Blue Mountains students were among the top achievers at St Paul’s Grammar School for 2013 following the release of International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma results on Monday.
Seventeen St Paul’s students achieved IB scores of 37 or above, equating to Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranks (ATARs) above 95. Top scoring IB Diploma students from the Blue Mountains included Nicholas Coulshed of Mount Riverview and Lachlan Johns of Blaxland with IB 42 (ATAR 99.25) and Sarah Smith-Wade of Springwood with IB 41 (ATAR 98.70).
Lachlan Johns hopes to study medicine at the University of New South Wales, University of Western Sydney or Newcastle, having sat for the UMAT (Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test) in mid-2013.
Mr Johns found the challenge of time management and planning for study difficult.
“I was used to cramming for exams — even when I was well prepared. I felt that every minute counts and I wanted to use as much time as I could,” he said.
The Blaxland teenager said that he felt calm for the final exam session and had learnt to be more relaxed through his half yearly and trial examinations.
“Do the little things early... as leaving them to complete late will stress you out. Remember to relax in Year 12, and take the time to have some fun and enjoy your last year of school,” he said.
St Paul’s Grammar IB Diploma program co-ordinator Antony Mayrhofer congratulated the students.
“The outstanding academic results of St Paul’s IB Diploma graduates reflects their excellent application to the International Baccalaureate Diploma over the past two years,” he said.
“This has been a very special group of students to work with. They have been an inspiration to all those who have been blessed with the opportunity to work with them.”
Sereibanndith Seang of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was the dux of St Paul’s from the class of 2013 with an IB score of 43 out of a maximum possible 45, equating to an ATAR of 99.60.
The IB Diploma is a highly regarded international senior secondary program of study that more than 120,000 students world-wide sit for each year in more than 120 countries. It is an increasingly popular alternative to the HSC with a dozen Sydney Schools now offering the Diploma Program and more joining every year.
