<p>Do you prefer IB or AP, and why? I'm gonna start the IB next year. I prefer it because it's a full program, and not just a bunch of classes like AP. You can also study for AP exams all on your own, but you can't do that with the IB.</p>
<p>Well, I like that at my school we're in IB, but when there is a corresponding AP test for the class we're in (Physics, Psychology, etc.) we are also prepared for that, and take it. We also take APs sophomore year before IB officially starts.</p>
<p>But overall, I agree that the IB program is more fulfilling, and I am definitely glad that I'm in it as opposed to just taking a bunch of single APs.</p>
<p>I like AP better. It's somehow cleaner -- not as many (IMO) silly requirements like community service and extended essays, and you can take the test without being in the class. A favorite saying among the IBers at my school is "I.B., therefore I B.S."</p>
<p>Plus we have to write 8 forty-page labs for HL physics this year (teacher takes the best two), and Ford, they suck. I could be using the time to, you know, actually learn physics.</p>
<p>I think that doing AP and IB together is the best thing to do. My school doesn't offer any AP classes, so I will have to study for them all on my own. I'm confident though... I think that the IB has more prestige than AP. It is recognized everywhere in the world, as opposed to just the US. Those other requirements are what makes the IB diploma harder to acquire. I think that it's excellent preparation for college. There are more and more colleges that offer automatic scholarships to successful IB candidates.</p>
<p>The pro for doing IB in my school is that it is the "most challenging curriculum" at my school. The major con is the fact that u cant study 4 the tests on ur own, like the OP said. There are no study guides (atleast, not sold in the US) that u can buy and study. IB students depend on teachers - A LOT. If u got sucky teachers, ur pretty much screwed. And then there's all the BS stuff- TOK, 4,000 word extended essay, internal assesments, and more- the 150 CAS hrs arent bad (any collegebound student should have that many hrs) </p>
<p>But i cant complain. Its the hardest thing in my school and the students who r "IB kids" are regarded as geniuses and heroes among the rest of the students in school</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-1347187-6637735?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=IB%5B/url%5D">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-1347187-6637735?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=IB</a> There aren't many study guides for the IB, but there are some.</p>