<p>Hey, I'm from an AP-only school and I know that "IB" stands for International Bacclaureate, etc. but I'm not sure that I completely understand the program. Could someone who has more familiarity with IB please explain it to us uninformed APers?</p>
<p>Thanks! :)</p>
<p>Maybe someone could at least explain the TOK, HL/SL terminology?</p>
<p>The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is a structured course load that prepares academically motivated students to “help others.” It is all structured around writing and thinking outside the box. For example, today for homework I had to write a 5 page essay about why I thought people commit crimes (for IB topics of 20th century history class). Some say that it prepares one for college better than the AP program, because the IB students are accustomed to receiving long reading and writing assignments. Also, the IB program has a diploma in which one can achieve (I don’t think there is an AP diploma, but I may be mistaken). The main focus of the IB program is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Uh, I think thats all I can think of. Oh, and btw I am a current IB student. Oh, and to obtain the full IB diploma, one must take an IB math, history, science, english, arts, language, and elective class and take the Theory of knowledge course their senior year, and complete 150 hours of community service as well as a 25 (I believe, but don’t quote me on this) page essay on anything to your liking. Also, you can take single IB classes and receive IB certificates for that particular class upon completion. And IB classes are offered throughout the whole world. That’s all I can think of. I hope this helps.</p>
<p>The TOK (theory of knowledge class) is given to all seniors who are looking to obtain the full IB diploma. The class is all about thinking outside the box, and it teaches the students about why we learn, and how we learn, and how this helps others throughout the world, and how we can make a difference. The name really speaks for itself. </p>
<p>As for SL (standard level) and HL (higher level), they simply designated the complexity of the class. To qualify for the diploma, one must take at least 2 higher level classes, and the rest standard level (well at least at my school). The Higher level classes are extremely (And I MEAN EXTREMELY) rigorous. Some have pulled all nighters on a weekly basis in order to maintain a “C” average. Even the grading scale is altered for the higher level courses (I believe an 82 is considered an “A” and a 4.0). Standard Level classes are still challenging, but not nearly as bad as HL classes. In my IB Math HL class last year, we had 33 students start the year, and by the time we were taking our Mid-Terms, there were 8 students in the whole school taking this class. Again, I hope this intel helps you understand the IB program.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, you were absolutely very helpful! Haha, I think I’ll be able to better decipher some IBer posts on CC now :)</p>
<p>You are correct, by the way- AP doesn’t offer a diploma.</p>
<p>For me its MIN 3 HLs. MAX 4 HL.</p>
<p>My school doesn’t offer IB classes, but they sounds pretty interesting. All the AP teachers knock the IB tests as jokes.</p>
<p>I guess I’m stuck without IB!</p>
<p>SL science is a joke. It’s like grade 9 science.</p>
<p>HL science is horror. But it’s actually normal.</p>
<p>Couple of things: </p>
<p>-The extended essay is not 25 pages (can be), basically the body is 4000 words. </p>
<p>-Diploma definitely requires MIN 3 Higher Levels, and you can only take MAX 4. FutureIvy - you should figure out why you only have 2…</p>
<p>-HL courses are definitely more challenging, the actual course rigor depends on the teacher which varies from school to school, but the tests for HL are much harder, particularly for math as far as I know. </p>
<p>-I would say AP classes rank in between SL and HL IB classes to give you an idea. </p>
<p>-Most IB classes are 2 years, so there’s also that element of rigor to it. In junior year, my friends who didn’t do IB were all done with school after they took their APs in May, but us diploma kids worked until June 21 bc the class just picks up right at the beginning of school.</p>
<p>-IB is very holistic. So, in History we would be talking about about revolution in Latin America, in literature reading about, in French comparing it to revolution in Algeria, etc… All the classes are somehow interconnected through what you learn as AoK (areas of knowledge) and WoK (ways of knowing). More info can be found on the ibo website.</p>
<p>-In IB, it’s not just a final examination after 2 years. You send multiple papers and recordings of oral commentaries across the world to participating IB countries to be graded. Though, the majority of your final grade (1-7) comes from a final day or two of examinations. It depends on the subject. </p>
<p>-I definitely think IB prepares you more for college than AP (but of course I’m not a fair judge of that) because if anything I’ve learned incredible time management. Also, I feel you learn how to research completely on your own. Speaking to my friends who have already graduated from IB, that is a big advantage as they all got a serious “leg up” in research/college writing.</p>
<p>I don’t think that it’s fair for a teacher to treat IB as a joke. It is a rigorous program that is similar to AP in difficulty. I have heard that the foreign languages are much more difficult in AP, but I’ve heard that the AP Language exam is a piece of cake if you have taken IB English. Also, if you have taken IB Math HL, you can test in AP Calc BC and if you have taken IB Math SL, you can test in AP Calc AB. Keep in mind that this is all very specific to my school. One benefit of IB that a lot of people do not understand is that it turns its students into completely different types of learners who are prepared for greater analysis of their subjects because of the holistic nature of the program. I think that both AP and IB are great, and neither one is necessarily better than the other.</p>
<p>In the math and sciences, IB is a broad view of the subject. AP, on the other hand, is a very in depth study.</p>
<p>For example, IB Math HL doesn’t cover as much calculus as AP Calc BC but covers different areas of math (set theory and some other crap). IB Physics HL does not have nearly as much calculus as AP Physics C but covers a more diverse range like optics, astrophysics, et cetera.</p>
<p>Personally, I think AP is better in the maths/sciences esp. if you intend on going into a field like engineering where set theory (which is covered in IB Math HL) would not help you as much as the depth of the calculus you learn and get credit for in AP Calc BC…</p>
<p>In the humanities, IB courses are generally more rigorous and ** provide an international view **. This is where IB has a better standard than AP. It is worth mentioning that AP may cover an international view but that is dependent on the teacher versus IB where there is a strict curriculum teachers must abide by.</p>
<p>The IB is significantly more difficult than the AP. Heavier workload, and harder material. On top of all of that, you are expected to take TOK, and write a thesis like, 4000 word essay. The Ib is well respected world wide, but the US has the AP so they somewhat shun the IB cause you didn’t invent it. The fact of the matter is that an IB diploma is probably the most prestigious.</p>
<p>I always thought TOK was way longer than 4000 words. We had a rather small assignment, just one of many papers we do, in AP English this year that was over 3000 words for everyone and over 4000 for some. I’m surprised it’s so short.</p>
<p>I kinda wish we had IB, but I kinda don’t, because it sounds crazy hard in some ways.</p>
<p>I don’t know what kind of AP English teachers you guys had but ours required our final paper to be a minimum of 30 pages. Most people went WELL beyond that.</p>
<p>^^^ I think you’re referring to the Extended Essay. I don’t think it’s “extended” in terms of length, because it’s actually pretty short, but rather in terms of the research that you have to do for it. Basically, the EE is designed to be a college-type research essay.</p>
<p>TOK is Theory of Knowledge, another part of the IB core, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with the EE in terms of content. There’s a TOK essay as well, but I think that’s something more like 2000 words and by far the most difficult part of the IB program. I think that’s both due to the fact that a lot of teachers (at least at my school) aren’t used to teaching a subject like TOK, and also because the questions they ask you for the TOK essay aren’t easily answered at all. In the IB, critical thinking goes way beyond what most other high school programs have.</p>
<p>That being said, I’m not going to say IB is ‘better’ than AP. Some courses may be more rigorous, others not. I’m pretty sure I’d die in AP Calc BC, from what I’ve heard of it, and I’m taking Math HL.</p>
<p>^ I highly doubt that (about AP Calc and IB Math HL). The material in IB Math isnt hard, but random. That’s why it’s hard. You need to know stuff from various topics. AP Calc BC, however, is very straight forward and the topics are all related. Imagine having a class SOLELY on calculus. I think your school is exaggerating if thts what they’re making you think.</p>
<p>Oh, well, maybe Calc BC isn’t as hard as I think it is- all I know about it is from CC. They don’t offer AP where I am anyway. The reason I said that is because I really suck at what calculus we’ve done in IB.</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Do ToK](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJOO8Jx8OpI]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJOO8Jx8OpI)</p>
<p>^ Okay, Mr. P. We saw that on all three threads. We get it. Incidentally, I was just talking about this with some of my friends a few hours ago.</p>