MHS IB Diploma Program Features

1. Comprehensive college preparatory program

IB is the only advanced academic program MHS offers that is designed to be a complete college preparatory program. Collegiate level work involves a number of important elements such as: depth of content knowledge, academic writing, research skills, critical thinking skills, speaking skills, and the ability to navigate complex social and academic situations with confidence.

2. IB Students can take AP exams creating the opportunity for more college credit

Due to the exam model structure of both programs, AP students cannot take subject equivalent IB exams, but IB students can take subject equivalent AP exams. Public universities routinely award 30 or more hours for an IB Diploma. Adding AP credit to that total can increase the amount of college hours students receive while saving tuition dollars. Many IB students who attend public universities and take AP exams receive 40 hours or more.

3. Highly prized college admissions credential

The IB Diploma Program is recognized both domestically and globally as one of the most challenging and prestigious college preparatory programs which makes for an excellent credential when applying to colleges. The acceptance rate of IB students into Ivy League universities is up to 18% higher than the total population acceptance rate. The gap is even more significant for top-ranked universities outside of the Ivy League, where it is 22% higher, on average. (Source: study conducted by the International Insight Research Group).

4. Strong predictor of success in college

IB Diploma students are well prepared for college level work and are exceptionally strong in the areas of key cognitive strategies, problem solving, critical thinking, analysis, research and writing skills. Many of our MHS students return from school reporting the ease at which they managed college compared to their peers.

“The IB standards demonstrate a very high degree of alignment with the Knowledge and Skills for University Success (KSUS) standards in all subject areas. In addition, many of the individual IB standards are at a level more advanced than entry-level college courses.” - David Conley and Terri Ward, Educational Policy Improvement Center, Eugene, Oregon, USA

5. Creates confidence in non-academic college skills such as time management and communication

IB Diploma students report not only being academically prepared for college but also prepared in non-academic ways. MHS IB Diploma graduates consistently mention how well they are able to manage their time, the confidence with which they approach professors, how they function in group settings, and navigating the ups and downs of academic life, especially in their most stressful phases.

6. Breadth of study across liberal arts and sciences for a well rounded educational experience

IB students are required to study courses from six different subject groups including languages, humanities, sciences, and math. The structure of the IB program develops breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding.

7. Experiential, inquiry based instruction

Rather than focusing on a direct instruction teaching model, IB courses lean more towards inquiry instruction, which is a student-centered approach where the instructor guides the students through questions posed, methods designed, and data interpreted by the students. Through inquiry, students gain content knowledge and actively discover information to support their investigations. In this way, the student experience is more active than passive.

8. Connections between subject areas

Knowledge does not exist in isolated subject areas, but rather has strong connections to other subject areas. The IB Diploma Program curriculum seeks to acknowledge this by purposefully designing courses to incorporate the holistic nature of knowledge through instruction.

9. Emphasis on research and writing skills that other advanced programs do not offer

IB curriculum calls for each IB course to include research appropriate to that particular discipline. This research is formally assessed and is part of the IB grade awarding process. Additionally, all IB Diploma students write an Extended Essay, a maximum 4000 word research paper in the subject and topic of their choice.

With the exception of the first section of the IB science exams, which is multiple choice, all IB assessments are written. This results in a student who is able to excel in the areas of academic writing.

10. Develops personal growth and resilience

The IB Diploma Program seeks to educate the whole student, which is why the curriculum includes the arts. But there are other aspects of the program that address character development such as the Creativity, Activity, Service which enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development by engaging in more experiential experiences.