Parents are constantly seeking an edge for getting their students into the most selective schools possible. Graduates of one program (though using its international spelling convention, it should be "programme"), gained such an edge in 2003. Their admissions prospects into Harvard improved by 2%; into Yale by 2%; into Stanford by over 4.5%; and into the UCs by over 26%. The programme I'm referring to is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme; it's quite a lengthy and impressive name. Yet, it's a program well respected by some of the heavyweights in the selective school universe: