Take the IB Student Challenge

Coming into George School, I knew academics would be filled with rigor, but I had no idea how fun the challenge would be! I came from an IB School in Basel, Switzerland, so being an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate was always something my parents wanted me to do. Their reasoning behind it was that, with the IB Diploma, I would be able to apply to schools in Europe and be closer to home.

Since George School offers IB courses during a student’s junior and senior years, I decided to take AP courses in my sophomore year to test the waters and see how they differ. Although I loved my AP classes, I did not like the AP exam format. After going to a school where they taught us how to prepare for IB exams at a young age, I decided that the IB Diploma was a better fit for me. The main difference between AP and IB exams is that the AP is majority multiple-choice, with limited writing, and IB exams are mostly writing with limited multiple choice.

Although I did not end up taking my IB exams this year due to COVID-19, I felt extremely prepared and proud of my work. One thing I really like about IB courses is that you are doing work that will go towards your IB grade throughout the entire year. For example, in IB SL Economics, our IA’s (writing portfolio which we did throughout the year), were worth 20 percent of our final grade. This means that the exam, which was compiled of two writing supplements, was worth a combined total of 80 percent. I like this format because it gives you more room for error. So, if you did really well on your IA’s and one writing supplement on the exam, but bombed the second writing supplement, you could still get a good score.

IB courses are also filled with a lot of group activities and presentations, which I for one found really fun. Working with new peers allows you to connect with many people who you would have never talked to at lunch or around campus. I met many of my great friends through IB projects! Although the courses are challenging, the learning experiences which you will obtain as an International Baccalaureate student cannot be matched in a regular course. You learn how to work with others, organize your time. and create your own projects. Those are only a few of the great traits you will receive in an IB course.

Sofia is a lead ambassador, day student prefect, member of both the Student Inclusion Committee and Class of 2021 Steering Committee, as well as a participant in other student clubs including Model United Nations. Sofia was admitted into Boston University, where she plans on studying public relations with a minor in business.