A full IB Diploma provides a number of benefits when seniors are looking at colleges. Most importantly, an IB Diploma shows colleges that your student is serious about learning and personal growth. The IB Diploma is a serious (but realistically achievable) undertaking for those students who like a challenge and have above average academic abilities, as well as a good foundation of time management and study skills. About 10-15% of North American students achieve this goal yearly, so no matter what your GPA is, an IB Diploma is a mark of academic distinction.

Many schools give weighted entrance criteria to those students with an IB Diploma (e.g.: Fall 2002 - Stanford accepted 12.6% of all applicants, but 16.9% of all IB applicants. For Harvard those rates were 11% and 14.4%, for Notre Dame, 34.2% and 41.4% respectively. (Source: SuperTest, Mathews and Hill, 2005) Also, unlike Running Start where credits are only good in-state and Advanced Placement credits (good in North America - mainly the USA), IB is recognized worldwide and can greatly ease the entrance into schools both within as well as outside the United States.

Last, but perhaps most important, is the level of preparation your student will have going to college. The widest and most consistent praise we have heard from past MRHS graduates is that students have felt prepared to take on the rigors of college once they have enrolled.

Attention parents of senior IB Diploma candidates:
Parents of Senior IB Diploma candidates, your student should be making significant progress on their Extended Essay. Please make sure the student has consulted their faculty advisor. A rough draft of the Extended Essay must be handed in no later than October 19! This is required if the student plans to continue toward attaining their IB Diploma. If you have any concerns about your student's progress please contact the IB Coordinator, Chris Wilder, at 206-631-7068 or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

An Extended Essay is a required component only for those seeking the full IB Diploma (not one or more single subjects). This assignment challenges students to write a more thorough investigation of a topic of their choosing within certain disciplines specified by the International Baccalaureate Organization. This 3000-4000 word document may incorporate research, experimentation, reader response, and creativity depending on the subject chosen by the student. This project is started Junior year where the student is expected to choose an area of study, a faculty advisor, and begin exploration of their topic. Early in the Senior year a rough draft is due to the advisor for a one time review. After this the Diploma Candidate is free to revise and rework the essay to their satisfaction until the due date in February. This project is intended not only to allow the student to explore a subject they find compelling, but also to showcase their research and writing skills in a more substantial format than is often allowed within the constraints of a normal class. This 30-40 hour (recommended) project serves as the required Senior Project for graduation from Highline School District.

The IB program at MRHS is open to all students at any degree of involvement. Many students choose a favorite subject or one they have natural aptitude for and take only one course. Other students choose two or three courses. About 10-15% of each graduating class attempts the full IB Diploma. The primary advantage of taking any number of IB courses is the preparation for college level work. Important skills like critical thinking, clear writing, and purposeful discussion are key elements of all IB classes. Obviously some IB classes focus more on some skills than others due to the area of study, but students in any IB class will be exposed to these skills and others to some extent. As the number of IB classes a student takes increases the more issues like time management and task prioritization will require attention as well.

The Mt. Rainier High School website has a section dedicated to the International Baccalaureate program. A presentation from 2007 on the International Baccalaureate program is available in Adobe PDF® and Microsoft PowerPoint® formats.