College/Career Counseling

IAA School Profile

 

2021- 2022 School profile for University purposes
International Academy Amman

CEEB Code: 681068

Director: Dr. Hana Kanan

Head of Secondary: Mr. Martin Thompson

DP Coordinator: Mr. Justin Hayward

College Counselor: Ms. Aya Abdel Hadi

 

2021- 2022 School profile for University purposes
International Academy Amman

CEEB Code: 681068

Director: Dr. Hana Kanan

Head of Secondary: Mr. Martin Thompson

DP Coordinator: Mr. Justin Hayward

College Counselor: Ms. Aya Abdel Hadi

The School Community
IAA is proud to introduce its twelfth graduating class of International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma students. IAA was founded in 2004 as an English medium, independent, non-profit, co-educational day school in Amman, Jordan. IAA is governed by an independent Board of Directors and is the hallmark institution working under the umbrella of the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and is the sister school to King’s Academy. The school caters for Pre KG to Grade 12 and currently is home to over 1174 students, of whom 558 are in the Secondary School. There are 74 students in Grade 12 and as a sign of our strong philosophy of inclusivity at IAA only a small number not taking the full IB Diploma. Many of our students have benefitted from the strong academic and financial scholarship programme. IAA is fortunate to have state of the art resources offering excellent IT, Arts, Design Technology and Science facilities. The teaching staff is truly international being drawn from many different countries and the student body is predominantly Jordanian (89.35%) although many students have dual nationalities and have resided overseas.

Our Philosophy
The Vision and Mission statements of IAA complement those of the IB as we aim to provide an international education in an Arabic setting. We are excited by the opportunity to help shape graduates who have a love for learning, are critical thinkers, have an awareness of their greater community and the role they can play in promoting international understanding and acceptance. We are justifiably proud of our CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) programme which all Grade 11 and 12 students must complete and which is recognized for its diversity and quality. Our Profile of a Graduate embodies a student who is fully prepared to confidently navigate their higher education and career and workplace thereafter and who will actively contribute to building a society that we all aspire to see in our world. 

Curriculum, Accreditation and Authorisation
In 2007 IAA gained authorization from the IB to offer the Middle Years Programme (Grades 6 to 10) and in 2009 gained authorization to offer the Diploma Programme (Grades 11 and 12). All Grade 12 students will gain ‘Equivalency’ with the local Jordanian Tawjihi, as well as the IAA High School Diploma. Our Primary school follows the UK national curriculum for Literacy and the Australian curriculum for Mathematics. IAA is a fully accredited member of the Council for International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the International Schools Service (ISS) and the Middle East International Baccalaureate Association (MEIBA). We further validate our curriculum by taking the ISA tests annually for Grades 3 to 9. Since beginning the exercise our performance has consistently shown that our students perform above the world average and our record continues to show improvement. 

Grading at IAA
Grades 9 to 10:

MYP students take up to 12 subjects (minimum 9) for the MYP that are marked on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). The core subjects are English, Arabic, Mathematics, Science (either Integrated or as three Discrete Sciences), Religion, Individuals and Societies, and students choose either one or two options from the Arts, Design, Physical and Health CEEB Code: 681068 Education or Spanish. In addition, students are also graded on their Personal Project (a 4,000 word report on an engagement activity of their choice) and the Inter-Disciplinary Examination which tests a students’ ability to synthesise knowledge and skills from different curriculum.

Grades 11 to 12:

Diploma Students: take 6 subjects (3 at higher level and 3 at standard level, in rare cases some students will take 4 at higher level and 2 at standard level) that are marked on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest) and complete the Diploma core (CAS, Extended Essay and TOK) as well as taking Religion. Diploma Course Students: take 6 subjects (either 3 at higher level and 3 at standard level or 2 at higher level and 4 at standard level) that are marked on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest) as well as taking Religion. Diploma Course students must also complete CAS. GPA: scores are given on the transcript but are based on an average of the IB grading system of 1 to 7. High Honours are awarded for a GPA of 6.51 or more and Honours for a GPA of 6.0 or more.

Our Graduates
Our graduates are highly motivated and look forward to the challenge of higher education in countries all over the world. It is our expectation that nearly 100% will pursue 4 year colleges or universities. Students are applying to the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.

Class Rank
IAA does not use Class Rank. 

Student Activities
IAA students are given many leadership opportunities. They may contribute to student literary productions such as the school newspaper and yearbook, be active in student governance groups, as well as participate in the Model United Nations (we are particularly proud of our student organized MUN conference and the awards our own students gain in national and overseas conferences), theatrical, choral, band and dance productions. We also have Robotics and F1 science clubs. Our overseas trips programme that concentrates on action, internationalism and intercultural understanding is also very strong in the school. Volunteering within the community is required and the programme is very well supported, authentic and high profile for our students. We also have a well-established work shadowing and internship programme. Opportunities are available to participate in a wide range of interscholastic sports and our sports teams (both boys and girls) have a very successful record in competition amongst the local Amman Private Schools and in International competitions (mainly of schools in the Middle East). On our current enrolment we have numerous students who hold Jordanian national records in Athletics and Swimming and who represent their country in a number of other disciplines. 

Student Achievements in the Diploma Programme
We are very proud of the results IAA students have achieved in our first eight years. Very few students in the world receive more than 40 points and we have an above average number of students attaining this honour. Last year 36% of our Diploma students gained 40 points or more. We have also had students score the full 45 points in three of our graduating classes, a feat which is only achieved by around 0.4% of all IB students worldwide. In the last 5 years, on four occasions our Diploma students have a 100% pass rate compared to the world average of 79% and our average Diploma points grade has exceeded the world average for the past eight years and now stands at 37 points. What we are most proud of is the proportion of our students who receive over 30 points, which is considerably greater than the world average. We are also proud of the fact that our students, in a short amount of time, have gained access to many of the top 20 universities in the world.

COVID-19 and IAA 
IAA has worked incredibly hard to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and to ensure that teaching and learning remains broad and rigorous. Since March 2020 the majority of our teaching and learning has been online with Grades 6 to 10 having 4 weeks, Grade 11 having 6 weeks and Grade 12 having 7 weeks of face to face learning in that period to date (October 2020). We have not shortened the school day and we have not reduced the number of subjects that are taught. We have also adapted our delivery in order to continue with all units of instruction. Assessments that have to be done online have been adapted to ensure authenticity with much more open ended and project based tasks. Grade 12 students have been allowed back to campus to complete their practical work in order to complete the requirements of their Internal Assessments (particularly in the Sciences). We are proud that IAA has gained the reputation of a school that has continued to fully serve its students in Jordan and believe that our graduating class of 2021 is not significantly disadvantaged by the circumstances that have befallen them. 

 

Counselling Tips & Reminders

Career and University Counselling is a personalised service available to students in the Secondary School. Typically, 100% of all our graduates enter 3-4 year undergraduate programmes at university with more than 85% opting to study at an international university.

Beginning at Grade 9 through to Grade 12, students are guided and assisted with

Career and University Counselling is a personalised service available to students in the Secondary School. Typically, 100% of all our graduates enter 3-4 year undergraduate programmes at university with more than 85% opting to study at an international university.

Beginning at Grade 9 through to Grade 12, students are guided and assisted with

  • Subject choice - Selection of appropriate subject combinations to satisfy the requirements of their desired major at university
  • Test Prep - Preparation for university tests like SAT by holding SAT sessions and PSAT tests
  • University search - Assistance in choosing the universities that best fit their requirements and abilities
  • Application Forms - Collection and organization of requirements, deadlines, and recommendation letters
  • Personal Statements - Advice on the appropriate content and language

The school also hosts extensive university visits from leading advisors and representatives from world's top universities on regular basis and throughout the year.

IAA is a member of such organizations as 'College Board' and was recently made an accredited test centre for SAT and PSAT.
IAA is also a member of UCAS, Common Application and CIS.

We invite you to browse this section of the website which contains links to many useful resources. For further assistance, contact Aya Abdel Hadi at a.abdelhadi@iaa.edu.jo

The University Application Guidebook

Acceptances for IAA Students

 

United States

United Kingdom

Canada

Other

Academy of Art University

Aston University

Acadia University

American University of Beirut

American University of Washington

Bangor University

Bishop’s University

American University of Cairo

Amherst College

Bath University

Brock University

American University of Paris

Arizona State University

Brunel University

Carleton University

American University of Sharjah

Art Center College of Design

City University

Concordia University

Bond University

Bentley University

Cardiff University

Lakehead University

Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam

Boston University

Coventry University

McGill University

Franklin College

Brown University

Durham University

McMaster University

German Jordan University

California College of the Arts (Oakland)

Goldsmith College, University of London

Mount Allison University

IE University

California College of the Arts (San Francisco)

Guilford College

Queen’s University

John Cabot

California State Polytechnic

University, Pomona

Heriot Watt University

Ryerson University

Lebanese American University

Case Western Reserve University

Imperial College of Science,

Technology and Medicine

University of Toronto

Middle East Technical University

Columbia University

Keele University

University of Waterloo

New York University – Abu

Dhabi

Cornell University

Kings College London

Saint Mary's University

Royal College of Surgeons in

Ireland

De Montfort University

Kingston University

St. Francis Xavier University

Royal College of Surgeons in Bahrain

Drake University

Leeds Metropolitan University

University of British Columbia

The Hague University

Duke University

London Metropolitan

University

University of Guelph

Universiteit Utrecht

East Carolina University

London School of Economics

UOIT

University of Jordan

Emory University

Middlesex University

University of Ottawa

Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar

Florida Institute of Technology

Newcastle University

University of Western Ontario

 

Fordham University

Nottingham Trent University

University of Windsor

George Mason university

Oxford Brookes University

York University

George Washington University

Oxford University

Georgetown University

Queens University –Belfast

Harvard University

Queen Mary, University of London

Irvine Valley College

Richmond College

Jacksonville University

Sheffield Hallam University

James Madison University

SOAS

James Madison University

St. George's, University of

London

Johns Hopkins University

Swansea University

Knox College

The Arts University College

at Bournemouth Wallisdown

Long Island University

The University of Winchester

Marist College

Trent University

Marymount University

University College London

Massachusetts College of

Pharmacy and Health Sciences

University for the Creative

Arts at Canterbury

MCPHS - Massachusetts College

of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

University of Aberdeen

New York University

University of Birmingham

Northeastern University

University of Bradford

Northwestern University

University of Brighton

Pace University

University of Bristol

Parsons The New School for

Design

University of Dundee

Pratt Institute

University of East Anglia

Ringling College of Art and

Design

University of East London

Rochester Institute of Technology

University of Edinburgh

Rollins College

University of Essex

Savannah College of Art and

Design

University of Exeter

School of Visual Arts

University of Glasgow

St John’s University

University of Greenwich

St Mary’s College of California

University of Kent

Stanford University

University of Leeds

The Ohio State University

University of Liverpool

University of California at

Berkeley

University of Manchester

University of California at Davis

University of Nottingham

University of California at San

Diego

University of Portsmouth

University of California Irvine

University of Sheffield

University of California Los

Angeles

University of Southampton

University of Chicago

University of Surrey

University of Connecticut

University of Sussex

University of Illinois Chicago

University of the Arts

London

University of Massachusetts

University of Warwick

University of North Carolina at

Asheville

University of West of

England

University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill

University of Westminster

University of North Carolina

Charlotte

University of Winchester

University of Notre Dame

University of York

University of Pennsylvania

University of Portland

University of Rhode Island

University of Rochester

University of Tampa

University of Virginia

Wesleyan University