IB programs in and around Dallas (Plano, Garland: high schools, college, live in) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

mom2gurls · 02-17-2013, 06:08 PM

Looking for first hand info on the IB programs in the northern burbs. I do have some inside on Plano East.

I just looked up and saw that Allen High also has an IB as well as Coppell...Any first hand info regarding admission requirements, how challenging it is....I will take.

We have included the Flomo area (non IB) in our search, but since we are heading toward the IB track now, I really want to explore all high schools with the IB program and get some information.

thx.

Obamney1 · 02-17-2013, 06:23 PM

You are truly all over the map. However, IB program is not that hard to get into if child is a good student. As it takes more time, effort and devotion to manage compared to even honors and AP track so not every one want to go that route.

Students have to cut down on extra curiculars and social life so only dedicated ones stick with it till the end. Many times even high performing students change their mind after junior high. It is a fantastic and rigrous program and worth all the trouble, specially if student want to apply in schools abroad, go into majors with more global focus or have aspirations to join UN, foreign service, politics or global health programs etc. My niece got her IB diploma last year and highly recommends it, my daughter didn't agree to leave her friends to go to east side for IB.

Plano, North Hill Prep in Irving & Coppell's IB programs are more respected compared to Allen and bring in much better results as well.

biafra4life · 02-17-2013, 06:57 PM

Quite a few ISDs offer IB now, You mentioned Plano East and Allen, off the top of my head I know that Garland High as well as Woodrow Wilson in Dallas ISD also offer IB.
I took the IB in high school back in the late 90s and highly recommend it. Like Obamney says, it's tough, and will often require a reduction in socializing/extra curriculars, but the payoff in terms of college preparation are huge. I went to school with kids who did AP only and there were very few who had the preparation I had, and I was only slightly above average in high school, no superstar.

txgolfer130 · 02-17-2013, 07:10 PM

McKinney has their own charter IB school from primary years to high-school at the Imagine International School.

biafra4life · 02-17-2013, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txgolfer130

McKinney has their own charter IB school from primary years to high-school at the Imagine International School.

I know a couple of folks in McKinney who pulled their kids out of McKinney ISD and enrolled in Imagine...they have nothing but good things to say about the school. The fact that its IB even tempted me to consider it for a brief second...till I thought about the fact that I live in Wylie and work in Addison...just no way that commute was going to work.
Our McKinney friends say that when the school opened there was tremendous demand for the school. Enrollment lines were down the street and round the corner...what does that say about the state of McKinney ISD schools?

mom2gurls · 02-17-2013, 08:29 PM

We are all over the map because we can work from home....so that part is easy!!! Dh would like to have an office in plano..so we are looking at all possibilities within a 30 minute commute radius (if possible).

Do you have to "apply" to the IB? I am looking for my soon to be 8th grader who is doing the "pre IB" right now (learner profiles, she has done a year of IB in primary)..and two in middle...so we are used to the way of thinking.

What would the the best feeder route be for Plano east...maybe we should look in parts of parker and murphy?

mom2gurls · 02-17-2013, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txgolfer130

McKinney has their own charter IB school from primary years to high-school at the Imagine International School.

Yes I have three that are have been IB for three years now (and a little on that just started montessori). I would love to go IB al the way thru, however it seems like it lottery and also seems like the waiting list is quite long.

I would love to know if any of these facts are true though...

What about lovejoy? Seems like a small little school?

biafra4life · 02-17-2013, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

We are all over the map because we can work from home....so that part is easy!!! Dh would like to have an office in plano..so we are looking at all possibilities within a 30 minute commute radius (if possible).

Do you have to "apply" to the IB? I am looking for my soon to be 8th grader who is doing the "pre IB" right now (learner profiles, she has done a year of IB in primary)..and two in middle...so we are used to the way of thinking.

What would the the best feeder route be for Plano east...maybe we should look in parts of parker and murphy?

we have some members here on city data who could give you more detailed info...paging Big G and PISDStudent! but as far as I know, I dont think the Murphy schools would feed into the IB school. McMillen is the high school for Murphy, you would want either Williams or Clarke...but like I said, I will defer to the Plano members on this board.

biafra4life · 02-17-2013, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

Yes I have three that are have been IB for three years now (and a little on that just started montessori). I would love to go IB al the way thru, however it seems like it lottery and also seems like the waiting list is quite long.

I would love to know if any of these facts are true though...

What about lovejoy? Seems like a small little school?

Hmmm, Lovejoy...you might want to pull up the old threads on that school...seems to be a lot of controversy...

mom2gurls · 02-17-2013, 08:39 PM

LOL...I think we want to stay along the horizontal line of 121 (think that is it)...and we keep coming back to frisco/allen/plano...a friend lives in flomo..and pushes that area.

But if we do go Plano East...would like to know what are the better areas...would that be northeast plano then?? More specifically, how do you apply, when do you apply and how do you get picked. Here its an automatic enrollement because the prep starts early...but we go to an international school...and once we hit back home..the story would be different.

If there are any PISD elementry or middles that do IB..would really like that info as well. I couldnt find any.