The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) is an educational program that is offered at schools around the world. The program is designed to provide students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for success in higher education and beyond. The IBDP is known for its rigorous curriculum, which includes higher level and standard level subjects in a variety of disciplines, as well as the core components of the program: the Theory of Knowledge (ToK) course, the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) requirement, and the Extended Essay.
Students in the IBDP are required to take a total of six subjects, with at least three at the higher level and three at the standard level. Higher level courses are the most challenging courses in the program, and are typically taken by students who are interested in pursuing a specific field of study in college. Standard level courses are less demanding and are typically taken by students who are not as focused on a particular field of study. In both cases, students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through a combination of internal and external assessments.
The other core components of the IBDP are the ToK course, the CAS requirement, and the Extended Essay. The ToK course is an epistemology class that encourages students to think critically and reflectively about the nature of knowledge, while the CAS requirement encourages them to get involved in activities outside of the classroom. The Extended Essay is a long-form research paper that allows students to explore a topic of their choice in depth. Together, these components provide students with a well-rounded educational experience that helps them develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in college and beyond.
I took higher level Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, as well as English, Spanish, and Geography at the standard level. My Extended Essay was in the Physics domain, titled The Adverse Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation from Cellular Phones on the Human Brain.