The Foreign Service Journal, December 2006

94 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 6 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT four levels of IB math offerings,” says Mari O’Connor, whose daughters both did the full IB Diploma Program. “Both my daughters did IB Math Methods Standard Level,” O’Connor explains. “To prepare for entrance into this course, both were in the high- est math class available in grades 8, 9 and 10 (Algebra I and II and Geom- etry).” A student may have less flexi- bility with certain classes, and with what he or she ends up taking at the high level or standard level, if they aren’t put on track in the 9th grade. American students who do not want to spend their last two years of high school with an intensely de- manding workload generally avoid the IB Diploma Program. Although no student intending to go to uni- versity should ever “coast” in any year of high school, particularly the last two, even good students just may not be cut out for the height- ened demands of the IB. Teens who do the bare minimum of studying to get by in a course, or who have a huge roster of extracurricular activi- ties that already take up a large amount of time, or who simply pre- fer taking Advanced Placement courses in just a few subjects they’re strong in, would be better off with- out the full IB program. “It really depends on what pro- gram exists where you are, and whether or not you want to take the most rigorous course load available,” says Stuart Symington, who attended high school in Virginia and is now a sophomore at Yale. “Sometimes, a mix of IB and non-IB classes is a per- fect fit; in the end, it depends on the individual.” Another downside to the IB pro- gram, according to some students, is less flexibility and choice in high school classes. Because most of the classes in the IB program are two-year courses, there may be no time left for one-year classes in additional or elec- tive subjects. About IB’s two-year courses, Cambridge University student Aaron Continued on page 96 Because of its level of academic challenge, the IB diploma prepares students for college perhaps better than any other experience. (Continued from page 92)