Dropping IB Diploma after Junior Year

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I've looked all over the web to find out how dropping IB affects admission towards colleges and universities, and it seems like 90% of the time, because it looks like "you didnt try hard enough" or "you just got lazy"</p>

<p>BUT, currently I am in a situation where dropping IB would be really convenient for me, because I could do more sports, volunteering (I know its part of CAS but our school makes CAS way too complicated), and many other extracurriculars during senior year. YES IB diploma allows these things, but the added stuff (IOP's, IA, EE, etc) would shorten the time I have to do so. Also, my school DOES have the AP program anyway, so it would be a smooth transition, if not better, because AP could potentially give me an even higher GPA (weighted) than even IB Diploma!!
(There are only three 1.0 weighted classes, HL, and three 0.5 weighted classes, SL, in IB Diploma)</p>

<p>And also, as a junior in the IB Diploma program (starting second semester) I think my grades would be good enough not to be seen as a reason to leave the IB, because I got straight A's for the first semester in these classes, and I'm determined to do it again for second semester!!</p>

<p>HL US History
HL Biology
SL Math
TOK (counted as SL)
SL Korean Speakers
HL Literature</p>

<p>I also have a plan for the classes i will take in senior year, if i drop IB:
AP Biology
AP Literature
AP Calc (BC probably)
AP Psychology
AP Economics
Cooking Class for elective (Still considering other electives)</p>

<p>Also, I'm sure I would get a good grade in all/most of these electives, because I will soon take sat II's for Bio, Lit, Math IIC to prepare, during junior year.</p>

<p>So what do you think? Do colleges see this as a weakness in committment, or would they see my shift from IB to AP as sorta positive (if i do get that extra GPA)?</p>

<p>Also, if you are in the IB diploma, I would particularly like your perspective on this!</p>

2

<p>Colleges do see this as a drop in commitment. IB is a rigorous, tough program, but it is important to stick with it! Even if you choose AP program classes, you are taking less rigorous classes than you would be if you’re doing IB. AP may get you more credits, but IB can teach essential skills and expand your portfolio as well, since it involves CAS and extended essay. CAS shows you commitment to activities separate from school and extended essay will show attention to writing. There is a reason your high school will have to tell all the schools you apply to that you dropped the diploma–it is a big deal (sorry that last part sounds menacing)</p>

<p>I don’t mean to scare you! But if I were you I would stick with the program!</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the quick reply! </p>

<p>I see where you’re coming from, but i believe I can definitely do other extracurriculars in my own way, in my own time! My school in particular forces us to combine Creativity, Action, and Service all into ONE specific type of activity, which is very limiting, and many fellow students that I know have also had a hard time fitting their extracurriculars into this mold…</p>

<p>Furthermore, the Extended Essay doesn’t appear to be too far off from my senior project (which im not sure that other schools have) which is a 7~10 page essay WITH a speech…which is definitely harder than the EE alone.</p>

<p>Also, I forgot to mention this, but I also really want/need to take sports because I will be applying to West Point, or even Air Force, and I need some more experience other than half a semester of track and field… with IB, I found it very hard to get sports into my schedule.</p>

<p>Btw, i’ve heard that many/all colleges evaluate AP and IB as equal on the playing field, so with that logic, the added gpa of AP would make it greater than IB, right? Anyways, that was my logic.</p>

<p>Are the only tangible reasons to stay in IB the CAS and Extended Essay? If so, then I still don’t feel obliged to stay in IB, but I am open to other reasons!</p>

4

<p>From my readings, it appears that you only get ‘props’ for doing IB if you go through the entire program. But I can’t find anything about what colleges will think if you drop IB.</p>

5

<p>Yeah, thats right, since the IB Diploma culminates in the senior year, with all the final testa and the IA’s and EA’s and the EE and the CAS and the…so on.</p>

<p>but the way I see it, if i drop out of IB, it will basically be the equivalent of 3 honors classes and 3 AP classes…so I dont think its ENTIRELY my loss to suddenly quit IB, because I still had pretty challenging classes!</p>

6

<p>No one knows you are taking IB unless you declare you are and then dropped it.</p>

<p>You put it on commonapp only if you are doing IB. The colleges have no clue that you started it and dropped it.</p>

<p>The main impact is your counselor recommendation and how yours will compare to one of your peers who might be doing IB. If your school does not treat IB as superior to AP, you will be fine.</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>If the class is called “IB Biology HL” instead of “AP Biology”, then colleges are going to be a bit in the know.</p>

8

<p>You may be able to continue with IB classes but move off the diploma track. Less pressure, no extended essay. A number of students at my DD program have done this and colleges still recognized that they were taking the most difficult classes available to them. Since IB diplomas are awarded after college selections, whether or not a diploma is earned is irrelevant. It may be relevant for IB related scholarships, though.</p>

9

<p>"If the class is called “IB Biology HL” instead of “AP Biology”, then colleges are going to be a bit in the know. "</p>

<p>I am still not sure it makes a difference. You are either declaring you are doing a diploma or you are not. A lot of schools have a single name for a class but the students do not necessarily do the diploma or take the AP exam. My local school has some classes called AP and some IB but there are usually 25-30 IB candidates while 100-200 take the AP exams in the same subject. </p>

<p>IB also allows one to take the tests without doing a full diploma. If a college that you want to attend allows credits for specific subjects, then you can make use of it.</p>

10

<p>stillnadine: MY school currently does not offer IB certificate classes, only the diploma is available. This might be because the IB program was introduced to this school just last year, so the IB Diploma juniors (the class I’m in) are the first ones to experience IB. Hence, the IB classes this year are mostly easy, and less challenging than AP, because 7/10 of my teacher have no idea what the IB is, or aren’t used to the program! </p>

<p>texaspg: I would think that the IB classes are organized over a two year period, because the students take the tests after two years…so I might miss about half of the information I need for the test! (unless, of course, you self study at 2x the pace of the average student) but yea, im not really considering taking the IB tests, because I feel like the two years of studying for one subject would keep me too busy to do other things.</p>