Most students face indecision about whether to pursue the IBDP or not — I never did. I was completely set on the diploma track as a freshman. I completed the MYP certificate as a sophomore, which is the precursor to the IB Diploma.

Despite taking honors courses during my first two years and completing the MYP certificate, nothing quite prepared me for the actual two years of the IBDP. I entered my junior year bright-eyed with my completed summer projects in hand and hugely underestimating the amount of work that I would have for all of my classes that year.

During the year, my backpack swelled to enormous proportions. I had so many binders that placing them all into my backpack would have caused it to split, so I always carried one or two in hand. It’s possible that my backpack served as a metaphor for the knowledge I was gaining from all my classes, all of which proceeded at a fast pace.

I pulled quite a few all-nighters during my junior year, working on assignments, major papers, internal assessments (IAs) and presentations. Caffeine became my best friend and a travel coffee mug became a permanent part of my wardrobe. The nagging doubt that I couldn’t handle the workload lingered in the corner of my mind for a while.

The IBDP forced me to re-evaluate the way I looked at myself. I had to figure out what my strengths and weaknesses were, and I couldn’t lie to myself about them anymore. I discovered that I wasn’t great at math, but I was better in humanities classes. Consequently, I expected the IBDP to incite more epiphanies after my personal ones.

Then I took IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and experienced an epiphany every week.

We had readings that dealt with matters ranging from differing perceptions of art to the Western inability to understand China, to the lengths people will go to in order to avoid being wrong. The articles and subsequent discussions revealed insights into the human condition and the world we live in.

I also learned a lot about my peers during TOK discussions. From certain debates and discussions we participated in, I was able to figure out what each of our class members believed and what mattered to them, which led to understanding them on a deeper level than students in many of my other classes.

Speaking of my peers, one of the most underrated aspects of the IBDP is the community it fosters. The class of 2014 has 38 Diploma Candidates, and we’ve all become friends. There’s something about facing the daunting Extended Essay, or the seemingly endless flood of Internal Assessments IA that forces a group of teenagers to bond closely and quickly.

IB students and teachers also form different bonds than traditional students and teachers. IB classes foster a different type of environment than normal classes do. It is assumed that the students want to learn at higher levels, and are motivated and committed in doing this. In light of this, teachers tend to treat their students like young adults, leading to a different type of relationship between peer and teacher that is built on more trust, which allowed me to get to know my teachers as people.

And the question remains – is it worth it? Of course it is. I came into a lot of success concerning the college application process this year, and I know it is in no small part due to the IB Diploma. I applied to 12 colleges this year, and I was fortunate enough to get accepted into nine of them. 

I was accepted into the University of Virginia as an Echols Scholar and a recipient of the Flagship Ridley Scholarship as well as the College of William and Mary as a WMSURE scholar and recipient of the William and Mary Scholars Award which pays for the full cost of in-state tuition and fees and Boston University’s Honors College.

It’s possible that I could have gotten into those schools if I hadn’t pursued the diploma track, but it’s highly unlikely that I would have received the honors that I did. Besides, my EE (Extended Essay) and TOK classes gave me interesting things to talk about during my college interviews.

That’s what the IBDP does – it gives you things to think about and talk about. It elevates your status because, quite simply, you do more and you’re more well-rounded than the average high school student.

So, IB Diploma, thanks for the sleepless nights, the stress, the non-stop exams for three weeks and no college credit. 

But more importantly, thank you for the intellectual enrichment, the community of bright, motivated people who have pushed me to be a better person, the great relationships I’ve had with my teachers and for teaching me more about myself.