Léman Manhattan Preparatory School solidified its reputation as an innovative private school offering a rich, diverse college preparatory curriculum while promoting international mindedness with today’s announcement of it becoming an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, Diploma Programme (DP).
Léman will be one of only four private schools in Manhattan that offer the IB Diploma, universally recognized by more than 1,800 universities representing 75 countries. According to a 2012 survey by the International Graduate Insight Group, college acceptance rates at 20 Ivy League and top-tier colleges and universities for applicants with an International Baccalaureate Diploma were at most schools double the rate of non-IB applicants.
“We are proud that Léman has earned a reputation for offering a personalized, rigorous, and globally-minded education, and are delighted to become a member of this renowned global community,” said Drew Alexander, Head of School. “As educators, we are ever mindful of the increasingly competitive college and career searches in which our students will find themselves, and we want them to be as well-prepared as possible for the challenges and opportunities that await them. It is no coincidence that Léman and the IB Programme share a commitment to developing critical thinking skills and empathy for other cultures.”
Designed to give students a broad, well-rounded international education, the IB Programme provides them with the comprehensive skills needed for success at college and beyond. Its unique and innovative approach to learning means both students and teachers are genuinely engaged with the curriculum and benefit from being a part of an unparalleled global network. The IB Diploma Programme, a two-year, optional program, will be offered to Léman’s 11th graders beginning in the fall of 2014; the graduating class of 2016 will be the first to have completed the IB Diploma Programme.
In addition to a rigorous academic schedule that includes mastery of a second language, students who graduate with the IB DP will have completed a designated number of community service hours; Theory of Knowledge, a course intended to provide students a broader understanding of their different school subjects, as well as creating great open-mindedness; and a self-directed, in-depth study from any of their courses, culminating in 4,000-word extended essay.
