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March 22, 2019

University Pathways at CISH

University Pathways at CISH

Students have a variety of university admission pathways available at CISH. While there are some differences between the Diploma Programme, and the New Brunswick Diploma, both will prepare and support a student’s transition to university.

At CISH students may choose to follow one of three paths when completing high school and preparing for university. 

  • Full Diploma Programme
  • Diploma Course Student (formerly known as Certificate student)
  • New Brunswick Diploma

Full Diploma Programme

Students who choose to complete the full Diploma Programme will choose six intensive focus courses over two years. These courses will come from six different categories: Language A: Language and Literature, Language B: Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies (aka Humanities), Experimental Sciences, Mathematics and the Arts. 

Students will also be required to complete the CORE: Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and an extra-curricular CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service). 

The value of the core to students is that it centres around the whole Learner, meaning that students are able to focus on their intellectual, creative, physical, and ethical development. It also opens students up to new perspectives and ideas, encouraging respect for diversity and enabling them to analyse issues from multiple viewpoints. It also helps them become reflective learners and thinkers and teaches them valuable skills for success in university; such as research Skills, Long response writing, perseverance, and self-management.

Students will receive a score of 1-7 for each of their chosen subjects, and up to an additional 3 points for their work in the Theory of Knowledge Course and the Extended Essay, for a possible total score of 45 points across the DP. Students must receive a minimum of 24 points total in order to receive their IB Diploma. 

Upon Graduation, students who complete the IB Diploma Programme will ALSO receive a New Brunswick High School Diploma. 

Ultimately, the DP is an Internationally recognized and standardized program with most of the grading and moderation occurring externally. It is important to note that the program is very rigorous and requires more motivation and time management skills, but is great preparation for skills and the level of work done at university. Because of the level of difficult of the programme, some universities offer advanced credits to students completing the programme. 

Course Student

Students may opt not to complete the full Diploma Programme, but may still choose to complete some DP courses in addition to their New Brunswick Diploma. Upon successful completion of their chosen focus DP courses, students will receive a certificate for each of the courses they completed, AND their New Brunswick diploma. These courses are typically in the areas of interest to the student and related to their future career aspirations. Taking DP courses helps to demonstrate student commitment and achievement in that subject. Student may also be able to use these course certificates for university credit or advance standing in their chosen university program. 

New Brunswick Students

Students who choose to withdraw from the Diploma Programme, will become New Brunswick Students. They will complete the requirements for the New Brunswick High School Diploma, but will not receive an IB Diploma at the end of their tenure at CISH. These requirements include a minimum of 17 credits at the Grade 11/12 level including courses in English, History, Science, Math, Life/Role Development or Fine Arts.

Practically, at CISH, students will learn in a shared classroom space with DP students and receive equivalent credits for their New Brunswick courses. Once a week they will also participate in a special focus class to ensure they are meeting all the requirements for their New Brunswick Diploma. In most cases, each course will last one semester, giving students to opportunity to take a greater variety of courses.

Ultimately the New Brunswick program is more tailored to a student’s individual learning style, with greater opportunities for differentiation, flexible assignment schedules, and teacher support. This is due to the fact that all assessments are done internally by the individual subject teachers and there are no national standardized exams required for graduation (except the ELPA, an English proficiency test done in grade 10). It is also important to note that due to the fact that the program is less rigorous than the DP, statistically, students marks in the New Brunswick program tend to be higher (percentile-wise), however their choices for university are slightly more limited. 

University Support

Regardless of a student’s chosen pathway, they are in a great position to attend university in one of the following countries: Canada, United States (with SAT/ACT), United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia and some schools in the Netherlands. Due to the different expectations for university admissions, students taking the New Brunswick Diploma may have to complete additional tests, or may not be eligible to apply to the following countries directly: Singapore, Germany, Japan, Korea, China, France. Nevertheless, some of these countries do offer foundational years or entrance examinations which would still allow New Brunswick students to attend. Please do adequate research on countries and universities that your child or you (as a student) would like to attend to ensure you/they will meet all minimum requirements before finalizing that program pathway. 

Here at CISH, there are many steps we take to ensure that students are supported throughout this process. They include, but are not limited to; running a University Fair, so students can investigate potential universities, a formal university visit so that students can get a detailed look at a particular school, and one-on-one support form the University Counsellor as well as the use of university transition software like BridgeU. 

Students have a variety of pathways for their final years of High School that will determine their choices for the future, however it is important to remember that no matter which pathway they choose to take they will be well served and well prepared for a successful future at the post-secondary institution of their choice!

Guidance
Guidance
University Pathways
University Pathways
New Brunswick Courses
New Brunswick Courses