<p>I took 4 HLs for my IB diploma (Psychology, Physics, History, and English) and got at least 5s on all of them. I didn't think it was particularly odd to take 4 HLs, but when I started at my university and met other people who had done IB, they seemed surprised that I had done 4 HLs. Heck, I would have also taken a 5th HL (German) if they'd let me.</p>
<p>But my question is: 3 HLs or 4 HLs? What is more common where you are and why?</p>
<p>3 - scheduling issues & lack of student interest</p>
<p>I don’t know how common it is, but son has 4 this year.</p>
<p>Most of the student’s at my son’s school take 3 HLs, although he is taking 4, History, Language A, Physics and Math. He said that you need a higher cumulative score for the diploma if you take 4 - maybe that’s why some opt for 3 instead.</p>
<p>I didn’t think you had to get higher scores if you took 4 HLs, but rather that’s it’s harder to get the necessary scores to meet the requirements if you take the extra HL.</p>
<p>I’m only taking 3 - Bio, English and History of the Americas. We don’t get a choice at our school.</p>
<p>Fwiw, son’s HLs are: English, History, Economics, and Mathematics. </p>
<p>Additional IB (SL): TOK 2 and Chemistry</p>
<p>And, just to make sure he has an excuse to procrastinate on his apps: Differential Equations.</p>
<p>My D is taking 4 HL’s English Lit, German B, French B and History. The difference in the accumulated score is a minimum of 16 points in the HL subjects compered to 12 points if you take 3 HL’s.
BTW TOK is not an SL course it is part of the core points along with CAS and the Extended Essay.</p>
<p>Thanks welshpixie, I didn’t know that about TOK. I try to learn something every day, and here it is on a Saturday and not even 9 AM. :-)</p>
<p>For all the effort they put into TOK, it is worth only 1 point?</p>
<p>There is usually a language which I think can’t be changed which must have been the other SL.</p>
<p>I have 6 HLs, though only 4 go on the diploma (English, History, Math, Biology). The other two, which I’m taking for certificate, are Chem and Physics. </p>
<p>For SLs I have Physics and German. </p>
<p>A few of the full IB kids at my school will take more than 4 HLs (usually 5… my 6 is outside of the norm). A lot take 4. But none of us really expect to get a 7 on anything… 6s and 7s are pretty rare at my school. </p>
<p>For anyone deciding how many HLs to take, my 10th grade self was a little foolish. I wouldn’t recommend taking so many. Especially if you want to maximize your Diploma Score (for getting into Oxford, for example), take 3. If you want gobs of college credit from UW-Madison (or some other school that actually takes them) and you think you can score straight 5’s or 6’s on HL, I’d say take 6 HLs. </p>
<p>Not that my little blurb will dissuade any of you ambitious students from the path of sleepless nights.</p>
<p>I’m in 3 - English, Psychology and History of the Americas. </p>
<p>My school didn’t offer any other HL options until this year (when I’m now a senior) and it just seems standard.</p>
<p>UW Madison to get a lot of IB credit? Not the best bet. Minnesota offered me way more credit for IB. I would have started with 60+ credits.</p>
<p>I’m in the same boat as a couple of other posters. My school doesn’t offer any options, so all but one student is in 3 HL classes, English A, History, and Bio (or you can replace Art with Bio if you have the prerequisites or show sufficient talent). One student is taking Math HL too, but only b/c she transferred from another school. Her schedule’s all weird.</p>
<p>At my school, we have to take 3 and can only take 4. Actually, you can take as many HL classes as you want, but you can only test HL in 3-4 of them.
I have:
HL Theatre (testing SL)
SL Chemistry
HL HOA
HL Spanish
TOK (I don’t even understand this class)
HL English
HL Math </p>
<p>The scary part about more HLs is that you have to pass all the HL tests to get the diploma, even if your cumulative score is above the minimum.</p>
<p>At my school, we are required to take 3, but can take no more than 4. My teachers say that it’s better to take 3 and do well on them than take 4 and do a crappy job. But 4 looks good on your transcript though.</p>
<p>3 is the normal. I don’t think we even have option. We only have like 4 HLs. And why would one even want to take 4 HLs? 3 should already kill you enough.</p>
<p>Colleges usually only give credit for HL exams, that’s why. :)</p>
<p>My school doesn’t allow more than 4. 3 is the norm. My subjects are-</p>
<p>Economics HL
Physics HL
Math HL</p>
<p>French B SL
English SL
Psychology SL</p>
<p>My maximum amount of HL’s my school allows is 4. However, taking 4 is definitely not the norm!</p>