Resources for Universities and Applicants in the US and Canada

IB Americas College & University Task Force: CURT

Many North American universities have developed recognition policies that reflect their understanding of the depth and breadth of the IB curriculum and their strong desire to aggressively attract IB Diploma candidates to their campus. Policy summary charts are available for Canada, California, District of Columbia and Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and Vermont, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.

CURT endorses an Some College Admissions Assumptions statement that demonstrates how the IB Diploma Programme can be viewed as quality preparation for admission to highly selective colleges and universities. Originally published in the AACRAO Journal (Vol.79 No.2), the article outlines qualities admission officers can assume about an IB Diploma student.

Because over 85% of the schools in North America teaching the rigorous IB Diploma curriculum are public:

• legislation in several states and provinces acknowledges curricular strength and standards alignment that may offer incentives encouraging the IB program development, such as
  • renewable scholarships at in-state, public postsecondary institutions
  • teacher training/professional development
  • granting of one year credit for having earned the IB Diploma.
• a wide range of educational policy also supports this growth.

The American Competitive Initiative (ACG) and Smart Grant programs include the IB Diploma program as meeting the requirement for rigorous curriculum, particularly in the target areas of mathematics, science and languages.

There is evidence of the diploma curriculum as preparation for student success at the post-secondary level. For example, the University of Florida reported that 500 IB students completed their freshman year with a 3.38 GPA while the University average for all freshmen (including IB students) was a 2.90 GPA. A brief overview of research supporting the IB is available as powerpoint document.

CURT Statement

To identify IB students and courses on transcripts, which will benefit them during the admissions process

Members of CURT frequently express frustration that schools do not identify IB students and courses on their transcripts. As a result, the Task Force has prepared the following statement for High School guidance and/or college counselors:

Universities consider the IB Diploma to be one of the most demanding secondary school curricula, offering ideal preparation for post-secondary studies. A student’s participation in IB courses is, therefore, a very important consideration in admission decisions. It is to a student’s distinct advantage to have completed IB courses, but especially so if the student is completing the IB Diploma. If the student is to benefit during the admission process, it is essential for universities to have the applicant’s status as either an IB Diploma or Certificate student identified on the high school transcript.

CURT Taskforce

Mary Lou W. Bates
Skidmore College

Michael Bluhm
The University of British Columbia

James Bock
Swarthmore College

Greg C. Ferguson
Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS

Christie Fox
Utah State University

Kedra Ishop
The University of Texas at Austin

France Myette
Université de Sherbrooke

Theodore O’Neill
University of Chicago

Anthony Perry
University of the West Indies

Michele Sandlin, Chair
Oregon State University

Panetha Nychis Ott (ex-officio, Chair, CIS Higher Education Committee)
Brown University

Wendy Loat
Past Chair