IB Program graphic created by Mailley Pierson.
Students at South Salem High School are allowed to take college-level courses during their high school years, those classes are labeled as IB. These classes give students a more in-depth course on the class topic. Some IB class options are math, music, visual arts, psychology, foreign languages, physics, chemistry and history. While students can take these classes individually, they can also decide whether or not they want to go full IB for the IB diploma. The students who choose to do full IB will start taking six IB classes in their junior year.
I really want to go to a really good college and I think having an IB diploma will give me more options of schools,
Evelyn Woock, ‘26, said.
IB diplomas improve a student’s chance to stand out to colleges as they have a more vigorous program than a regular high school diploma. Not only do full IB students have to take more advanced classes, but they also have to write a 4,000-word extended essay. This enables students to earn an IB diploma with all of the credits they accumulate from classes.
If I could change something about the IB program, I would add pre-IB classes. The switch between a normal class with embedded honors to full IB is extremely hard.
Jillian Davidson, ‘25, said.
Switching from regular to IB proves different and challenging for anyone, regardless of their grades, as IB classes are college-level. IB is meant to push and challenge students to their fullest potential, giving them more opportunities for their hard work throughout their junior and senior years. While graduating with an IB diploma may offer students more options, it also means that IB candidates undertake more work.
Heavy workload leads to a high-stress environment, all of which could be avoided by finding inner validation through the understanding that you alone decide where your capabilities lie, not the test score of a classmate,
Henry Langen Swartzendruber, ‘24, said.
