<p>I'm a high school student (from Australia) who will be relocating to the UK in May. I've enrolled at a competitive international school (formerly an American school) who offer both the IB and AP programs.</p>
<p>I'm interested in a number of universities, including ANU, USyd and UQ (in Australia), as well as LSE and Oxbridge (in the UK). I know that most people would suggest the IB because of this, however all of the aforementioned universities recognise both qualifications. </p>
<p>Honestly, I'm more attracted to the AP + US qualification option than the IB due to the sheer freedom of subject choice etc., I've also heard that IB can be far more stressful than AP.</p>
<p>So, in your opinion, would pursuing an AP/US qualification be wise (or unwise)? At the end of the day, is there any advantage of taking one course over the other?</p>
<p>Personally, I would go with APs if all the universities you are interested in recognize it. I would much rather focus on the subjects I am interested in than take hard classes I don’t care about for the IB.</p>
<p>It depends on how much work you’re willing to take on. I did the IB Diploma, and I believe its rigour really pushed me beyond the boundaries of what I thought I could do. There are various components to the IB beyond your six subjects, like the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and even Creativity/Action/Service. Each one of these will make you a better thinker in many ways-they will teach you how to write academically, research, gather information, form logical conclusions and apply what you think in the real world. I don’t think the IB makes you take classes you don’t care about, but the general assumption is that you have to be interested in a broader spectrum of choices rather than just one or two particular subjects. Is the IB better preparation for life in college? Yes it is, but only for those who truly enjoy it for what it is; if at all you feel that you’d rather not focus on research and academic papers while in high school, then you’re better off with the APs, but if you want to move beyond the traditional means of learning in secondary education, and become an independent thinker, choose the IBDP.</p>
<p>I followed my country’s national curriculum, which is very similar to the IB. I learned how to bs a 20-page paper and how to get through classes I have no interest in whatsoever, all while not having time to take all of the classes I did actually want to take. I started dreading my school work and my grades suffered as a result.</p>
<p>Go with the system that would make you the strongest college applicant. Struggling through the IB is hardly worth it if your grades or work ethic suffer in the process!</p>
<p>You will find the IB more similar to the HSC in its rigour. </p>
<p>Aspects of it the extended essay are similar in some ways to English Extension 2 for example. The theory of knowledge course is pretty similar to a hybrid between History Extension and Philosophy. </p>
<p>Personally I find the IB much more prestigious and rigorous. </p>
<p>I’ve looked through some AP books, and they look quite easy to me. (Maybe that’s a good thing - who knows). </p>
<p>However I think that if you take the AP you will probably be judged on American standards to adcoms. Whether that’s an issue (keeping in mind some pretty spectacular domestic applicants many of whom have racked up 10s of APs and gotten 5s on all of them) is up to you.</p>
<p>we here in germany have to do the Abitur with lots of requirements, making it nearly impossible to focus. although the IB is much more recognized and will probably help you with admissions, i would personally to the AP curriculum</p>
<p>I would go with the IB as it gives more options. Nearly every university in every country (including most of the prestigious American ones) recognizes and understands the IB, with the AP’s, you have fewer options.</p>