<p>I vote IB.</p>
<p>I vote APs, only because I'm obsessed with self-studying and it's taking over my life! :D</p>
<p>Most schools don't offer both so it would be hard to get one person to do a valid comparison.</p>
<p>My school offers both IB and AP - I'm currently taking both - most of my courses are both IB and AP, which means we have to cover both curriculums. </p>
<p>IB is much more of a commitment, and getting a 7 in an IB exam is much harder than getting a 5 in an AP exam. Plus, you have to do the extended essays and the labs to turn in and whatnot, whereas the AP is just a three-hour exam.</p>
<p>I still like the AP program more, though - more flexibility and whatnot. But I think IB requires more effort and time if that's what you consider "hardcore".</p>
<p>IB is like a lifestyle, whereas AP is a couple of classes.</p>
<p>IB is seeming more and more like a waste of time. There are many requirements that I find pointless in learning (I can comprehend mostly everything that I learn without having to write pages of papers and Internal Assessments). I'd rather just have the test at the end of the year to (potentially) get college credit....so much simpler.</p>
<p>IB is for sure harder, especially if you are a Diploma candidate. Scoring 6's & 7's is way harder than 4's and 5's on AP exams, and their are multiple in-class components to your final exam grade (i.e., essays throughout the year that are graded, labs, math portfolios, etc.). Plus, for the Diploma you have to write an extended essay - basically a major research paper -, an short essay for the theory of knowledge class (req. for diploma candidates), and complete community service, athletics, and arts hours, as well as scoring a certain number of points on a combination of six IB tests. AND, IB offers more two-year (called Higher Level) classes than AP does. </p>
<p>The question is, is it worth it?</p>
<p>yeah, i hear that IB is much harder</p>
<p>"IB is like a lifestyle, whereas AP is a couple of classes."
^ love that! </p>
<p>IB is harder, but I think it is worth it. Not for everyone of course, but it does definetly have it's advantages.
1. You are more prepared for uni. After a history paper 3 exam, you will be the only one laughing when your profs tell you that you get two hours to write an essay. You will know how to footnote your assignments properly as well (I hear this costs a lot of first year uni students in their GPAs). Not to mention the workload and time management skills...
2. You are surrounded by intellectuals. Much more interesting than being with the girls who paint their nails in class. I'd rather talk politics, thanks!
3. Why not challenge yourself? It's a hell of a lot better than being bored. I'd rather do millions of IAs than have to sit there day after day doing nothing. The workload is really motivating. Also, I really think that people should not be so anal about school... as in complaining about work, and then trying to shorten their education (taking tons and tons of college credit and those sped-up programs... you'll learn more the other way) because they just want it all to end. Life is all about learning - why not enjoy that part of it and make the most of it?
So yeah.
Don't complain. Challenge yourself. Most people can do way better than they think they can, they just don't believe it. ;)</p>
<p>AP just because I've taken so many</p>
<p>IB definitely. I took four AP tests last year (after learning less than half of the IB material) and scored 5's on two of them and I'm definitely going to have to struggle to even pass some of my IBs I think in order to get that diploma. I agree with what other people have said about the IB: a lot more work. Plus, you can't just randomly decide to take the test without taking the class like you can for APs, so it has higher standards. Maybe some are tedious, but it's still higher.</p>
<p>I believe that IB is much harder.</p>
<p>im doing the full diploma...4 hls and i think its harrdddddd....getting 7s seems almost impossible. but all in all i think ib makes u a much more rounded person and you'll do well in it only if u work well under pressure…. for eg. yesterday i had a lab, an English world lit external, a math self study topic, a French test to study for and a history internal.....i don't think ud get that much work on a given night any where else! also if u follow in ur classes and turn in ur stuff i think ud do really well in all of ur exams...except for English may b :s
so id second the lifestyle thing.
but i have 1 q....
im new to my school and the grading system is strange.... we do the ib diploma program so in our report cards we get grades on a scale from 1-7 just like in ib....if i wanted to get into top colleges does anyone know what grades i should be getting in my report cards now? i know i should be getting straight a's but is all 7's the same or are 6's also acceptable or what? im so confuzzled :s</p>
<p>IB isn't that hardcore. Instead of taking one year and a test, u generally get 2 years, so u have twice as long to prepare for a test. The tests themselves are rather easy to get 5-6's on, 7's difficult.</p>
<p>-. Plus, you can't just randomly decide to take the test without taking the class like you can for APs, so it has higher standards. Maybe some are tedious, but it's still higher.</p>
<p>How does that imply that the standards are higher? Sometimes, people who self-study are more motivated and end up doing better on an exam than those who are taking the class (sometimes against their wishes).</p>
<p>IB requires more of a commitment I think.</p>
<p>I wonder what the adcoms would say to all this, sigh.</p>
<p>They'd say, sucks to you IB people, we still view them the same =)
A lot of the time it isn't the choice of the student but what system their school employs, so it's not like they're not challenging themselves by doing AP. But I see your point--they should take into account how much work it is and be more wowed by a 7 on an IB test than a 5 on an AP.</p>
<p>Well a lot of factors that govern college decisions are sometimes not up to the applicant but they are taken into consideration regardless. Can't IB be one of them? :P</p>
<p>If it is, they don't say so outrightly. Mer?
btw, silysm :p</p>