While our Class of 2020 will be celebrating the start of their first semester at top choice colleges and universities around the world, we’re celebrating their exceptional IB results.

Of our 65 seniors, 60 students were full diploma candidates. Of the full diploma candidates, 17 earned bilingual diplomas and 16 were in the National Honor Society. Our average IB score of 36 of a possible 45 was well above the world average of 29.9 for May 2020.

AISG outperformed last year’s results in every category. In addition to an increase in the AISG average diploma score from 32 points to 36, mean exam grades from those earning the diploma increased from 5.15 to 5.67 outpacing the world average of 4.80. Most notably, AISG’s highest diploma score was 45 points of the possible 45. Yes, a perfect score! To bring this into perspective only 141 students out of 68K students worldwide, or 0.21%, achieved this score.

For the American International School of Guangzhou, however, success means more than just high grades. When it comes to the IB Diploma Program (IBDP), the school believes in an inclusive approach.

Our IB Coordinator, Anne Martin-Bauer summarizes AISG’s IBDP, “AISG has an open enrollment policy for the IBDP. We believe it is accessible to virtually all AISG students. We believe that with commitment and effort from the student and support from the school and home, almost all students can successfully pursue the full IBDP.

If a student does not choose the full IBDP, they may select to complete 2-year IB courses, enroll in IB1 courses (for example – take IB1 Chem in grade 11 and IB1 Bio in grade 12) or enroll in elective courses such as Journalism, Choir, Robotics and Fit4Life.

Also, AISG allows students to pursue online IB courses which we do not offer on-campus or are blocked by scheduling constraints.

We encourage all students to build a program for themselves which may include 2-year IB courses, first year IB courses and electives. We believe in allowing for as much student choice as possible.”

The desire to become a future-ready learning community is something that the school places great importance on. AISG’s Director, Kevin Baker is very pleased with this year’s results and says, “I am very proud of the academic excellence that our students demonstrated with their outstanding IB results! Their success is a testament to the instruction, preparation and support that they received at AISG as well as their personal dedication, tenacity, hard work and resilience to thrive during the pandemic crisis. They were courageous and never lost hope nor stopped believing in their ability to succeed and achieve their dreams! Way to go, Rams!

Their achievement is remarkable! The IBDP is the world’s gold standard academic preparation program for university. No other program is more rigorous and demands more of a student than the IBDP. To be successful, students must be independent thinkers, intellectually curious, disciplined and creative across all subject areas. That is why IB diploma graduates are the most sought-after students by the more prestigious universities around the world.”

Jamie Robb, AISG’s Deputy Director of Academics, sees these results as a way to grow and improve, “AISG’s collaborative teacher teams will continue to analyze our results to identify strengths and areas for growth as part our continual improvement process. We continue to strive to improve our practice and to develop plans of action to ensure our students reach their full potential. The knowledge and expertise of our faculty presents an opportunity for our teachers to learn from one another as we strive for excellence.”

And it seems that for the 65 graduates from the Class of 2020, their hard work is paying off.

AISG seniors have received 232 offers from more than 119 universities around the world and will be attending top universities in more than 13 countries in various subjects and fields including Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Business and Commerce, Sports Management, Drama, Arts, Media, and many more.

AISG’s rigorous IBDP, combined with a strong College Counseling program, and an emphasis on social emotional wellness, seems to provide a unique platform for students to find their best fit pathway.

It is this very balance of providing students with opportunities to take ownership of their learning and creating young adults who are future-ready that cements AISG’s place as the premier international school in Guangzhou.

AISG’s College Counselor, Justin Walker, provides guidance for AISG’s students in preparation for university and describes the main takeaways of the IBDP, “Consistent delivery, practice and performance on the IB only help our students in life after AISG. We are becoming known to universities across the world for high academic rigor and results. These factors are among the most important facets of university admission in most any system.”

For a complete list of where our Rams will continue their story, visit our website’s College Acceptances page by clicking “Read more” below.

Congratulations Class of 2020!