IB Diploma · Ages 14–18 · Online
Research Mentorship for IB Students
ScholarBridge pairs IB Diploma students with subject-specialist mentors to develop genuine research skills—skills that deepen your Extended Essay, strengthen university applications, and outlast the diploma itself.
Why Mentorship Fits the IB
The IB asks students to think like researchers—mentorship teaches them how
The IB Diploma already expects independent inquiry, interdisciplinary thinking, and reflective writing. What it does not always provide is sustained, one-to-one guidance from someone who works in the field a student wants to explore. That is where mentorship adds depth.
Extended Essay depth
Develop a sharper research question, stronger methodology, and better source work than the EE timeline alone typically allows.
CAS reflections
A research project grounded in real inquiry gives CAS reflections genuine substance—because there is genuine experience to reflect on.
Theory of Knowledge
Working closely with a mentor surfaces the epistemological questions TOK asks: how knowledge is produced, contested, and justified within a discipline.
University preparation
Admissions tutors and interviewers recognise students who have done real intellectual work. Mentorship builds the thinking that comes through in personal statements and interviews.
What IB Students Can Do
Research projects that complement—and go beyond—the IB syllabus
IB students often arrive with strong subject interests but limited experience turning those interests into original questions. Mentorship helps a student move from "I'm interested in economics" to "I want to investigate how monetary policy transmission differs in dollarised economies"—and then guides them through the reading, analysis, and writing that question demands.
The distinction matters: school supervision helps a student complete a requirement; mentorship helps a student develop as a thinker. EE supervision is necessarily spread across many students and constrained by school timelines. Mentorship is one-to-one, subject-matched, and designed to build skills—question formulation, literature engagement, methodological reasoning, academic writing—that transfer to university and beyond.
Projects can draw on literature review, public datasets, policy analysis, archival sources, computational methods, or case studies. The method must fit the question and what the student can genuinely access—not a template imposed from outside.
Flexible Scheduling
Built around the IB calendar, not against it
IB students are busy. Between HL and SL coursework, internal assessments, CAS hours, and exam preparation, time is genuinely limited. ScholarBridge programmes run across a flexible 8–12 week window, and session rhythms are agreed between mentor and student to accommodate IB deadlines.
If a student needs to reduce session frequency during mock exams or IA submission periods, that is planned openly—not treated as a failure to keep pace. The goal is sustained, serious work that fits alongside the diploma, not a competing demand on an already stretched calendar.
Sessions are delivered online, so scheduling works across time zones for IB students studying anywhere in the world.
Which Programme Fits
The right starting point depends on where the student is now
Not every IB student is ready to begin a research project immediately. Some need to explore a field first; others need to strengthen academic writing or source-use skills. Starting at the right level creates momentum—starting too ambitiously creates stress and shallow work.
Further Reading
Guides and resources for IB students
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ScholarBridge mentorship the same as Extended Essay supervision?
No. EE supervision is a requirement managed by your school. ScholarBridge mentorship is a separate, deeper engagement: a student works with a subject-specialist mentor to develop research skills, critical thinking, and academic writing that go well beyond what the EE timeline typically allows. The two can complement each other, but mentorship is not a substitute for your school supervisor.
Can I use my ScholarBridge project as my Extended Essay?
Some students pursue a research question through ScholarBridge that also informs their EE, but we do not guarantee or promise any particular EE outcome. The value of mentorship is the skill development and intellectual depth—not the grade on a single assignment.
How does scheduling work around IB deadlines and exam periods?
Mentorship sessions are scheduled flexibly across an 8–12 week window. Mentor and student agree a rhythm that accounts for IB deadlines, mock exams, and CAS commitments. If a student needs to pause briefly for exam preparation, that is discussed and planned honestly.
Do I need to have chosen my EE subject before starting mentorship?
No. Students who already have a clear research interest can begin with Research Scholar. Students still exploring can start with a Field Seminar or Academic Essentials to build foundations and narrow their focus before committing to a specific question.
Summer cohort deadline · Applications due June 25. A few places remain. We assess applications in order of receipt.
ScholarBridge matches students with doctoral-level or equivalent research mentors across six academic fields. Every project is student-led and completed to a standard the student can stand behind in any university interview.
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