IB Diploma Scholarship

Two year IB scholarships in Singapore - What should you know?

The (IB) International Baccalaureate school system is an internationally recognised programme known for its rigorous and high quality syllabus. It is well recognised all over the world therefore, for students getting into undergraduate colleges, an IB diploma (Grade 11-12) gives a great edge when applying to prestigious universities around the world. The good news is that a lot of international schools in Singapore offer scholarships to IB diploma programmes. It is well worth your time to get to know more about these awards at these IB schools. What are the things to know as an aspiring scholarship applicant? Here are some pointers.

Most schools have a scholarship programme in place: It is good to know that almost all international schools in Singapore have a scholarship programme in one form or the other. Full or partial tuition fee coverage or all expenses paid term including boarding and lodging can be offered to both Singaporeans or foreigners. So, check their online prospectus and get to know who can apply and how.

Need and merit basis criteria: Competition can be intense due to fewer awards therefore schools do have both need and merit criteria. Many schools take into account household income and would need the required proofs to be submitted. Schools can have different categories designed in a way that allows picking students that are deserving of the scholarship both on merit and need basis.

Other minimum requirements: Schools require some or all of the following to select candidates; letters of recommendation from past and present teachers, academic, sports and arts achievements, essay writing, a round of interviews and tests. These rigorous rounds ensure shortlisting the best and the brightest.

Start early: An orientation towards achieving scholarship all through the secondary school can hold a student in good stead. A lot of preparation can be done with a clearer focus towards one of the coveted scholarship awards. For example, honing essay writing skills, identifying a sport that a student can excel in, learning and getting better at other extracurricular activities can help make an applicant stand out during scholarship application process. Though all these aspects are a part of daily learning, a more specialised approach during the secondary school years can rightly prepare an aspiring scholarship candidate.

Apply at the right time: Follow the scholarship application deadlines to the tee. Though most IB schools would have nearly similar timelines, do not miss the deadlines as schools are usually pretty strict about the last dates. A lack of attention to such technicalities can cost a student as chance at the scholarship.

Anyone can apply: Though there are minimum basic requirements to apply, these awards are open to any student from within the school or from a different school, a national or international student. Therefore a student who is currently studying in a IGCSE board school for example, can apply for the IB diploma scholarship at CIS. For students who aspire to complete diplomas in IB curriculum; such a scholarship does not only expose him/her to the enriching IB learning, it becomes a great leverage for admissions to undergraduate studies in global universities.

What are the numbers: IB diploma fees is upwards of S$24,000 in some of the best international schools. Scholarship programmes cover most or all part of the fees. The United World College fees for boarders are about S$50,000. When a student is awarded a scholarship, the entire amount is waived off therefore it is a pretty huge monetary benefit. The Canadian International School offers 100% waiver on the tuition fees for 2 years of IB diploma which is more than S$70,000!

The IB education is known to produce well-rounded individuals with a great sense of learning and understanding concepts unlike traditional boards that rely heavily on exams and rote learning. IB education can also be pretty expensive and therefore out of reach for many. With scholarship programmes, top schools like the Canadian international School enable high quality learning environment to deserving students both from within the school and outside. Therefore students can make the most of opportunities like this by keeping up to date information on the eligibility and selection criteria.

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