How College Applications Work for IB Students
For students in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, the timing of university applications can be tricky. Unlike some national systems, IB students often apply before they’ve taken their final exams, using predicted grades provided by teachers.
Here’s how the process typically works:
- Predicted grades are submitted by teachers in October or November of the final IB year
- Final IB results are released in July (May session) or January (November session)
- Many university applications—especially in the UK, Canada, US, and Australia—are made before final grades are available
This raises the question: Should you apply with predicted grades or wait? Let’s break it down.
What Are Predicted Grades and Why Are They Used?
Predicted grades are estimates of the final IB scores a student is likely to achieve, based on:
- Past performance in assignments and tests
- Internal Assessment (IA) results
- Mock exams and class participation
- Teacher judgment and departmental moderation
Universities use predicted grades to make conditional offers. This is especially common in:
- UCAS (UK) applications
- Early Decision/Early Action in the US
- Early applications in Canada and Australia
