“I feel that IB has been a driving factor in my success in studying Engineering at UNB. The extensive curriculum often overlaps with university courses, which gives me a significant advantage in my studies. I also receive full credit for my 3 HL courses (English, Geography and Chemistry), which will allow me to get my degree sooner than if I hadn’t taken IB. In addition to these advantages, the HL English course provided me with presentation and essay-writing skills, which makes up at least a third of what I’m assessed on in university. The Extended Essay was also a very effective way to introduce me to writing long, self-driven research papers, a skill that has saved me several hours of work in my first term alone. The extra time and effort I put into my studies during IB have been rewarded by the free time it has provided for me in university.
I also found the CAS process to be rewarding in other ways, as it encouraged me to seek out opportunities to benefit my community. I was worried about having enough free time at first, but I found that I was able to use my usual extra-curricular activities to create CAS activities that were rewarding for both me and my community. CAS for me was not extra work, instead it was a different approach to things I was already doing. It also helped me fill out university and scholarship applications.
I feel like taking IB at Horton was the best decision I made prior to going to UNB. The work ethic and skill-set provided by the program has made my transition from high school to university as seamless as I could imagine it to have been, and I don’t regret a single iota of the effort that was required by the program.
To answer your specific questions…
I received a total of 17 credit hours from my IB HL courses. In comparison, full-time engineering students average 20 credit hours per semester at UNB, with 160 credit hours being required for an engineering degree. I do not know what the UNB policy is for scholarships and IB, but most students I have talked to received lower entrance scholarships compared to myself and Gisele. I can only speculate, but I believe this has to do with how generously they consider IB courses compared to standard academic courses.
I did not go to the University of Calgary, however when I applied there they offered me a relatively large entrance scholarship, and my CAS involvement was likely a significant factor in me being shortlisted for the Seymour Schulich awards. Had I attended, I also would have received course credits for each of my HL courses.
I cannot stress enough how important essay-writing and presentation skills have been in my courses at UNB. I feel like they have been my most important asset coming out of IB, especially since (as far as I am aware) there is no equivalent to the EE or the HL English assessments in the standard NS curriculum. I have a huge advantage in my courses as a result of these skills.
If you get any other questions from parents or students that I might be able to answer, feel free to email me at any time!”
Isayah Vidito, BSc Engineering student at UNB
Horton IB Diploma graduate, Class of 2014
IB Diploma 