HARD WORK PAYS OFF ONCE AGAIN

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July 14, 2025

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Notre Dame Prep IB students celebrate a year of hard work and dedication after receiving exam data from the International Baccalaureate May testing period.

Last week, Notre Dame Prep students in the full International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program joined more than 100,000 students in the U.S. and 202,000 worldwide in receiving their IB-DP and IB-CP results. With this milestone, they now belong to a global community of 2.7 million lifelong learners across 157 countries.

But for NDP’s IB students, the results are only part of the story.

Throughout the past academic year, students in the rigorous Diploma Program put in countless hours of reading, writing, researching and problem-solving — often balancing demanding coursework with extracurricular commitments and community service.

Katrina Sagert, English and social studies teacher and the IB Diploma Program coordinator at NDP, emphasized the effort behind the achievement.

“What makes this group of students so special is not just the scores, but the dedication they showed every single day,” Sagert said. “They leaned into challenges, pushed themselves academically, and supported one another through an intense and often grueling program. I’m incredibly proud of their perseverance and resilience.”

Twelve students at NDP earned the full IB diploma, and seven earned near-perfect sixes in subjects that included IB mathematics, IB biology, IB Spanish and IB literature. In addition, eight juniors took early exams, and 48 other juniors and seniors took individual IB courses as part of their academic track.

Andrew Guest, head of school for Notre Dame Prep, echoed the pride felt across the school community.

“Our IB students have shown a level of commitment that is inspiring,” he said. “The way they approached this year — with grit, integrity and passion — is a testament to their character and to the kind of scholars and citizens we aim to form at NDP. We are deeply proud of them.”

Olli-Pekka Heinonen, director general of the International Baccalaureate, congratulated all Diploma and Career-related Program students globally, recognizing their collective strength.

“I’m inspired by the dedication, resilience and compassion shown by IB students during such a complex time in the world,” he said. “As IB graduates move forward into higher education, careers or service to their communities, they carry with them the competencies, values and global mindset needed to thrive and make a meaningful difference.”

The Diploma Program (DP) offers students a globally respected, transformative education that prepares them for university and beyond. Its inquiry-based curriculum fosters academic achievement, critical thinking, language development, and personal growth. Offered in over 930 IB World Schools across the U.S., the DP aligns with local education systems while nurturing global perspectives and ethical leadership.

Recent curriculum alignment studies confirmed that DP courses meet or exceed national standards in countries such as the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Finland, and France — demonstrating the academic depth and adaptability of the program.

For the May 2025 examination session, DP and CP students completed all assessment components for each subject, and the IB awarded final grades based on a combination of coursework and examinations. An interim statistical bulletin will be published in the coming weeks.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.