The Power of the IB Diploma for University Applications
One question that the University Counselors at Branksome Hall Asia have been frequently asked is how the IB diploma helps students get accepted to prestigious universities. There is no one correct answer to this query, as it depends largely on the national system’s level acceptance of the IB diploma. However, we examined the IB website extensively looking for specific data related to university acceptance rates, application processes and any published data that reveals the power of the IB as a curriculum. The research and articles linked below should provide parents with a better understanding of how countries and universities view an IB diploma student applicant.
Summarized from the IB website:
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Former DP students in the United States (US) are significantly more likely to attend a ‘selective’ or ‘highly selective’ institution compared to the average US college students.
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In the UK, Diploma graduates are more than twice as likely to attend a top 20 university than the average A level student.
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Feedback collected from a wide range of IB graduates suggests that IB students have an easier time adjusting to university studies.
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Surveys of university and college admissions staff in the US, the European Union (EU) and Australia show that these professionals are both familiar with the IB program and hold it in very high esteem compared to other qualifications.
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An analysis of the recognition policies of the top universities in the US reveals that most of these institutions grant credit or advanced standing for high performance in DP courses.
Listed below are links to pdf guidebooks created by the IB that collectively provide a national overview of specific university requirements of prestigious schools. These guidebooks are invaluable to families as they also include IB overall scores necessary to achieve acceptance. We highly recommend that families review these guidebooks if students are interested in applying to universities in these countries.
THE NETHERLANDS
https://www.ibo.org/contentassets/5895a05412144fe890312bad52b17044/recognition-international-student-guide-nl-nov-16-en.pdf
There is not a IB guidebook for Korean universities at this time, but Korea has begun to more fully recognize the IB curriculum.
https://www.ibo.org/news/news-about-the-ib/ib-signs-memoranda-of-cooperation-in-south-korea-to-introduce-ib-programmes-in-jeju-and-daegu-public-schools/