THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM TAUGHT ME 'HOW TO THINK DIFFERENTLY'

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February 14, 2025

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

Notre Dame Prep grad at Northwestern University reflects on his high school experience and especially how the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program has made such a big difference in Evanston. 

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.

Here is Thomas Belej, who graduated NDP in 2023 and checks in from Northwestern University.

"I'm studying mechanical engineering and European history at Northwestern, and college has been going great so far. In my experience, I got the best of both worlds in doing the IB Diploma Program while also taking the [corresponding] AP exams. A wonderful effect of IB was teaching me how to think differently, write clearly, and manage long-term projects. I have enjoyed a clear advantage in this regard over my classmates, especially the engineers, when it comes to writing.

"I've been in the marching band for two years now, which has been an incredible experience and a great way to dive into school spirit and make some friends. I've also gotten quite involved with the Catholics on campus and have deepened my faith greatly since coming to Northwestern. Last summer, I walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain with two of my friends that I had met through the Catholic center. Next fall, I'm going to study abroad in Vienna and knock out a big chunk of my history major."

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.