The IB Diploma is the gold standard of pre-university education - and in Spain it is recognised as the full equivalent of the Spanish Bachillerato. ASB graduates earn direct access to Spanish universities while opening doors to the world's leading institutions.
The IB Diploma is externally assessed and globally benchmarked. ASB's results are not self-reported - they're verified by the International Baccalaureate Organisation.
The IB Diploma Programme is recognised by over 4,500 universities in more than 110 countries as the most rigorous pre-university qualification available. Students choose six subjects across the arts, sciences, languages, and humanities. Unlike A-Levels, AP, or Bachillerato, the Diploma requires students to study across all of these simultaneously.
At the heart of the programme is the Core: Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service. It challenges students to think critically, research independently, and engage meaningfully with the world. It's demanding - and at ASB, every student is supported individually to meet that demand.
Diploma classes look more like university seminars than school lessons. Students debate ideas in small groups, run advanced experiments in the lab, and take part in our guest speaker series - global professionals from science, law, and business who come into the classroom. By the time students reach university, the format already feels familiar.
Beyond six academic subjects, every Diploma student completes three core requirements. These are what separate the IB from A-Levels, AP, or the Spanish Bachillerato.
A 4,000-word independent research paper on a topic the student chooses. Over several months, students develop the academic writing, research skills, and intellectual stamina needed for university - and many graduates tell us the EE is the work they are most proud of.
How do we know what we know? In TOK, students examine how knowledge is built across science, history, ethics, and the arts. It's the kind of thinking universities value most.
Students lead creative projects, take on physical challenges, and run their own service initiatives. One recent example: KNAFF, a student-founded clothing brand that donates all profits to a local charity. Real action, real impact - often the experience that shapes who graduates become.
What students do outside lessons is part of the IB Diploma — and part of the profile universities look for. CAS projects and the Group 4 Project are built into the curriculum; Model UN and other co-curricular programmes are how students build real-world impact alongside academic results.
We also bring universities to ASB - fairs, visits, and workshops where students meet admissions officers and get a head start on applications.
Choosing the right university is one of the biggest decisions a young person makes. At ASB, our dedicated university counselor works with every student individually from Year 10 - helping them explore options, build a balanced shortlist, and prepare strong applications.
Whether your child is aiming for the UK (UCAS), the US (Common App), Spain, or elsewhere, we guide them through the entire process: course selection, personal statements, interviews, and deadlines. No family navigates this alone.
The IB Diploma opens doors to universities worldwide - without the convalidation work that a Spanish Bachillerato can require for studies abroad. Whether your child is heading for the UK (UCAS), the US (Common App), Spain (preinscripción), or elsewhere, we guide them through it.
The IB Diploma is accepted directly by universities in over 150 countries - no convalidation required for the UK, US, or most European institutions.
Since our first IB Diploma class in 2015, ASB graduates have been accepted at over 90 universities across 7 countries.
The IB Diploma opens doors to universities worldwide. But it also opens doors to a lifetime of critical thinking, independence, and purpose. Whatever comes next, your child will be ready.
University is where our graduates go next. But the Diploma prepares them for something larger - a life of independent thinking, honest questioning, and work that matters. That's what stays with them.
Visit our campus, meet our DP team, and see why ASB Diploma graduates are at universities from Cambridge to Toronto.