IB Scholars Program-Grades 11 & 12
International Baccalaureate Scholars
Newman School students can choose to take advantage of an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in their Junior and Senior years (ages 16-19). The IB program is a demanding two-year curriculum that leads to final examinations and a qualification that is welcomed by leading universities around the world.
The IB Learner Profile
This is an optional program – an alternative to Newman’s traditional High School diploma program. This additional curriculum choice benefits the entire Newman School population, encouraging a world-view and providing a cultural diversity that is distinctly its own.
As IB learners we 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 that 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.
Why IB?
The IB Diploma program uniquely positions and prepares students for the global reality of their future, fostering an independence of mind and depth of critical thinking enhanced by a broad range of subjects of study.
IB encourages a sense of social responsibility and our common humanity, and allows students the freedom to pursue their own needs and interests within a liberal arts style framework. It is both a structured program that offers a strong general education and a flexible program that acknowledges the particular interests of the students.
Distinguished Among Universities
In studies on the impact of an IB program, statistics note that the diploma program was the best predictor of college performance and, across income groups, IB students earned higher grade point averages and graduated at higher rates. Students with an IB education averaged far better acceptance rates to 20 of the nation's most elite universities than non-IB students.
As Marilyn McGrath Lewis, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Harvard University commented on the influence of IB on university acceptance. “Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are always pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Program 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.”
