<p>So now comes the time when I'm supposed to choose to take AP classes or a full-blown IB course to get a diploma.</p>
<p>Obviously, college is my goal. Anyone know what colleges look at more? The IB program at my school is relatively new- I'd be in it's third graduating class. There aren't a lot of classes to pick and choose from, and I only have five available periods (not including band, which is a given).</p>
<p>Will colleges give tuition scholarships for students who have recieved an IB diploma? Anyone can take AP classes, but not everyone chooses to take IB. </p>
<p>Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>I think you should choose whatever will <code>fit</code> you. For some people, IB just doesn`t work for them.
In terms of college admissions, AP and IB are weighed the same AS LONG AS you take the most challenging courseload.
I believe colleges do not give tuition scholarships for students who have done the diploma- colleges in the states only give scholarships for merit or financial aid.
Just take the most challenging courseload your school offers. But remember, the IB requires you to hand in internal assesments, take TOK, do an extended essay, and 150 or more hours of CAS. For some poeple, it works. For others, a full AP courseload is better.</p>
<p>Whichever you feel you can handle the best; but don't try to go for both. Try the IB program -- venture into something new.</p>
<p>The IB program is very rigorous and in some ways harder than a full AP courseload, due to the fact that the IB program requires an extended essay and many extra assesment worksheets.
However, the AP program may be more suitable to those who do not want to be restricted to taking a set courseload. For instance, in IB you are not allowed to take AP English Rhetoric. IB Biology also forces you into two years of biology if you are taking the HL course.
The AP program is definetely not easy at all. Except for the internal assesments and the extended essay, the AP program offers the same rigor of course material, and may go even more in depth than some IB courses. For example, the oral portion of the AP Spanish exam requires you to speak on a never-before-seen prompt. For the IB Spanish exam you are allowed to see the prompt and prepare for it two weeks in advance.
All in all, if you don't want to to IB, just take at least 3-4 APs and do community service on your own. People may talk about how much more rigorous the IB program is, but in truth a full AP courseload is equally difficult when compared to an IB program. (two years of difficult AP courses = 1 year of fairly easy IB SL courses + 1 year of very difficult IB HL courses)</p>
<p>If you are thinking about getting into prestigious schools then I recommend you to take the highest program offered at your school which is IB. The colleges always ask for coursework taken and the highest level of coursework offered. I'm recieveing my IB diploma in May and I don't believe it is as hard as what people make it seem to be. The extended essay you write over the summer before your senior year, so it's not that bad unless you procrastinate like me:). Internal assessments (IA) are not hard either, for example for math method AB you're only suppose to spend like 3 hours on each assessment and the teacher gives you a week to do it, for HL history the IA is a history research paper, for HL bio you do IAs your first and second year of IB bio and then your 12th bio teacher selects the ones he feels you did better in and they're just labs so it's not hard. The class called Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is basically a joke. You are required to write a essay on a question that involves tok concepts. This is really easy because there is no research involved, the essay is basically your opinion, for example I wrote an essay answering the following question, "'All ethical statements are relative.'" By examining the justifications for-and implications for-making this claim, describe whether or not you agree with it. After you write the essay then you have a presentation to do based on the categories the teacher provides for you again exploring tok concepts, I did a presentation on AIDS in Africa. Also there is a CAS requirement of 150 hours. You can start this the summer before your junior year and it may seem a lot but it isn't. In action you can get your hours from playing a sport at school. In creativity you can get hours from clubs as long as your are creating something, for example for SNHS I made scrolls for teaching appreciation week, and service is self explanatory for example tutoring.</p>
<p>Also you can do other activites besides IB. I am in a variety of clubs and I play tennis. Those who say that you cannot do other things with IB are lying to you.</p>
<p>Maybe this will help in your decision. In my graduating IB class many students got accepted to Georgia Tech, Yale, Harvard, Berkley, Rochester, Notre Dame, Duke, UF, etc. Did IB help? We all think it did.</p>
<p>Hope this will help in your decision...</p>
<p>IB is mainly for people planning on going to an international college (hence the name International). when it was my turn to decide whether i should take AP or IB, i learned that many colleges don't know what IB is.Which shows that it doesn't count for as much as it people make it out to be. Also, i heard 11th and 12th grade is where it really differs from each other, so if i were you i would take AP. it'll help you in the long run. And, if you are a hard worker, you'll get better grades in 11th and 12th grade depending on your courseload! :)</p>
<p>if i was a freshmen in highschool... id load up on APs freshmen and sophmore year, then IB junior and senior year.</p>