AP International Diploma: does it really help?

<p>As many of you might know, the Advanced Placement International Diploma is available to students attending secondary schools outside the United States and to U.S. resident students applying to universities outside the country. You don't need to apply for it, it is automatically awarded to you if you meet the requirements:
Grades of at least 3 in:
1. Two AP Exams from two different languages selected from English and/or world languages,
2. One AP Exam designated as offering a global perspective,
3. One exam from the sciences or mathematics content areas,
4. One (or two) additional exam(s) from among any content areas except English and world languages.</p>

<p>My question is:
For those who are going to try for it, or at least know something about it, does it really help to have it? I mean, do colleges really look at your application more seriously if you have it?</p>

<p>
[quote]
I mean, do colleges really look at your application more seriously if you have it?

[/quote]

Nope. I don't think any college cares about the diploma itself, but they will certainly take the number of APs you are taking into account.
The AP IB's purpose is to encourage students to take the AP exams necessary to be admissable to certain universities outside the US. (I know that German universities in fact do require at least 4, sometimes 5 AP exams of American students so that they can enroll as first-year students)</p>

<p>Because I sent an e-mail to Sciences-Po Paris, and they told me that they accept the APID for international admissions. Then I answered back asking if the APID was really necessary, or it was the number of AP's that counted, but they didn't answer me back, so I don't know...</p>

<p>I don't know about French universities, but German u's only count the number and the subjects of the APs. If you want to study engineering for example, you need only one language but two math/science APs; the APID (with a science as the optional AP) would give you admission to all subjects.</p>

<p>I know this thread is a bit old, but...
would the APID be of any use when applying to UK universities? I'm about to be a senior, and I'll have most of the requirements for the APID filled. I'm missing one, however: it's the Global category: <a href="http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/program/initiatives/38601.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/program/initiatives/38601.html&lt;/a>
My school doesn't offer Comparative Government, Human Geography, or World History, so I'd have to self-study one of these three. Would it actually be worth it? MY UK list so far includes Oxford, St Andrews, LSE, Warwick, and KCL (though perhaps it'll be replaced by Aberystwyth).</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>You should look at the schools and their requirements which depend upon the subject you want to study. I doubt that the APID is of any use per se.</p>

<p>If we are living in the United States then is this beneficial?</p>

<p>^It’s even MORE useless in the USA.</p>

<p>Assuming a student has little to no awards, would having the AP International Diploma benefit the person’s application at all? </p>

<p>I want to get that award next year but in order to do so I’d have to self-study a few additional APs which I don’t really care for like AP Human Geography and AP French(my first language but I haven’t used it in 2 years). I’d have to take AP French at school and give up my studying of Japanese. </p>

<p>Am I better off spending the time self-studying other APs like Psych and Bio etc.?</p>

<p>^This thread is one year old.

See [AP</a> International Diploma (APID) - Tools and Program - College Board International](<a href=“http://international.collegeboard.org/programs/apid]AP”>AP International Diploma – AP Central | College Board)

</p>

<p>Issac: if French is your first language, you do NOT need to take AP French at school. You can just register for it and take it after brushing up on your spelling, conjugation, etc. The basic level required is B1 to B1+ which you should have as a native speaker.</p>

<p>However the award only matters to foreign universities, not to American universities. It doesn’t hurt to have it of course but it’s not the kind of award that would make or break your case. However, if you don’t have many awards and since you’ve got an international experience as a French speaker, this may enhance your application if you plan to discuss what that international experience brings to the college’s diversity.</p>

<p>Do american colleges not care about that award? I guess I could sign up and see how I do on it but I’m not really confident with my french because it’s being a long time and I don’t really remember any of my traditions etc. Would that be a problem. I speak it just fine though.</p>

<p>This is B1. The test is B1-B1+.
[CEFR</a> level B1 (Intermediate): EUR.nl](<a href=“http://www.eur.nl/english/ltc/alumni/cefr/b1/]CEFR”>CEFR levels | Erasmus University Rotterdam)
I doubt that you wouldn’t be able to get a 4 or a 5.</p>

<p>Is this pointless if you are planning to attend a US college or does it show a higher level of academic accomplishment?.. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>American universities like AP classes. The more APs the better, but don’t kill yourself to get the distribution of AP exams that you’d need for special AP distinctions. (For example, if you didn’t attend an English-speaking high school, you’d probably have a hard time with the English language and literature APs; don’t worry about those then.) </p>

<p>Also, if your school followed another AP-level standardized curriculum (like English A-levels, the French Baccelaureate, the German Abitur, etc), don’t worry about taking AP exams either. It wouldn’t add anything to your application to submit both A-level math scores as well as an AP calculus score. </p>

<p>Question to anyone who knows about foreign university admissions:</p>

<p>Is APID (+high school transcript +application) enough to apply for APID eligible foreign universities? (Specifically, University of Melbourne and Cambridge University).</p>

<p>Certainly not for Cambridge, since the admission requirements are subject specific. (For example, you’d need AP Calculus and AP Physics to be admitted as a prospective natural science/physics major.)</p>