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IB Update 2015

IB Session – Supporting IB students thru UCAS

  • 1.2% apply to UK unis. (according to UCAS database)- IB – 2%. V aspirational students.

  • Applications – Edinburgh, UCL, exeter, warwick, Bristol, KCL, Nottingham – top UK universities.

  • Confirmed IB places – History, English, Medicine, Geog, Engineering, Languages are the highest numbers.

  • Dentistry and Vets also successful.

  • Never asked for UCAS tariff points!

  • Good unis – Royal Holloway

  • UCAS tariff mainly used by lower universities

  • IB offers tend to be a higher rate. Doing the IB is certainly not a disadvantage and is probably an advantage – e.g. University of Kent – 34 points – 90% offers.

  • Student Number Control still in place – 34=ABB

  • KCL, UCL and Leeds want IB!

  • KCL – 35 points. 70% increase in IB acceptances. About 20% of 1st year KCL undergrads are IB.

  • UCL – 38 points plus total points at HL & specific points.

  • Leeds 35 points & HL points – usually 17 or 18.

  • Birmingham going that way.

  • REFER TO 2014 Offers slide. Vet Science at RVC 766

  • Oxbridge figures. Oxford 38-40 typically & 666 or 766. Achievable offers.

  • Cambridge 38 (King’s College)-34 plus STEP paper.

  • Average result is 42.9 outcome.

  • Unconditional offers rise this year. Birmingham, Sussex, Nottingham – SEE SLIDE.

  • Diploma “courses” – UCAS tariff points allocated for all components. If uni says no, persist – e.g. Exeter have changed their attitude as have Leeds and Kent. HL seen as A-level, SL seen as AS level. 3 x HL subjects needed and treated as A-levels, not e.g. 2 x HL and 2 x SL.

  • IBCP – blends academic with vocational. Can take IB components. Vocational qualification – BTEC, CISI, City and Guilds. E.g. Warwick – Theatre, Sports Science – Exeter. High tariff unis want to see some HL.

  • Reflective Project in the Core accredited by Ofqual now.

  • IB is equivalent to 5.5 A-levels.

  • Check HEFCE website for equivalances.

  • SEE GRADE EQUIVALENCES SLIDE. 5, 6, 7 are under-rated by unis. 7 is achieved by far fewer students than A* – Maths 7%, Eng Lit 2%. Grades are tougher than A-level.

  • Fischer Family trust research into outcomes. SEE SLIDES.

  • English language proficiency – if following full diploma in English and taking either English A or B should be exempt from requirement to take IELTS.

  • IB is looking to get equivalence between IB subjects and CEFR B2.

  • Oxford, Exeter, Warwick happy that if above is fulfilled they’re ok.

  • Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Teaching – cap remains in place.

  • Medicine – 25 – Kings, Keele, Leeds. SEE MEDICINE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS SLIDE. USE THIS FOR PRISCILIA!

  • Maths HL very very challenging. Problem solving. No mechanics. HL maths is understood to be v challenging.

  • Oxford’s view of IB – challenging, global perspective, integrated, interdisciplinary, develops essay writing skills, EE is extended pice of W developing inquiry.

  • TOK develops critical analysis.

  • Warwick uni – “The achievement and experience of IB grads is qualitatively different from those of other uni entrants”

  • Choice of subjects is crucial. Level of Maths needs to be considered carefully – no turning back – students need to be counselled to choose highest level they may need. If not managing by end of 1st year, may need to change.

  • Personal statement – challenge, organisation, inquiry, prioritisation, time management perseverance. (SEE PERSONAL STATEMENT CHECKLIST FROM PRESENTATION)

  • Reference – school context…other qualifications. Non-selective, privileged backgrounds. Changing curriculum and culture – “renovation” – school profile paragraph in reference. If Eng Lit and Perf show it as Lang A. If no IGCSE grades or MYP grades.

  • Don’t bother taking IELTS unless asked to – unis may assume English language (Spanish IB school never gets asked for IELTS!)

  • Predicted grades – 47% are too optimistic, 9% too pessimistic. SCHOOLS NEW TO IB MOST AT RISK OF INACCURATE predictions.

  • CEM IBE, ALPS – use stats to assess their vailidity. IB Statistical Bulletin.

  • SEE GRADE DISTRIBUTION ENGLISH A LITERATURE SLIDE.

  • Flag up the EE – ACADEMIC ESSAY.

  • Results – Sunday 5th July schools.

  • Unis are going to start dealing with early release qualifications earlier!

  • ENSURE TRANSCRIPT OF RESULTS TO BE SENT TO THE UNIVERSITIES SO THEY CAN CONFIRM THE PLACE. Must be released to UCAS and individual unis.

  • More flexible unis – SOAS, ABERDEEN, CARDFIFF, EXETER, KENT, LIVERPOOL ETC – SEE SIGNIFICANT MOVERS 2014 SLIDES.

  • Weaker students make most improvement in life chances.

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UK Offers – Latest News

Offers sometimes change if you go firm – the university drops the offer to less. This is by an e mail, not on UCAS track so students nervous – need to keep the e mail (Sussex 34 to 32, UEA went from 34 to unconditional? Exeter – 34 to 32, if the student chose them as Firm. Also Surrey, Queen Mary’s)

Unconditional offers to high flying IB student (in press) – Bath, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Nottingham. Perhaps just full fee-paying international students.

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UK Update

  • Enough 7s in Maths to realistically ask for it (Oxford).  UCL – 7s in HL Maths.
  • How much weight do Oxford tests take in relation to predicted grades?  Econ and Mgt was trying to interview too many people in relation to number of places.  Hence the tests.  Only common bit of the application.
  • Is it worth offering IB certificates in addition to A-levels?  Oxford view – works well as integrated diploma.  Must be clear why it was worth doing.
  • Do UK unis value diversity?  Oxford purely looking at academics – some students will do more, others will cope only with the subject.  KEY DIFFERENCE WITH IVY LEAGUES.
  • UCL may accept 18 at HL instead of individual marks.
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Oxford and the IB

  • Mike Nicholls – Director of Admissions, Oxford Uni
  • Until recently, little logic in IB offers – inconsistency, ignoring of key elements of IB etc
  • 18k applicants – 23% international 8 years ago, now 34%
  • Decline in A-level pool – under 70% applicants with A-levels
  • More international academics – more understanding
  • IB – over 1k now of the 18k applicants.
  • No offers over 40 points now. (38-40)
  • Students who have over 40 points consistently outperform A-level students at Oxford – this should lead to flexibility in the view of their specific
  • Kids with less than 37 points did badly and rarely completed their degrees.
  • Level of Maths – doing Physics and Maths HL more than compensates for not doing Further Maths
  • Humanities and Social Sciences have moved to 6-6-6 HL. Engineers need 7-7-6. UNLIKELY TO ACHIEVE THIS.
  • Average actual standard is 41-42 even though the offer is 38-40. (A-levels – 2.3 x A*)
  • Emphasis on final exams suits IB students
  • IB expects students to read full texts – play to this strength.  A-levels don’t expect this as much.
  • IB is integrated subject – Oxford has joint degrees
  • Extended Essay on top of a heavy schedule is liked.  As are time-management skills.
  • Predictions – often wildly inaccurate!  4-5% of A-level predictions inaccurate – 25% in IB cohort. (Partly because it’s harder to predict in so many subjects).
  • They will wait until A-level results are out to decide
  • NEW IB SCHOOLS – TEACHERS MAY STRUGGLE TO BE ACCURATE IN THEIR PREDICTIONS.  MUST MENTION IF YOU ARE A NEW SCHOOL DOING IB. 
  • School has to opt in to giving results – unis can be left in limbo not knowing what kids’ results are.
  • Teacher workshops – June, July.  3 day residential stay in Oxford – observe a tutorial – eye-opening.
  • Q & A – any benefit taking 4 x HL?  Not really – unnecessary pressure.  Preference for humanities for Law?  Requirements are made clear – Law has no specified subjects.  However, some subjects will give an advantage with the admission test.
  • Can the aptitude tests be prepared for?  TSA – 3-4 hours of prep is suitable.  Not much time available – need to move quickly.  Essay is not regurgitation – a much more focussed response is needed.  Maths paper – get more marks for working-out than the final answer
  • For Medicine – think hard bio-chemical degree.
  • Tutors are responsible for development of the students they admit.
Etudier au Royaume-Uni | Publié le

UK Update – IBSCA Conference, London

– More places now for top students, lots of competition between institutions

– Guardian rankings are based on quality of teaching

– Look at National Student Survey

– Demographics – student numbers on way down

– Birmingham has started unconditional offers – Nottingham and Reading too

– You can apply through Clearing after you have your results

– IB is trusted as no grade inflation and inter-disciplinary – lower offers at UEA and timing of results is good.

– UCAS is considering ranking schools by accuracy of result prediction

– UK -unis like info on school in opening paragraph to set the context

– NEGOTIATE if offers too high…

– Summer schools at UEA