Vanguard High School is home to Marion County’s only International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, its longest-running academic magnet. As a leader in academic excellence, Vanguard fosters global awareness and prepares students for post-secondary success through internationally standardized, future-focused curriculum. The IB Diploma Programme nurtures motivated learners who seek to build a better world through intercultural understanding and respect. Students gain critical thinking skills and the ability to solve complex problems in diverse contexts. The IB program supports whole-person development —intellectual, social, emotional, and physical— through its Learner Profile, encouraging students to be better human beings and influential citizens of our world. Vanguard’s IB graduates regularly earn elite college acceptances, significant scholarships, and top academic honors, using their educational experiences to help shape a better world.
Linked Answers to Frequently Asked IB Questions:
What Colleges and Universities are Saying ...
“One of the advantages of an IB curriculum is its structure and quality. It is a coordinated programme, well established, well known and well respected. We know the quality of IB courses, and we think the IB curriculum is terrific.” - Christoph Guttentag, director of undergraduate admission, Duke University
“IB is well known to us for excellent preparations. Success in an IB programme correlates well with success at Harvard. We are always pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Programme on the transcript.” - Marilyn McGrath Lewis, director of undergraduate admission, Harvard University
"It is the best high school prep curriculum an American school can offer.” - Marilee Jones, director of undergraduate admission, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"When prestigious colleges and universities evaluate applicants for admission, they seek students with the potential to succeed. Here are three things they believe an IB diploma will show about you - and that will help your college application stand out: 1) You have taken responsibility for your own learning, 2) You are prepared to conduct undergraduate research, and 3) You have expanded your learning beyond academic study." - The College of Wooster
"IB students understand critical thinking, effective communication, interdisciplinary learning, and the importance of a well-rounded education, and they are more accustomed to the process of learning." - Jacob Browne, director of admission, Eckerd College