The first day of school: wild chattering, a cacophony of voices, constant commotion and a never ending sea of new faces, especially for transfer students.
Sophomore Justin Kim was just another transfer student walking down the halls of Marshall, taking in the new environment.
On the other side of the building, but facing the same situation were freshmen Lily Roth and Marcelo Guzman, other transfer students.
They are just three of the many transfer students Marshall has seen this year.
According to recent data collected by Student Services, the number of transfer students has significantly increased from last year.
Marshall has gained 38 freshman, 44 sophomore, 34 junior and 12 senior transfer students from other Fairfax County Public Schools.
Cindy Blakeley, director of students services, said that many students and their parents are attracted to the school because of ?student successes due to colleges being more in tune with International Baccalaureate (IB) because of families having looked at college data.?
IB Film Study and English 10 Honors teacher Pierce Bello said Marshall seems to be growing quite a rapport with families whose jobs require them to travel.
He added that many of these families intend to send their children to international schools.
?Many military families prefer Marshall because of its focus on multiculturalism,? Bello said, explaining that they move frequently and might even hope to have jobs in other countries.
Roth, a freshmen who transferred from Langley, her original feeder school, was ?interested in IB and how it was more oriented towards the world, and [she likes] learning about other cultures? rather than what she already knows and is used to, she said.
In addition to providing more international focus, Kim, a sophomore from Falls Church High School, said that his parents considered it a better option than Advanced Placement (AP).
Kim explained that IB seemed to offer more in terms of exposure and the courses were more to his liking.
?AP concentrates on straight laced facts while IB has a different approach to learning,? Blakeley said.
It not only helps out student now, but also later on when they go to college, she added.
Freshman Marcelo Guzman, who transferred from Langley, his original feeder school, to pursue the IB diploma, seconds this claim.
?All of my three siblings went through [the IB program] and had a good experience when they went to college. It made it less challenging and helped ease their transition into college,? Guzman said.
In addition to the IB program, Marshall?s overall ranking has also increased in recent years.
Marshall has been awarded a silver distinction by U.S. News & World Report, combined with the top 15th position nationwide as an IB school.
?Marshall has very talented and dedicated teachers and equally h a r d w o r k i n g students,? which plays a crucial role in its top ranking, Bello said.
Like Guzman, sophomore Jasmine Oo, had the chance to go to Falls Church High school, but she chose Marshall instead.
?Lunch and Learn really helps me out because the teachers can give a lot more individual attention,? Oo said.
?I chose Marshall because I felt more comfortable in Marshall and I really wanted to do the IB program just like my brother,? she added.