ALUMNI ZONE
December 15, 2008
Dear IB Diploma Graduates:
Greetings from the UAHS International Baccalaureate Community. We trust that you are adjusting to university life and having a good experience. Please stop by my office sometime during your Winter or Spring break to pick up your official IB Diploma.
If you are available to take part in a period 4 and period 5 IB panel on either December 18th or January 7th, please let me know. The purpose of these forums is to inform UAHS students about the value of AP & IB courses, to discuss the transition from high school to university, to provide survival tips & helpful hints, and to reconnect you with the UAHS International Baccalaureate community. We are also putting together a short video comprised of “person on the street” interviews and would love it if you could take part.
If any or all of these initiatives interest you, please let me know at cballheim@uaschools.org. Similarly if you would prefer to have your Diploma mailed, let me know and that can be arranged as well. In any case, I hope that this letter finds you well and look forward to sharing with you all of the new initiatives at work in the UAHS International Baccalaureate Community. Go IB Bears!
Cynthia Ballheim
AP/IB Coordinator
Upper Arlington High School
1650 Ridgeview Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
LETTERS FOR ALUMNI
Where oh Where have our IB Diploma Graduates Gone?
Abigail DeRoberts
About a month after I had found out that I had successfully completed the IB Programme, I found myself at 4400 Massachusetts Avenue in the northwest corner of Washington, D.C. This just happened to be the site of American University, so I decided to enroll in a few classes and see what it was like.
American has ended up being the perfect school for me. I am currently a double major in International Relations and Language and Area Studies: Spanish and Latin America. I am also in the University College program for Cross-Cultural Communication; this is a program for freshmen that puts them into classes with professors who usually only teach graduate-level courses.
The IB Programme prepared me extremely well for my college experience. I entered my freshman year with sophomore standing; at this point, the registrar is still deciding whether I have 29 or 35 credits. This will be very convenient for me because it will allow me to study abroad and double major while still being able to take other classes that interest me. I have also found the workload to be very manageable here.
Outside of classes, I am involved in a couple groups: the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Community Action and Social Justice. I also have time to see the various speakers (usually political) who come to speak on or near campus. So far, the highlights of my experience here have been eating dinner at a table next to Howard Zinn (and then seeing him speak at a local café) and meeting Al Franken after seeing him speak at a local cinema.
Thanks to IB, I am finding it very easy to balance classes and extracurricular activities and therefore can get the most out of my freshman year in college. Also, since the IB Programme isn’t as popular as AP, people don’t know very much about it, making it seem way more impressive and mysterious. Thank you, Cynthia Ballheim (and your programme), for making me seem so cool and intelligent!
Autumn West
After the challenges and hardships of IB and AP testing, this summer was definitely a welcome break. I had a blast dashing off to Europe for three weeks, working for a political activist group for a couple months (a rewarding, albeit stressful job) and of course, buying all of those lovely dorm supplies. But even though I’ve had a lot of fun taking a break from schoolwork, I’m more than ready to start classes at Northwestern University, where I’ll be double majoring in vocal performance and political science. Due to my work with the IB program and my scores on the IB tests, I’ve been informed that I will be granted sophomore status from Northwestern this November. So don’t lose hope, fellow IB-ers! Colleges do recognize all of the hard work that IB takes. Even more importantly than any credits or sophomore status, though, I know that IB has prepared me well for the challenges that lay ahead. I hope you all have an awesome year!
Just last week, I met Mary Birchard (UAIBHS June 2006 graduate) at Jeni’s Ice Cream shop. Mary will be attending The Ohio State University in the Fall and plans to major in political science. Mary is enrolled in the Honors Program at OSU and was awarded 44 quarter hours for her IB Diploma, German placement, and AP Government class! I asked Mary what she liked best about her IB experience and she replied that she loved the common theme of critical thinking that
ran through all of her classes. She liked the fact that they were all discussion based and that she was always encouraged to question whatever she was learning. Her most satisfying CAS project was being involved in Take It To The Streets which involves taking meals to homeless people. Mary also enjoyed completing her Extended Essay on the comparison of literary devices used by Steinbeck in Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Mary has promised not to be a stranger to UA and plans to visit us during the school year – lending her support to our IB students in whatever way that she can! Good luck, Mary!
Hello! I wish all is well with the second Diploma IB class and the 06-07 school year. I heard you ran into my mother during a parent open house night and she reminded me to let you know that college life is going well. Recalling all of the nervousness surrounding the IB Program and the tests seems laughable now. I am indebted to its rigor for, not only allowing me to place out of several introductory courses at Miami, but also preparing me for the workload and responsibilities surrounding college life. I, myself, in addition to my parents, was very proud of my score of “7” in English A1. In any case, I again give my best wishes for the year and encourage your persistence in pushing kids through what may very well be one of the best decisions that they’ve ever made.
Adam Gogolski
Hello to UA IB Bears! The University of Pittsburgh is great; I am working hard in the engineering program and getting used to the amount of work. Because I am also playing hockey on the D1 club team, my days are long. But I am almost midway through my freshman year and my econ course is STILL easier than the first week in Mrs. Sidor’s class, and I thank her for that! The other amazing thing is that almost all of my friends at Pitt are complaining because they have to spend three hours a night studying; I just respond, “Pshhh, this is easier than the load I had last year.” I can tell you that the IB program of study did prepare me for college; at least academically! Adjusting to the other aspects of college is difficult, but at least I haven’t had any problems with the course work. Thanks to all my UA IB teachers who helped make this transition possible!
Boyan Alexandrov
Hello, I will be done with spring quarter exams on June 7th. I have really enjoyed Ohio State for my first quarter in college. I like the fact that I’m in a very small major, Biomedical Science, in a large school. I think the fact that I was pursuing an IB diploma was significant in my acceptance into this major, and I also received a Biomedical Science scholarship. In addition, living at home works out very well for me. I received 24 credits for my IB courses in English, History, and Mathematics.
Go IB Bears!
James DeWille
While there were many times when I felt that IB was turning me into a slave of academia, I’ve come to realize just how great the program was in preparing me for college. Almost every class I took in IB has given me some relevant background, and substantial footing in my courses at Columbia University. Beyond that, the structure of the program, its ideas, breadth, and intensity, have all prepared me well for my college experience.
Like many colleges, Columbia has a Core Curriculum, which requires students to take classes in a variety of subject matters. This structure is very similar to IB. This year, I have been forced to think critically about everything from science, to art, and history through the Core, but I felt prepared. Through IB, higher-level thinking was required in the variety of subjects, not just one. Even though I am far from a science major, I was in HL IB Bio, which got me used to thinking about science in a serious way.
I also learned to manage my time. In high school, I had to learn to divide my time among many challenging courses, despite the distractions of friends, TV, and Caribou Coffee. In college, these distractions only get worse. Your friends are next door, and there always seems to be something fun that you could be doing. However, I was used to buckling down to work, and I knew what had to get done, so I have been able strike a balance. It is possible.
Besides these skills, the actual material covered in IB courses has given me a unique advantage over many others. My IB HL Middle East history class gave me a new angle as I learned about Iranian film and history. Meanwhile, my Literature Humanities course has read Medea, Oedipus, Genesis, and a variety of other texts I had already gotten a chance to explore through IB. This allowed me to not only have prior understanding, but allowed me to get even deeper into the texts. IB courses like TOK had already gotten me thinking about the connections between subject matters as diverse as history, modern art, and literature. Now that I am in college-level classes at Columbia, these ideas have only further developed as I see cross-disciplinary influences, and inspirations.
Beyond academics, IB has created a common language for me, with people from everywhere from San Francisco, to DC, New York City, Dubai, Moscow, and Singapore. Automatically there is a connection, and an understanding. Soon, you’ll be asking someone about their Extended Essays and Higher Levels, noting not only the similarities, but also the vast diversity the program allows for.
Juan Machado
What has been said about the IB program that hasn’t been said about the War of 1812? The similarities are overwhelming. Homework often blocks the social obligations of an IB’r just as the Royal British Navy blocked our ports. Exams and internal assessments require the disposition shown by Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. When everything is done, however, an Era of Good Feelings usually ensues.
Now that I am about to start my own Jacksonian battle in the mountains of Vermont, I realize--analogies aside--of the importance of the program. For one thing, the completion of the diploma is a very impressive feat in the admissions game. I recall my interviewer was very impressed when I mentioned I was a diploma candidate.
More importantly, IB classes are more focused on broadening perspectives than cramming facts for the “big test.” In my IB Economics class, for example, we not only learned the usual micro/macro spiel but also discussed environmental impacts, the importance of microfinancing and the effectiveness of institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank. And in terms of college credit, my scores for that class alone will allow me to major in Economics in less than three years.
I encourage all students and parents to consider the IB program and its benefits. And for those currently taking IB classes, I salute thee and guarantee that the Era of Good Feelings isn’t too far away.
KATHERINE PEASE
Katherine Pease is currently attending Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY, where she is studying Mechanical Engineering. She feels that IB was a great introduction to college work and prepared her for all of her classes, from Calculus to English, and taught her valuable time management skill that have allowed her to be able to keep up with the course work, as well as pledge to Alpha Phi Omega, the community services Co-ed fraternity, and to participate in many other activities on campus. Having a rigorous high school education that also promotes and encourages extracurricular activities, is key to having an educational foundation for college and, for her, the IB program gave her that foundation. She received 15 credits (one semester’s worth of credit) for her high school courses.
Sarah McIlroy
Life After IB: A Whole New World
A thrilling chase, a wondrous place, for you and me – ok enough Aladdin, I know, but my transition to college really has been a magic carpet ride. It was a bit crazy to start with, but it’s smoothing out and becoming quite enjoyable.
When I arrived at Davidson College, I thought I would be taking Biology, Humanities, Spanish, and Psychology my first semester. With small (albeit incredible) classes come the inevitable shutouts, so I ended up in Biology, Humanities, Physics, and Political Science, but it has been all the better for me – I really enjoy my classes! Two science labs had the potential to be suicidal, but my IB-derived time management skills enabled me to thrive in my six additional hours of class. I still don’t have a clue what I intend to major in or even what classes I will be taking next semester (scheduling is this week), but I am taking everything one step at a time and learning tons.
In every class here I meet someone who graduated with an IB diploma. It’s the ultimate ice-breaker question: “Hey, I was an IB grad too…what were your higher levels?” I know that sounds so cheesy, but it definitely gives you something to talk about as a freshman who knows no one. And it’s a bonding experience to discuss the “pain and suffering” you went through when it came to writing the extended essay or studying for those lovely exams.
My IB experience certainly prepared me for college. My college classes are much harder than those in high school, but the elevated level of thought and intense discussions that were the foundation of the UAIB program gave me the skills needed to excel here. I have “colloquies” like I did in IB English and “quickwrites” (now called clicker quizzes) like I did in IB bio. I have yet to regret the preparation I received as an IB student. College is tough, and I miss high school, but it’s comforting to know that I came from an educational program, and school in general, that puts so much effort into its students and makes them exceedingly capable learners. Go Bears…freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior, faculty, staff Bears! UA is incredible and I wish everyone the best for this year!
Elena Tatarchenko
Dear Dr. Bill Shaefer,
I was the recipient of your International Baccalaureate scholarship last year and I just wanted to give you an update on how my year is going. As you may or may not remember, I made the decision to go to MIT. The decision was based primarily on the school's reputation, atmosphere, and choice of majors. I am a scientifically inclined person and therefore the possibility of being in an environment that thrived on technology was particularly appealing and proved to be a great choice for me.
MIT is on semester schedule therefore I am just now finishing the first set of courses. I picked a variety of challenging courses that fit under the general requirements. My courses are: Introduction to Physics, Principles of Chemical Science, Multivariable Calculus, and Writing on Contemporary Issues. When people say that MIT is a challenging place, they are not joking. I am regularly putting in anywhere from 4 to 10 hours on a problem set a week for each class, but I enjoy it nonetheless. There are sleepless nights and tough mornings, but I feel like I am learning a great deal.
Aside from academics, I am on the Varsity Fencing Team, which is a highly prestigious and interesting endeavor. Fencing requires two hour practices each day and usually competitions every other week. I am a starter for the team and in one of the most recent competitions came in 10th out of 56, the best out of the other members on my team. Fencing provides a nice balance and distraction from the academics. It is a huge time commitment, but it also gives me more structure and forces me to use my time in an efficient manner. After all the activities I was involved with for the IB program it also seems natural to stay active in college.
College was a drastic change in not only the workload but also way of life. I am of course a lot more independent and self-reliant now. The transition, however, was a relatively smooth one for me. Upper Arlington did a wonderful job preparing me for MIT. A lot of the study skills I learned during high school are even more useful today. There are a lot of students here that went to mediocre high schools and I have seen them really struggle in the first few months. They would procrastinate on their problem sets until the last possible day and not study for tests. It is a good thing that MIT is on pass/no –record system the first semester because otherwise they would have ruined their records before even taking the tough courses.
I am confident I will do well at MIT. It is a challenging place, but it is – at least most of the time - manageable. I am still not sure what exactly I want to with my life, but there are many opportunities here for me to figure that out.
Next year I plan to take advantage of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program that MIT has set up. It will essentially allow me to put myself inside a field of study and probe into the unknown. I am very excited about my next 3.5 years here.
Thank you so much for your support