Your Pathway to International
Baccalaureate Begins Today!
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How Are Applicants Chosen?
Applicants are selected based on a variety of criteria including:
* Middle School Standardized Test Scores *
* 8th Grade Academic GPA *
* Successful Completion of Algebra I *
*ALL OF THIS CRITERIA IS OBTAINED THROUGH FOCUS FOR CURRENT VCS STUDENTS*
Private School, Home School and Out of State/Country Students having difficulty creating a Focus account can email Mrs. Cappiello at [email protected], if necessary, after December 13, 2025, application release.
We do not limit the number of students accepted for IB. Numbers are only limited by individual student qualifications and whether deadlines have been met. Acceptance of IN‐ZONE public and private school students into programs of choice is on‐going; however, teaching units will be determined during the month of March and may limit the number of available seats, so all students need to meet the district deadlines so we can ensure your admission.
Please know this is an extremely busy time of year. The best way to contact us is through email. We know that this time can be exciting and sometimes overwhelming for families. We make every effort to try to guide you through the process and advise you for the best path for you. We will offer multiple opportunities for you to gain information, ask questions and assist you with your transition to high school.
Today, as every day, is A Great Day to be a HAWK!
* Middle School Standardized Test Scores *
* 8th Grade Academic GPA *
* Successful Completion of Algebra I *
*ALL OF THIS CRITERIA IS OBTAINED THROUGH FOCUS FOR CURRENT VCS STUDENTS*
Private School, Home School and Out of State/Country Students having difficulty creating a Focus account can email Mrs. Cappiello at [email protected], if necessary, after December 13, 2025, application release.
We do not limit the number of students accepted for IB. Numbers are only limited by individual student qualifications and whether deadlines have been met. Acceptance of IN‐ZONE public and private school students into programs of choice is on‐going; however, teaching units will be determined during the month of March and may limit the number of available seats, so all students need to meet the district deadlines so we can ensure your admission.
Please know this is an extremely busy time of year. The best way to contact us is through email. We know that this time can be exciting and sometimes overwhelming for families. We make every effort to try to guide you through the process and advise you for the best path for you. We will offer multiple opportunities for you to gain information, ask questions and assist you with your transition to high school.
Today, as every day, is A Great Day to be a HAWK!
Step 1: Consider attending the High School Showcase December 11th!
The High School Showcase is optional, but it allows you to see the wide variety of programs available at the different high schools throughout Volusia County if you are trying to decide if IB is right for you. We encourage you to read through the information about our program on this website and come to our school Academy Information Night because the Showcase format does not allow us provide much detail or answer every question you may have. www.vcsedu.org/cte/high-school-showcase
Step 2: Attend SCHS Academy Information Night January 14th
This night provides time for families to meet current IB students. It also provides time for families to ask the students, counselors and the coordinator questions about the program.
- 6:00pm Welcome and General Session in the auditorium
- 6:30pm Breakout Sessions for IB, AITR, the Academy of Finance, the Academy of Design and Management, Academy of Videography, and AVID at SCHS
Step 3: Turn in Completed Application by the District Deadline. Friday, January 31st!
Late applications cannot be accepted.
We also encourage all students who are interested to fill out the application even if they have not made up their mind yet. Applications will be available in Parent Portal from Focus. If you need the code to set up a Parent Portal account, please reach out to your middle school registrar. The directions to access Parent Portal are available HERE.
We also encourage all students who are interested to fill out the application even if they have not made up their mind yet. Applications will be available in Parent Portal from Focus. If you need the code to set up a Parent Portal account, please reach out to your middle school registrar. The directions to access Parent Portal are available HERE.
Click below for directions for Current VCS students to apply on Parent Portal.
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Click below for directions for Non VCS students to apply on Parent Portal.
If a non-VCS student (such as home school) was enrolled in a VCS school after 2019-2020 at any point, they may need to contact their current zoned school to retrieve their Parent Portal information including PIN #. The registrar at the Middle School should be able to assist you with getting a PIN #.
If a non-VCS student (such as home school) was NOT enrolled in a VCS school after 2019-2020 at any point, they would need to complete the registration process through FOCUS (see the attached document for non-VCS students).
Contact Tammy Young if you are running into issues.
If a non-VCS student (such as home school) was NOT enrolled in a VCS school after 2019-2020 at any point, they would need to complete the registration process through FOCUS (see the attached document for non-VCS students).
Contact Tammy Young if you are running into issues.
| Create a VCS Parent Portal (If Student Does Not Have a Student ID#) |
Applications must include:
- Completed information and submission through Focus Parent Portal. Remember that you can only choose ONE advanced program. Home school and private school students will need to create a parent portal account through Focus or obtain a paper application from Tammy Young. Directions are above for how to create a Focus Parent Portal Account for Non-VCS students. Once you have successfully applied, you should get a confirmation email to the parent email on the Focus Parent Portal Account.
- Once the applications close, we will email to all applying families to submit additional supplemental documents, if necessary (Recent report card, ELA and Math test scores) for review. We take a wholistic approach to considering students and any student who does not have standardized test scores due to school enrollment will still be able to apply and be considered.
All applications are evaluated for completeness. We never deny students for missing portions. It is most important that a student complete the Focus Parent Portal electronic application. Please ensure your contact information, especially the parent email and phone number, is correct—Mrs. Belinsky will contact any family with an applicant who has an incomplete evaluation so missing portions can be obtained.
Application Deadline: January 30, 2026
Step 4: Acceptance Notification February 13th-20th!
On February 13, 2025: Acceptance/denial notification letters will be sent to parents from FOCUS with instructions on how to select one (1) program of choice through the FOCUS Parent Portal. We will also mail acceptance letters home in February the week of February 13th..
Step 5: Declare Intent to Join IB by the Deadline--February 27th!
By February 27th ‐ DEADLINE for program of choice Declaration of Intent
To CONFIRM a seat in one (1) program of choice, parents must communicate the Declaration of Intent through the FOCUS Parent Portal. If you are having issues with your program confirmation or if you are trying to accept our program and an academy (for example, Academy of Finance and IB), please reach out via email/phone to Jennifer Belinsky at [email protected] for assistance.
To CONFIRM a seat in one (1) program of choice, parents must communicate the Declaration of Intent through the FOCUS Parent Portal. If you are having issues with your program confirmation or if you are trying to accept our program and an academy (for example, Academy of Finance and IB), please reach out via email/phone to Jennifer Belinsky at [email protected] for assistance.
Step 6: After Acceptance
Once accepted, students will be scheduled by an IB counselor through their current middle school. All private school and home school students cannot be scheduled until the summertime (this does not impact elective selection as the master schedule is not completed until July). All families will receive a list of requested courses by mail at the end of February and we will have an optional Open House and Club Expo in March where families will have the opportunity to "Consult a Counselor" if they have questions or would like to make changes. We look forward to welcoming our IB HAWKS Class of 2030!
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
