Diploma Program
In addition to prescribed courses, the IB Diploma Program’s other requirements encourage students to think creatively, develop their leadership skills, and explore their potential. The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course encourages students to see connections between the various subjects that they have studied and culminates in the Extended Essay, a major paper that is due near the end of senior year. Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) requires that students take action to improve themselves and their communities.
Amundsen IB students typically score higher on the SAT than the district, state and national averages. In addition, Amundsen IB students have successfully completed college coursework at top universities such as Harvard, Cornell, Northwestern and the University of Chicago while still enrolled in high school.
No school can guarantee acceptance to a student’s first choice university; however, the IB program is known for the academic rigor of its subjects, and may help a student gain acceptance into a selective university. Amundsen IB students have been accepted into: Arizona State University, The Art Institute of Chicago, Denison University (Ohio), DePaul University, DePauw University (Indiana), Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University, Michigan State University, North Park University, Northwestern University, Purdue University, Stanford University, Tulane University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of Wisconsin at Madison, University of Virginia, and Yale University.
Amundsen High School is a fully authorized IB World School. Students who successfully complete coursework and IB exams may earn an IB Diploma and college credit.
The following IB examinations are offered at Amundsen:
Group 1: English A HL
Group 2: Spanish B HL, Spanish B SL, Japanese B SL (2022 et seq), French B HL/SL (2022 et seq)
Group 3: Global Politics HL
Group 4: Biology SL, Chemistry SL
Group 5: Math Applications and Interpretations SL
Group 6: Visual Art HL/SL, Music HL/SL
+ Students who complete Math A & I during the 11th grade may be eligible to take Calculus during the 12th grade
University Recognition of IB Credit
As a result of a 2016 amendment to the College and Career Success for All Students Act, there is now a standardized IB credit policy for all public colleges and universities in Illinois. Under the new law, public higher education institutions must grant college credit to all students who earn a passing score (4- or above on a 7-point scale) on an IB exam. For other schools, see the following link: University Recognition Policies.