Sounding Off:

As parents register their children for next year’s high school courses, a new acronym, I.B., is flying through the air. Newport Harbor High School is slated to introduce the International Baccalaureate diploma program, a rigorous, two-year curriculum offered at only 15 other high schools in Orange County. While this is an exciting time for Newport Harbor as it looks to reinvigorate its high-level curriculum, it is also creating quite the stir among parents who are asking, “To I.B. or not to I.B.?”

The I.B. program is not one size fits all. The curriculum is demanding, but not all high-achieving students will thrive in it. It involves a great deal of writing, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity. It’s not about knowing all the answers and acing tests; it’s about figuring out what questions to ask in the first place and taking comfort in the long, arduous process of coming up with solutions. Most important, the rigor of this program demands some serious time sacrifices and does not fit the extracurricular schedule of most teenagers.

Let’s take a look at the actual schedule of an I.B. student. The diploma program begins in the junior year, and requires a full load of six academic classes. Students will also begin a course called “Theory of Knowledge,” where they will literally think about thinking and initiate an independent research paper called the extended essay. Outside of the academic school day, the junior year also requires participating in Advanced Placement testing, I.B. exams, and preparing for the SAT and ACT. Senior year presents itself in much the same manner. Yet, instead of preparing for college entrance exams, students are now completing the I.B. curriculum while working on college applications and finalizing their extended essay.

I’ve worked with I.B. students for 10 years, and the students who find the most success are not just in it for the grade. Students who thrive in this program know how to study and have insatiable intellectual curiosity. They know how to balance a rigorous course load with life outside of the classroom, and they do so seamlessly.

With that said, middle school parents do not need to decide now whether “to I.B. or not to I.B.” Time will tell if your child is ready, so focus now on easing the other pressures that go along with the transition from middle to high school. For parents of underclassmen, if your child is finding success in college preparatory courses, encourage your child to level up next year in honors, AP or I.B. courses in which he or she has interest because all colleges like to see that a student enjoys a challenge.

Finally, it should be noted that your child will not be excluded from admission to a top-tier university if she or he chooses not to enroll in the I.B. program. What matters most is that your child is taking advantage of the most rigorous curriculum he or she can handle. For some that will mean “to I.B.” but for most, it will mean to sit this one out.

LISA MCLAUGHLIN is the founder and executive director of EDvantage Consulting Inc., an independent college admission counseling firm in South Orange County.