The Benefits of the IB Diploma
Scarborough College provides the IB Diploma Programme for its Sixth Form students. As a relatively new diploma in the United Kingdom, we often get asked not only what the IB is but also what the benefits of this qualification are. Indeed, if there are any benefits at all. We have gone some way to explaining the IB Diploma Programme here and this blog post aims to explain some of what, we believe, are the benefits of the IB Diploma.
The IB Diploma is a rigorous course and students thinking about going to an IB Sixth Form should consider this. Although the IB diploma might be considered the option for ‘cleverer’ or more academic students, it is actually a student’s motivation and commitment that counts. How determined are you? How organised are you? Are you prepared and committed to studying both inside and outside the classroom?
Our aim is to match this commitment and, where possible, go above and beyond it in terms of our support and guidance. This goes for both support while working towards the Diploma but also support in university placements and support with the Extended Essay, the CAS, time management and much more. This support is given by dedicated tutors, the IB Co-ordinator, Head of Sixth Form and of course the Careers Counsellor.
Opting for the IB Diploma means a more rigorous course and quite possibly a much bigger challenge but it also means being able to prepare for academic rigour and demands within an environment of support. Take the Core Requirement of the Extended Essay for instance. Although essay-writing is commonplace at university, only few will have had much experience and guidance when it comes to meeting strict deadlines and crediting sources prior to starting further education. While it is harder work, having to incorporate the Extended Essay into a body of work that already comprises of six subjects and other Core Requirements, the know-how provided will prove invaluable once the first uni papers are due in.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency report carried out in 2016 seems to echo the sentiment that the IB Diploma is sound preparation for further education. Its findings included a 57% greater likelihood of IB Diploma Programme students attending the UK’s Top 20 universities. It also showed that IB are twice as likely to continue their studies at postgraduate level. The situation in the United States of America is similar in that the Ivy League universities are between 3% and 13% more likely to accept IB Diploma students than other applicants.
For many, choosing the IB Diploma course is about making a choice to prepare for the demands of academic rigour. It is about becoming a more independent and critical thinker and it is about taking intellectual risks. There is, however, more to the IB Diploma than academics. Joining an IB World School also means that you are ready to embrace cultural diversity. The IB Diploma forces you to study a foreign language for example and it requires you to engage with people in a changing world. It is, in short, about more than yourself.
If you are currently considering your future Sixth Form application and you are unsure, try to get in touch with people who have completed their IB Diploma or visit the IBO Website for more information. You can always get in touch with the Admissions Team at Scarborough College to arrange a visit or a taster stay and we offer special information events for Senior School and GCSE students and their parents. Come and see if the IB Diploma is for you.
