Research shows the benefits of the IB Program:
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The average college/university acceptance rate of IB students is 22% higher than the average acceptance rate of the total population. |
Student Testimonials
"[IB] really enriched my life academically, personally and professionally. It allowed me to grow into the person and thinker that I wanted to become, and allowed me to think critically as well as challenge my skills as a multi-tasker and with prioritization as well." — Ginger Batton, 2018 Richwoods IB graduate
To date, more than 1.2 million students worldwide have graduated from the IB Diploma Program. IB students reflect diverse experiences and perspectives, attending IB World Schools in 147 countries. IB graduates are excited to share their experiences with schools, teachers and parents exploring the program.
"[IB] really enriched my life academically, personally and professionally. It allowed me to grow into the person and thinker that I wanted to become, and allowed me to think critically as well as challenge my skills as a multi-tasker and with prioritization as well." — Ginger Batton, 2018 Richwoods IB graduate
To date, more than 1.2 million students worldwide have graduated from the IB Diploma Program. IB students reflect diverse experiences and perspectives, attending IB World Schools in 147 countries. IB graduates are excited to share their experiences with schools, teachers and parents exploring the program.
Dr. Robin Brooks graduated from the IB program at North Miami Senior High School and continued her studies at Florida State University. She received her MA in Afro American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her PhD in English from the University of Florida. She is an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Africana Studies.
“The intense level of training I received in the [IB Diploma Program] overprepared me for my undergraduate studies... It was a tremendous boost to my self-esteem to do so well in undergrad, and my academic performance caught the eye of many of my professors who, in turn, encouraged me to pursue a PhD and become a professor. My IB experience not only emboldened me to take risks from my first semester of college to the last, but also to further develop exponentially as a tenacious young scholar.
"My IB experience, in part, laid the foundation for where I am today. ... Being an effective professor requires a lot of discipline, and the three pillars of academia are research, teaching, and service. Well, I have been doing two of those pillars since my days of IB! … My creativity, activity, service (CAS) activities, indeed, inspired me to commit to a life of service far beyond my days of schooling. I believe service is a responsibility of humanity.”
“The intense level of training I received in the [IB Diploma Program] overprepared me for my undergraduate studies... It was a tremendous boost to my self-esteem to do so well in undergrad, and my academic performance caught the eye of many of my professors who, in turn, encouraged me to pursue a PhD and become a professor. My IB experience not only emboldened me to take risks from my first semester of college to the last, but also to further develop exponentially as a tenacious young scholar.
"My IB experience, in part, laid the foundation for where I am today. ... Being an effective professor requires a lot of discipline, and the three pillars of academia are research, teaching, and service. Well, I have been doing two of those pillars since my days of IB! … My creativity, activity, service (CAS) activities, indeed, inspired me to commit to a life of service far beyond my days of schooling. I believe service is a responsibility of humanity.”
Parent Testimonials
"Richwoods IB was a great ramp-up into college for our daughter. Study skills, critical thinking and high expectations — all part of IB — were skills that she found necessary to a successful experience at Bradley University. I don’t want to say that IB made college easier for her... but it did. And now our son, an RHS IB senior, is receiving the same wonderful training. Highly recommended!" — Greg Batton, Radio Talk Show Host, 1470 WMBD
The IB Program has taught our children to be self-reliant and has pushed their boundaries of academic exploration. |
"Richwoods High School’s International Baccalaureate Program has provided our children with a rigorous and challenging environment that has certainly prepared them for the future. The IB Program has taught our children to be self-reliant and has pushed their boundaries of academic exploration. The community service aspect of the program grounds the students in understanding the larger world in which they live. As a parent of two IB graduates and one entering into the program this year, I am proud of the Peoria Public Schools and such an enriching and rewarding academic program." — Patrick Urich, Peoria City Manager
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“Our family is having a great experience with the IB program at Richwoods High School. The coursework was certainly challenging, but in rising to meet those challenges, both of our kids developed skills that are serving them well inside and outside the classroom. Our daughter told us often that the IB program was a key component of her collegiate success because it helped her develop excellent study skills. Our son is developing critical thinking skills that make him a leader in his peer groups, and he is helping to manage a restaurant at age 17. The IB program’s service hours requirement have shown both how important it is to actively participate in fulfilling our community’s needs. We are proud and grateful parents for the IB program and recommend it wholeheartedly.” — Yvonne Greer, President, Power Zone, Inc.
What Do Community Leaders Say about Richwoods IB?
"The IB program at Richwoods offers tremendous academic and personal development opportunities to the Greater Peoria community. Under the guidance of IB Coordinator Thomas Hayes, it creates an environment where students can thrive both academically and socially. As a proud alumnus of Richwoods High School and a Councilman for the Fourth District, I recently had the opportunity to connect with Mr. Hayes and relaunch the Student Advisory Committee, featuring students of the IB Program. This committee actively encourages civic engagement among students and has been an absolute pleasure to work with as we prepare them to become responsible global citizens. With great enthusiasm, I wholeheartedly recommend the IB program at Richwoods High School, a true academic gem for our region." — Andre Allen, Peoria City Council
"Richwoods’ IB program is the only IB program in Illinois located outside of Chicago, and it provides students with the tools and resources needed to succeed when they leave high school. I am grateful to Richwoods, their teachers and faculty for offering this important program and their work to educate and develop future leaders in central Illinois and beyond." — Congressman Darin LaHood
"The IB program at Richwoods offers tremendous academic and personal development opportunities to the Greater Peoria community. Under the guidance of IB Coordinator Thomas Hayes, it creates an environment where students can thrive both academically and socially. As a proud alumnus of Richwoods High School and a Councilman for the Fourth District, I recently had the opportunity to connect with Mr. Hayes and relaunch the Student Advisory Committee, featuring students of the IB Program. This committee actively encourages civic engagement among students and has been an absolute pleasure to work with as we prepare them to become responsible global citizens. With great enthusiasm, I wholeheartedly recommend the IB program at Richwoods High School, a true academic gem for our region." — Andre Allen, Peoria City Council
"Richwoods’ IB program is the only IB program in Illinois located outside of Chicago, and it provides students with the tools and resources needed to succeed when they leave high school. I am grateful to Richwoods, their teachers and faculty for offering this important program and their work to educate and develop future leaders in central Illinois and beyond." — Congressman Darin LaHood
What Do Colleges Say About IB?
“IB is well known to us as excellent preparation. Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are pleased to see the credential of the IB Diploma Programme on the transcript.”
— Marlyn McGrath Lewis, Assistant Dean of Admissions, Harvard University, USA
“The IB is a first-rate program, one we are familiar with, and it prepares students well for a university like ours.”
— Fred Hargadon, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Princeton University
“We respect the IB program for its academic rigor and the dedication it requires of students to earn the diploma. Over the years, we have found IB students to be exceptionally well-prepared for a challenging college experience.” — Lorne Robinson, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Macalester College
“Connecticut College highly values the IB program as it prepares students for the liberal arts in ways that few secondary school curriculums can... Students who have graduated from schools with the IB curriculum are extremely well prepared when they arrive on our campus.”
-- Martha Merrill, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Connecticut College
“The rigor of IB Diploma requirements meets our recommendation for the strongest high school preparation possible. ... In sum, the IB diploma candidate who has met the challenge successfully receives strong consideration from the William & Mary admission committee.”
— Allison Jesse, former Associate Dean of Admissions, William and Mary College
“In our minds, there is no more challenging curriculum than the IB curriculum. Not only does it prepare students for a demanding college program, but the IB curriculum also instills in students a love of learning and an understanding of the truly interdisciplinary nature of education. Instead of working on each subject in a vacuum, IB students are shown how each of their classes connects both with the other classes and with the world around them.”
— Thyra L. Briggs, Dean of Enrollment, Sarah Lawrence College
“We're looking for students who are engagers—students who are maximizing opportunities in the classroom, maximizing opportunities outside of the classroom. What's very unique about IB is that through its curriculum it allows students to be able to satisfy the requirements of the types of students that we're looking for.”
— Kedra Ishop, Vice Provost and Director of Admissions, UT Austin
"One of the advantages of an IB curriculum is its structure and quality. It is a coordinated program, well established, well known and well respected. We know the quality of IB courses, and we think the IB curriculum is terrific."
-- Christoph Guttentag, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Duke University
“My eyes light up when I see ‘International Baccalaureate Diploma Program’ on a transcript. Students who apply to Michigan State University with IB credentials are assumed to be mature, curious, and creative. They have proven to be successful in a rigorous program that is both broad and deep in its content and intellectual challenge. On campus, IB graduates move with ease in a diverse and global university that demands intercultural skill and adaptability. The challenge of completing an IB diploma means that a student has engaged in the kind of rigorous work that is likely to help them become not just an outstanding college student and citizen of the world, but an exceptional one.”
— Pamela Horne, Assistant to the Provost for Enrollment and Director of Admissions, Michigan State University
“IB is well known to us as excellent preparation. Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are pleased to see the credential of the IB Diploma Programme on the transcript.”
— Marlyn McGrath Lewis, Assistant Dean of Admissions, Harvard University, USA
“The IB is a first-rate program, one we are familiar with, and it prepares students well for a university like ours.”
— Fred Hargadon, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Princeton University
“We respect the IB program for its academic rigor and the dedication it requires of students to earn the diploma. Over the years, we have found IB students to be exceptionally well-prepared for a challenging college experience.” — Lorne Robinson, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Macalester College
“Connecticut College highly values the IB program as it prepares students for the liberal arts in ways that few secondary school curriculums can... Students who have graduated from schools with the IB curriculum are extremely well prepared when they arrive on our campus.”
-- Martha Merrill, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Connecticut College
“The rigor of IB Diploma requirements meets our recommendation for the strongest high school preparation possible. ... In sum, the IB diploma candidate who has met the challenge successfully receives strong consideration from the William & Mary admission committee.”
— Allison Jesse, former Associate Dean of Admissions, William and Mary College
“In our minds, there is no more challenging curriculum than the IB curriculum. Not only does it prepare students for a demanding college program, but the IB curriculum also instills in students a love of learning and an understanding of the truly interdisciplinary nature of education. Instead of working on each subject in a vacuum, IB students are shown how each of their classes connects both with the other classes and with the world around them.”
— Thyra L. Briggs, Dean of Enrollment, Sarah Lawrence College
“We're looking for students who are engagers—students who are maximizing opportunities in the classroom, maximizing opportunities outside of the classroom. What's very unique about IB is that through its curriculum it allows students to be able to satisfy the requirements of the types of students that we're looking for.”
— Kedra Ishop, Vice Provost and Director of Admissions, UT Austin
"One of the advantages of an IB curriculum is its structure and quality. It is a coordinated program, well established, well known and well respected. We know the quality of IB courses, and we think the IB curriculum is terrific."
-- Christoph Guttentag, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Duke University
“My eyes light up when I see ‘International Baccalaureate Diploma Program’ on a transcript. Students who apply to Michigan State University with IB credentials are assumed to be mature, curious, and creative. They have proven to be successful in a rigorous program that is both broad and deep in its content and intellectual challenge. On campus, IB graduates move with ease in a diverse and global university that demands intercultural skill and adaptability. The challenge of completing an IB diploma means that a student has engaged in the kind of rigorous work that is likely to help them become not just an outstanding college student and citizen of the world, but an exceptional one.”
— Pamela Horne, Assistant to the Provost for Enrollment and Director of Admissions, Michigan State University