Meet Our French Bac Alumni
ISB's academic program is known for academic choice and flexibility as much as it is rigor and challenge.
When students begin considering their academic options in Grade 9, they begin a path toward choosing one of two of our international diploma programs they will select from: the International Baccalaureate (taught in English) or the French Baccalaureate. Although the French Bac path may have once seen unlikely to native English speakers, it is becoming an increasingly common choice for students who enrolled at ISB in Elementary School, particularly those looking to complete their bilingual journey and prepare for the academic demands of college and university programs.
![Mika Amdour, Class of 2021]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1728996369/isboston/x4pis9smfb301kdycmyq/17270454762051.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1728996369/isboston/x4pis9smfb301kdycmyq/17270454762051.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1728996369/isboston/x4pis9smfb301kdycmyq/17270454762051.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1728996369/isboston/x4pis9smfb301kdycmyq/17270454762051.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1728996369/isboston/x4pis9smfb301kdycmyq/17270454762051.jpg","width":1280}])
When I was in Middle School, I took half of my courses in English and half in French. I enjoyed my French classes very much and saw my linguistic skills improve. I decided I wanted to pass the Brevet to "complete" my French education, at least to an extent. I kept enjoying how our French teachers taught, and I saw my French improve. It was then a natural decision to stay in the French track – I liked the teaching styles, I felt my French improve, and I was able to deepen my understanding of French culture.
![Maia, Class of 2018]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1728995590/isboston/negxgkqu5vvpwoq6nmtp/blog-wtl-maia-carvalho-1980x1241.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1728995590/isboston/negxgkqu5vvpwoq6nmtp/blog-wtl-maia-carvalho-1980x1241.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1728995590/isboston/negxgkqu5vvpwoq6nmtp/blog-wtl-maia-carvalho-1980x1241.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1728995590/isboston/negxgkqu5vvpwoq6nmtp/blog-wtl-maia-carvalho-1980x1241.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1728995590/isboston/negxgkqu5vvpwoq6nmtp/blog-wtl-maia-carvalho-1980x1241.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1728995590/isboston/negxgkqu5vvpwoq6nmtp/blog-wtl-maia-carvalho-1980x1241.jpg","width":1980}])
Throughout high school, students at ISB were encouraged to reach out to teachers to ask for help with assignments, understand a complicated concept, or delve deeper into a topic of interest. Right from the start of college, I felt comfortable going to a professor’s office hours to ask questions about the material or help with an assignment. I realized that many of my peers were more reluctant to seek out this type of interaction with our professors.
![Sonja, Class of 2021]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1728995007/isboston/fejyhdj1o2dswht18xhe/unnamed.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1728995007/isboston/fejyhdj1o2dswht18xhe/unnamed.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1728995007/isboston/fejyhdj1o2dswht18xhe/unnamed.jpg","width":527}])
I think ISB's most attractive and perhaps important quality is students' preparation for a high school diploma and either a French or International Baccalaureate. I can attest that this goal drives a very disciplined and intensive approach to education. Being a student at ISB fosters a worldwide lens on contemporary and historical issues and a more global sense of cultural awareness.