IB AT NDP BRINGS 'BIGGER PICTURE' TO U-M STUDENT

Share this article with a friend.

February 16, 2025

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

Luke Hogan NDP'23 says IB forced him to "look at things on a broader level, and courses like IB English, IB Theory of Knowledge and IB History allows me to look at the bigger picture."

Universities in the United States truly are international communities. They’re committed to educating the youth of today to solve the global challenges of tomorrow. They also seek to encourage students to learn from one another, to recognize their common humanity and to reflect on globally significant issues across the curriculum.

The key aim of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is for students to develop an international mindset that will enable them to build a better future. IB students learn to see the world from different cultural perspectives and they study languages that enable them to communicate with peers from different backgrounds. As an internationally recognized qualification, the IB also prepares them for a career anywhere in the world. IB students are global citizens and this makes them an asset to international academic communities anywhere. Perhaps more so than many other great reasons, it’s this that makes IB students so appealing to universities.

IB graduates typically are very eager to share their experiences with schools, teachers and parents exploring the Diploma Program. We are meeting a few of Notre Dame Prep's more recent IB graduates who look back at the impact of the DP on their lives and especially on their college experience.

Luke Hogan, from Notre Dame Prep's Class of 2023 currently is studying at the University of Michigan. He notes that his experience with NDP's IB has provided a big advantage to his success thus far at U-M. Read more from Hogan below.

"The IB Diploma Program left me well-prepared for the transition to college. At Michigan, there is a tremendous emphasis on individual time management, strong writing and communication, and a complex understanding of course content and its broader contexts. 

"IB taught me time-management skills I still use today, and allowed me to develop strong communication skills that serve me well across a variety of mediums. From writing courses to meetings with real-world clients, the skills I developed in IB have been tremendous assets, allowing me to communicate and support my ideas better than I could have imagined. 

"Lastly, IB forced me to look at things on a broader level, and courses like IB English, IB Theory of Knowledge and IB History allows me to look at the bigger picture. At college, this high-level thinking and the empathy, consideration and creativity taught in those classes have been extremely beneficial. I can participate in substantive discussions and broaden my perspective in a more nuanced way thanks to IB. 

"To summarize, IB gave me early access to so many of the skills needed to thrive in college, and I have never once felt underprepared to challenge myself here thanks to my experiences in the IB-DP."

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.ndprep.org.