AP vs. IB classes?

Applying to College
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<p>debate addict- just being curious, but are you a junior or a senior? I<code>m currently taking 4HL subjects (HL chem, bio, math, econs) and I</code>ll be finishing off my exams this may. </p>

<p>It kind of does make a difference if you are taking 4 HL`s especially in math/science and aiming for a high score. This is because there is more material to cover and an extra paper in the exam.

Of course, the grading (for school grades) may differ, so the difficulty of the courses will vary hence it may seem like it doesnt make such a difference doing 3 or 4 HLs.

But when it comes down to doing all the IAs, along with finishing EE/TOK in your final year and applying for colleges at the same time and also preparing for exams, it really does get hectic. Again, if youre truly amazing in your subjects then this may not necessarily be the case, but I know people last yr who had 42s on their diploma taking 4HLs and they said the extra workload was just crazy. Im not trying to deter you from doing 4HLs, Im just saying doing 3 and 4HLs does make a huge differnece and you dont realize this until your final year.

Btw, you can only do self-taught if it is your first language and this has to be as a SL (as in A1), and hence I dont think hsmomstef`s son can do arabic seeing as it is his second language.</p>

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<p>I see about the self-taught thing...</p>

<p>As far as I am concerned, I love my four highers and if i could i would take Greek (that is SL now) HL...i might actually...
I am a junior, and in terms of IAs and grades and hectic stuff, i have so much planned out for next year and thankfully the only thing I am not worried about is my grades (41 midterms, 41.1 second quarter and 40.4 first quarter)
I know that all it takes is studying and I am and have been willing to dedicate a significant amount of my time to studying (pulled off 9 all-nighters this year)</p>

<p>But as long as u r determined, go for it..</p>

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<p>
[quote]
I<code>m not trying to deter you from doing 4HL</code>s, I<code>m just saying doing 3 and 4HL</code>s does make a huge differnece and you dont realize this until your final year.

[/quote]

It depends a lot on how well people manage their time. I took 4 HL's, 3 SL's, and several AP electives without going crazy. It's one of the benefits of IB. By the end of high school, I could whip out a paper in no time (some did their EE overnight...not something I'd recommend!). Fastforward to freshman year, and I could breeze through papers that other freshmen had to sweat over.</p>

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<p>Doing your EE overnight sounds absolutely insane! Wow.</p>

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<p>I'm an IB student in a 4-year HS program. We have 2 years of "pre-IB" and then 2 years in the "real" IB program. I'm only in Freshman year, so I can't offer lots of insight into the system, but this is what I know:</p>

<p>A lot comes down to the individual school. In a school with lots of hard-working students, the standards of teachers will be raised and the teachers will grade harder. For example, in my area, there are IB schools that are magnet programs and IB schools that are not magnet programs. Although the education is equally good, the teachers will probably grade harder in the magnet program.</p>

<p>It is possible to take a mix of AP and IB without giving up on the IB diploma. I am going to fit five to six AP classes in my schedule. I do have to take 3 SL and 3 HL instead of 4HL and 2HL, but having a mix of IB and AP will keep my HS routine from becoming monotonous.</p>

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<p>maya, where do you go ?</p>

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<p>I think it would be great to take as much of a demanding course load as possible, but don't do that at the expense of your ecs...it could really harm your applications.</p>

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<p>@debate_addict</p>

<p>I thought the same rule applied to all courses: you must have the necessary hours of teaching in order to do the exams. I was planning to do the Math HL this year but our IB co-coordinator said that IB didn't allow people to take HL course a year in advance. </p>

<p>It seems as though the rule is different for languages. Sorry for the misinformation.</p>

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<p>I doubt that...i think the IB-coordinator is screwing u over
cuz in Athens, I know this kid that is one year before IB and is at IB2 HL...i'd advice u to look into that...it might be true but it might also be false</p>

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<p>You CAN take an HL subject a year in advance but you must take all HL subject exams in your final year. For example, I took the second year of my A2 Japaense HL course in my junior year, but I could not take the HL exam- and so I took it as a SL exam. </p>

<p>You are allowed to take a maximum of 2 SL subject exams in your first year, but no HL subjects. This is also under the condition that you have finished the necessary hours (labs, portoflios, etc) as well. </p>

<p>and warblers, yes I do agree with your opinon that doing 4 HL`s is totally do-able along with APs. However, I also must add that this depends on the level of your HS, for example, my school is notorious for assigning alot of (busy) work and what not so obviously it depends.</p>

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<p>Milki- I go to an IB/non-IB mixed school in MD</p>

<p>My IB program is inflexible in that we have to take English HL and World Studies HL. I thought that this was the same for all IB programs, but after hearing about students who took all three Math, CP and Science exams as their HLs, I suppose it's just my school. Check to see what your school does; it could make a big difference in how your schedule works out.</p>

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<p>great information, guys! I really appreciate the discussion -- it will help both my kids.</p>

<p>I liked the point about the how the school teachs the course and the amount of busy work involved -- if you took three HL courses that each wanted a paper a week, then it would be hard to add a fourth HL course.</p>

<p>If you take 3 SL and 3 HL -- how do you add in so many AP classes? How many periods do you have each day? The school my younger son may attend only has 7 periods, so he could add one additional course (and scheduling conflicts can really cause problems).</p>

<p>What are considered the most work intensive IB HL classes? (not necessarily the hardest -- since I think that depends on the student and his interests and abilities)</p>

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<p>In ninth grade, I take: AP Government
In tenth grade: AP US History, AP Environmental Systems (or other AP elective offered)
In eleventh: AP Calculus AB
In senior year: AP Statistics, one other AP elective (schedule permitting)</p>

<p>On this schedule, I still only have to take seven classes a day, so I don't take any classes online or during lunch. But in order to do lots of APs, you should pick a "short sequence" for your "sixth subject".</p>

<p>I'm not sure if you know, but in IB you do something called a "sixth subject" which is essentially an elective subject that you choose to specialize in and take an exam in. Your sixth subject can be a second science, computer programming, drama, art, music, etc. Some sequences are "longer" than others, meaning that you take two to three years of the class and then the exam. Some are "short", meaning that you only take one year of the class and then you take the exam. The exam will be SL or HL, depending on the sequence. "Short" sequences are usually SL.</p>

<p>If you take a "short" sequence, you have more free slots and flexibility, but you may be giving up on a fourth HL.</p>

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<p>Well, I personally prefer to self-study. I learn better at home than I do at school (ironic isn't it :P). All I need is some limited guidance and I can teach things to myself.</p>

<p>I am a year ahead in Maths so I am able to take Further Maths without problem. As of right now I take Math HL, Eco HL, Phy HL, Chem HL, Further Maths SL, French B SL, and English A1 SL. Taking the corresponding APs for each subject isn't so difficult. Our school is really small, and we have around 6hrs of "free periods" a week, so we have a very flexible schedule.</p>

<p>I am a junior so I haven't completed the courses yet, so I had to do SOME additional self-study for APs. My whole Easter vacation has been dedicated to APs but thats not a lot if you compare that with he potential classes I'll get credit for in university (and save $$$) </p>

<p>Macro/Micro were relatively easy, only topic I hadn't covered was Theory of the Firm in Microeconomics. The APs are easy, and some unis (like GA tech) give more credit to AP Macro/AP Micro than IB Eco HL. </p>

<p>AP French gets more credit than IB French B SL. Most top tier unis don't give credit to SL classes; languages included. AP French is more difficult than IB French B, but I've been living in France for three years so it is not a problem. If i were to take French B HL the workload is much much more than AP French and the credits given for the respective classes in uni. is the same (however IB does look better on applications--like i said in my previous post). I'm also taking IB English Lit. for the same reasons as for AP French. </p>

<p>I'm taking Calculus BC, because I need to stay in "exam mode". I have already completed the Math HL topics and taking the exam will help the topics become clearer in my mind.</p>

<p>I'm also taking Physic C: mech and Chemistry for similar reasons BUT BEWARE they require a lot more knowledge than is known in the first year of IB. </p>

<p>@hsmomstef, the most work intensive classes depend on the student's ability. But in a overly general sense I'd say Physics, Eco, and Math. IB Chemistry is difficult to understand for people without the ability to think in abstract way, however the course load is very light. My peers say Math HL is very difficult, but I can't give you an honesty answer because I self-study and as a consequence never have any homework. Most of my studying is at school. Also, IB Eco is difficult the first few months but then becomes much easier once you begin to UNDERSTAND the topics. I emphasize "understand" because some people in my class decide to try and memorize the material instead of actually learn what it means...and they have failed miserably. </p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

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<p>At my school for IB, we're required to take English HL.</p>

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<p>I understand that. Language A1 is one's native language, or a language that one is extremely proficient in. For instance, I was able to take two A1 courses (Greek and English) but that was only because I was proficient in English. Were that not the case, I would not have been able to take any other A1. And since you do not know another language at the same caliber of your native tongue, it is understandable. By the way, this is the case in all IB schools.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
My IB program is inflexible in that we have to take English HL and World Studies HL. I thought that this was the same for all IB programs, but after hearing about students who took all three Math, CP and Science exams as their HLs, I suppose it's just my school. Check to see what your school does; it could make a big difference in how your schedule works out.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>When a school specifically requires that all students take certain classes HL, it's probably because 1) the school offers only a limited number of options, and 2) they have to do it this way to ensure that the IB kids also meet state graduation requirements.</p>

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<p>True...what Marian said. For instance, in Greece, we have to do Greek A1 in order to get the greek diploma as well and be able to work in greece in the public sector.</p>

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<p>My school offers nearly every single AP class, but IB classes are limited.</p>

<p>At my school, English A1 HL and History of the Americas HL is required for all IB Diploma candidates. French B SL or Spanish B SL are also required. There is no A1 SL, no A2 at all, no B HL, or ab initio when it comes to the language classes. There is also no History of the Americas SL, and no other Group 3 subjects (except for ITGS SL, which is not a replacement for history - can only be taken in place of a group six subject).</p>

<p>Math and science courses are somewhat more flexible. We have Math HL, SL, studies SL, but no further math SL. Biology is HL only, and physics and chemistry is each offered at SL only. As for group six, we only have music and visual arts, both offered at SL and HL (although many people take another science course or ITGS instead of a group six subject).</p>

<p>Luckily, we have all those AP classes to choose from as well.</p>

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<p>Well, all I can say is go with your instinct. Chose what fits U best. For instance, a specific IB course load might have been more suitable for another CCer. But u should not listen to that. See what you want and choose.</p>