International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

Pre-Diploma Program

Your decision on whether to pursue the full IB Diploma or to take individual IB courses as a certificate student will be made in January of your 10th grade year. That choice will depend on some decisions you and your parents make while you are still in middle school, decisions about courses, achievement, and reputation.

As the last two years in the high school sequence of courses, IB requires that you complete some courses in order to qualify for the Diploma. For instance, you must have finished Algebra II by the beginning of the eleventh grade. The normal course sequence leading to IB math includes Algebra I (eighth grade), geometry (ninth grade), and Algebra II (tenth grade). More accelerated students will move more quickly into IB-level work. Students beginning Algebra I in the ninth grade who wish to pursue the IB Diploma should speak to their math teacher or guidance counselor about their options, preferably while in the eighth grade. The other sequential course prerequisite is a third year of high school credit in foreign language by the end of the tenth grade. Students who have completed only two years of foreign language are at a disadvantage in the IB program, though accommodations can be made to allow them to take IB French or Spanish. They should speak to their foreign language teacher or guidance counselor during their tenth grade year to learn of their options.

To apply for the Diploma program, several other academic requirements must be met. For instance, a student needs a 2.75 cumulative GPA at the end of the first semester of tenth grade. GPA’s are computed only on courses that result in high school credit. A PLAN score of 50%ile or better is required for admission to the IB program. Students must be recommended by their tenth grade English and math teachers, and they must have a good disciplinary record, particularly in the area of academic honesty.

Students and their parents should begin planning for possible participation in the Diploma Program during middle school, and they should share this intention with the middle school guidance counselor.