University Readiness with the IB
La Cote International School Principal, Andy Puttock, reflects on the value that studying the IBDP offers our students both as many continue with further studies at University, but in all of their pursuits, for the rest of their lives:
“I have been fortunate to work in, and with, a wide range of schools all over the world offering an equally wide variety of qualifications. I have become convinced that the IB Diploma offers the best opportunities. Some reasons are obvious:
- The breadth of the programme – studying six subjects across a range of disciplines, including three in greater depth (Higher Level).
- The rigour of learning and assessment – students need to achieve a level of success in all subjects and in the ‘core’ areas.
- Mathematics, Science and Language are all essential to achieve the full Diploma, with the opportunity to study personal choices suited to the individual. In the uncertain world of the future, where our students might undertake multiple careers, a foundation in these core skills becomes increasingly important.
- All students must follow the Theory of Knowledge programme. This supports metacognition (learning how to learn) and develops critical thinking. It is also at the core of so much of what we need in the growing world of Artificial Intelligence, where the capacity to understand truth, make ethical decisions, and question the basis of knowledge is increasingly essential.
- Service learning (‘Creativity Action Service’) is mandatory – nurturing future citizens with values, attributes and a global perspective is key to a better world.
- The Extended Essay is the nearest thing you encounter in schools to university-level research and writing.
The IB Diploma is the most recognized and accepted qualification worldwide by universities – it is now well understood and valued for all the above reasons.
My reflections took me further. A question often asked by our parents is whether the IB Diploma is an acceptable qualification to enter top Swiss universities. And it categorically is – we know exactly how many points are needed for each university, and any additional requirements. For students who achieve those points there are no capacity limits at these universities.
The IB Advantage Beyond Academics
For me, though, this is not the point. There are many qualifications that enable students to gain entry to university, including the world’s best, whether you achieve highly at A-levels, Swiss Maturité, national baccalaureates or Advanced Placement examinations. There is no qualification, in my opinion, that prepares you better to succeed AT university and BEYOND than the IB Diploma. Academic levels aside, it is the sheer quality of the study skills and habits, the values and attributes for adult life, that stand the IBDP out from the others. The statistics speak for themselves in terms of retention, I have seen it with my own children, and with generations of graduates from our school.
16-year-old students starting the IBDP always tell me how hard it is; 20-year-old students returning to visit me after their first year at university always tell me how much better prepared they are than their peers who have followed different preparatory courses. And for me, that is the difference!”
After their glamorous graduation celebration, La Cote International School’s 2025 graduates left the doors of school rightfully elated, knowing they worked hard and gave their final exams their all. When the results are published in July, plans they have made for the next phase of their lives will be cemented, and their path forwards clear and bright. Wherever it takes them, we, and they, can feel confident that they are equipped with the skills and mindset to thrive.
