The Colorado legislature recently passed HB1108. The bill is a measure guaranteeing a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit for all IB Diploma graduates who elect to attend a state college/university in Colorado and do not have a score of less than 4 on an IB exam. The schools in Colorado want to keep the IB students in sthe state because they are top quality candidates. This is a huge incentive for attending college in state.

The IB Association of Rocky Mountain Schools (IB ARMS) is the group responsible for initiating this bill. It is one of the largest sub-regional IB groups in the United States. The IB coordinators from Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming who presently make up the IB ARMS group, work together on initiatives such as the one that just passed. Obtaining recognition for the level and quality of work that IB students do is a major goal of the group.

Recognition of IB diploma for admission to universities and colleges (www.ibo.org)

United States

There is no national ministry or centralized bureaucracy in the United States that controls university admission or placement. Instead, each college or university is responsible for setting its own policies.

For a quick overview, there are recognition policy summary charts of how some universities in the U.S. recognize the IB diploma. These are available for download as a PDF document. Or you can check out the Good News newsletter at

http://www.unco.edu/regrec/Current%20Students/Transfer/AP.html#IB

A student interested in post-secondary study in the USA must make direct contact with the college or university he or she would like to attend. One good way to begin is to use this web site. As you examine the IB recognition policies of American colleges and universities, make special note of those institutions that interest you. Using the links available in each policy, explore the college's web site to find information on exactly what the college requires. It is your responsibility to meet all the requirements and deadlines of the specific college or university.

In general terms, American colleges and universities require you to submit a written application for admission. You will be required to provide atranscript with your secondary school grades.

In addition, you will need to have taken either the Scholastic Aptitude Test or the American College Test. Students whose first language is other than English are often required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Advanced Placement and IB exams, while not mandatory, will increase a students chance for securing admission to selective universities.

Other web sites may be helpful in answering general and specific questions about the college admissions process in the U.S.A. Consult The National Association of College Admissions Counseling; The College Board and the Higher Education Directory and the Higher Education Resource Center of the web site for the Council of International Schools. For information on financial aid, a good place to begin is FastWeb.