North London Collegiate School Jeju’s Class of 2021 scored an average of 39 points in the International Baccalaureate diploma program, demonstrating academic excellence even with the virus-ridden year.

The IB diploma program is a two-year educational assessment that provides internationally accepted qualification for entry into top universities across the globe.

According to NLCS, it marked the second year in a row for the school’s graduate class to post an average score of 39. The global average was 33 this year.

“They have secured a vast array of offers at the world’s most prestigious universities,” said NLCS Jeju Principal Lynne Oldfield.

“Academic excellence is at the core of their achievements as seen in this rigorous examination performance and our Class of 2021 deserve our sincere congratulations.”

Last year’s NLCS Jeju graduates earned admission to some of the most prestigious schools across the world, including Columbia and Stanford universities in the US and the UK’s Cambridge and Oxford. This year’s admissions results will be released later in the summer, according to NLCS Jeju.

With a total of 114 IB diploma program candidates in the Class of 2021, they achieved a 99 percent passing rate against the global average of 89 percent.

Two NLCS Jeju students scored a perfect 45 in the IB diploma program, while 48 percent of the students marked over 40 points.

“These are truly outstanding results and we are incredibly proud of our hard-working and resilient students,” said Justin Oliver, the school’s IB coordinator.

“Despite the unprecedented challenges they faced, they proved themselves to be great scholars in their examinations and they have been well rewarded for their efforts.”

Since its establishment in 2011, the international school on Jeju Island has become one of the most academically respected institutions across not only Korea, but all of Asia. As a day and boarding school for children aged 4 to 18, over 1,400 students attend NLCS Jeju.

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)