9th & 10th Grade Applicants

Who is Eligible to Apply

While students are encouraged to apply during their eighth grade year, it is possible to apply during the ninth and tenth grade year. Ninth and tenth grade applicants should keep the following in mind:

  • Ninth and tenth grade applicants can only be accepted if space becomes available in their IB cohort. If no space is available but the applicant is otherwise qualified, he or she will be placed on a waiting list until space becomes available.

  • Because the courses IB students take during their ninth and tenth grade years are designed to both a) prepare them for the IB program and b) fulfill graduation requirements most students take during their junior and senior years, some ninth and tenth grade applicants must take courses during summer school to be accepted into the IB program. In some cases, the applicant is not able to be accepted into the IB program because they have not taken the prerequisite courses during their freshman and sophomore years.

  • Ninth grade applicants must:

    • Be enrolled in Geometry or higher

    • Be in the second year of a foreign language or higher

    • Maintain a 3.0 GPA during the ninth grade year

  • Tenth grade applicants must:

    • Be enrolled in Algebra II/Trig or higher

    • Be in the third year of a foreign language or higher

    • Maintain a 3.0 during the ninth and tenth grade years

  • By the end of the 10th grade year, all IB student must also complete Economics and Personal Finance and United States Government to meet Virginia state graduation requirements. If ninth or tenth grade applicants have not taken those courses, it must be feasible for the applicant to take those courses during summer school before the student graduates to be accepted into the IB program.

Application Process

If you are a ninth or tenth grader interested in applying to the IB program, email Shawn Barnard, IB Specialist at shawnbarnard@spsk12.net to express your interest OR complete the application here. Your transcript will be reviewed to determine if joining the IB program is feasible, and you will be advised if any space is currently available. If you eligible to apply and space is available, you will be provided an application via email and go through the same application process described above for eighth graders.