usually allow a smooth transition to another school. Many of our students have gained entrance into elite schools in places like the UK, Switzerland, and Denmark after attending ISE. In some cases, students have been immediately placed in honors programs due to their advanced abilities.
With the expansion of the IB program to thousands of schools worldwide, you may well be able to find an IB school in your new community. Sweden, for example has 40 IB World schools, and in Britain, over 5000 students participate in IB programs. If you need to look for an IB school for your transfer home, use this link: https://www.ibo.org/programmes/find-an-ib-school/
In such cases, students transition with their studies with minimal disruption as the structure values and expectations are the same between all IB schools.
