Hello. I’m someone who’s been lurking through these college admissions forums… and as a current junior, I have a ton of questions that I hope can be answered. I’m a current IB student at a mediocre FCPS school and I really want to enhance
my rigor in my schedule by possibly achieving my AA and/or enough CC classes/credit hours to have one.
My current schedule:
IB English Lit I HL
IB French I SL (might consider changing this to HL for senior year because the classes are the same but the only difference is that the IB exam is much more rigorous in HL II).
IB Math I SL
IB Physics I SL (I really wanted to take HL, but since my school is horrible… it only offers SL).
IB Biology I HL
IB History of the Americas HL
IB Film I SL (same thing with French).
Now, my question is how would colleges look at this? I’m talking about more elite schools. Such as UVA, USC, Harvard (a big reach, I know…), John Hopkins, JMU (a safety, I really love their campus and food!), VT, and William & Mary. This list will probably be way different once I start applying, but I just want to see if you guys have any information.
ABOUT DUAL ENROLLMENT:
Oh yeah, I’m considering taking 4-5 classes per semester. If I can take more then I’ll do it. I did really medocre my freshmen & sophomore year because of family issues, but that’s passed now. I want to show colleges I can do whatever they’ll throw at me.
Anyway, if you could help in anyway then it’d be much apperciated. (: THANK YOU!!
I’m currently taking those classes, but I want to do 4-5 dual enrollment classes in my spring semester of junior year, summer sessions of junior year, and fall & spring semesters of senior year. I’m asking what would colleges think of this?
You need 3 HLs and 3 SLs to get a diploma and you need to do really well in all 6 IB classes plus TOK, CAS and EE. You don’t need any more classes on top of that.
Your school is not horrible. Most IB schools cannot offer every HL available.
Lose the negative attitude about your school and rock the program available if you want colleges to see what you can do. Most high schools don’t even have what you have.
Yes, I know about the IB Diploma. However, these classes are so I can increase my GPA + show colleges I can handle college work. It’s basically to replace the little of rigor I put into Freshmen & Sophomore year. Dual Enrollment at my school is like IB classes where you get +1 after completing the course.
My school is pretty decent. I mean it’s ranked very low by great officials and the only good thing about the school is the IB Diploma. We are pretty much the “worst” school besides those schools for those who can’t be in a regular classroom in FCPS.
IB DIploma is very rigorous and you don’t need to do anything to make it more so. 3 HLs is rigorous. If you can do well, it shows colleges that you can do college level work.
Normal IB Diploma is 3 HLs and 3 SLs (and is still considered rigorous. You have an extra SL.)
DO NOT ADD 4-5 Dual enrollment courses per semester…that is a full time load for a college student!!!
So you would be doing a very rigorous full time HS load + a full time college load. You cannot do this because of the fact there are 24 hours in day, you could not be in two schools at once, and your GC would not allow you to.
I would not add any DE courses. You have enough.
Don’t worry about “lack of rigor” in freshman sophomore courses…you are learning and preparing yourself for the rigor of IB Diploma.
It doesn’t matter if your school is “mediocre”…it matters about your grades and your IB scores.
My son is now doing IB diploma and one dual enrollment class, and this is the most I would advise. People in his school (good, competitive public school) rarely do both at once. I would think more about your ECs.
I knew kids who would take a few AP classes along with getting their IB Diploma, but looking at your courses, I think you have enough challenge. The amount of time it takes to get through the workload of IB would leave little time for other courses.
Thank you for all your advice, but at my school between your freshmen and sophomore year, if you were taking all honors in core classes then you would have 9-10 (depends if you took Algebra 1 HN and Geometry 1 HN or simply Algebra 1 HN in middle school). However, I only took like 2 because the summer prior to my freshmen year my family issues were off the high charts and I had to drop out some of my honors in freshmen year because handling both family and school was way too MUCH. Now, I’m planning to take 20 Dual Enrollment courses or at least 15 at the local community college to replace the rigor from freshmen + sophomore year and that I can handle the work. The only IB classes where we get an extensive amount of work would probably be IB HoA & IB English Lit HL. I wouldn’t be starting the classes till February 2019 and I would have time to do the classes in the summer and still handle my ECs over the school year & summer. I’m asking you how would colleges see it, not telling me how it’s too much work. My mom tells me anything is possible and if I’m willing to take the classes then I can. If I ever feel the need to drop out then I will before the drop out date, but that is certainly not what’s going to happen. Yes, my school isn’t the best, but that isn’t the main topic. I’m asking what would colleges think of me as a student. If you could please read this and answer back that would be great. Also, bopper, I know it will show colleges I’m prepared for college work, but taking DE classes and excelling shows colleges I’m capable of being successful at their school because of my college transcript.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think some colleges may be wary of students who seem to do nothing but study and would prefer some meaningful ECs to lots of courses.
Parent of IB Diploma kid. IB is already the most rigorous curriculum – including IAs, EE, externally reviewed exams, including junior year SLs, plus CAS. I cannot imagine anyone managing a full time dual enrollment on top of that and, after hearing in meeting after meeting how highly regarded IB Diploma students are, I suspect that admissions counselors would be skeptical of a student who “piled it on” on top of IB. Focus on really mastering what IB is teaching, and expand your ECs to have a meaningful story to tell about yourself outside the classroom. Most schools are not looking for academic grinds but for students who can contribute inside and outside class.
Just to add to the chorus. My daughter is in her junior year of IB - and is taking ONE dual enrollment, and it’s frankly a scheduling nightmare that I wish she’d never signed up for. More than that is utter insanity.
Colleges actually want you to take classes at their college- that’s how they make money. Taking a bunch of DE courses isn’t going to be impressive, especially if you don’t do well and by well, I mean A’s. Fall of junior year in IB is a cake walk in comparison to what’s coming, plus you should have CAS requirements- that’s hours of after school commitment. If you’re doing the proper amount of work in IB you would never have time for all those extra classes.
Colleges like to see an upward trend, so even though you didn’t take a lot of honors classes, IB alone will make up for that- if you do well. You will have a few IB classes you will test out of this year. If you want to be impressive, make 7s on those exits. Colleges will see those exit grades if you want them to. Plus colleges do look at unweighted grades- so dropping honors doesn’t matter as long as you made A’s.
My D18, who just finished the programme would tell you- she thought the classes were not that hard- just incredibly time consuming. If she did the work the grades were good- I think you are underestimating the amount of work you are going to have.
Keep in mind by just taking IB classes you can get tons of credits in college…e.g.:
At SUNY Binghamton
Students in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program may receive up to 32 credits. To receive the full 32 credits, the following conditions must be met:
The IB Diploma must be completed with a score of 30 or more points; and
The student must complete at least three Higher Level exams with a score of 5 or higher.
Diploma holders who meet these conditions receive credit for their individual exam scores plus additional liberal arts elective credit to total 32 credits.
