Andrew Hill has offered the IB Diploma Program since 2002. This course of study begins in the 11th grade and requires students to take six IB classes, one in each core academic subject area (English, a world language, history, science, math and a fine art/elective). In addition, IB diploma students must complete the “diploma core": a 4000 word research paper called the Extended Essay, a core class exploring how knowledge is acquired and applied called Theory of Knowledge, and participate in extra-curricular and community service activities as part of the Creativity, Activity and Service requirement. Any student interested in joining the program can take advantage of what this unique educational experience offers. All students can take IB diploma classes, regardless of whether or not they are in the full diploma program.
The Andrew Hill diploma program offers a range of unique opportunities for students. We are the only public IB high school in North America that offers Spanish and Vietnamese heritage speakers the opportunity to earn the prestigious IB bilingual diploma. AHHS also offers all students access to IB courses.
Andrew Hill High School applied to become an IB world school in 2002, and had its first group of IB graduates in 2004. The IB has become a signature program for AHHS and complements the array of unique excellent academic opportunities available to students at Hill, like the Health and Human Services Academy. Most Andrew Hill students take IB English language and literature as their standard English course.
The IB Diploma Program has earned a reputation for rigorous assessment, giving students who attempt the IB diploma access to the world’s leading universities. Andrew Hill High School's IB candidates have gone on to study at Stanford, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Cal Tech, Columbia, and many other prestigious universities across the country. Since the program began, all IB diploma candidates who met the qualifications for admission to the UC system have been admitted to a UC school, including UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Davis. Studies show IB students have increased odds of earning admission to top universities over their peers at non-IB schools because of the academic preparation they receive. Some universities even offer IB diploma earners the equivalent of sophomore standing.
