I have to decide whether or not to take the full diploma program with TOK and the EE.
Since I’m only applying to American universities, I’m wondering if it is even recommended to take the full Diploma Program.
If I were to take full DP, I’d just be taking 3 HL’s, but without full DP I would be able to take 4 HL’s and spend valuable time on college apps instead of on my EE…
So, is Full DP still worth it even for those planning to go to America? Or would 4 HL’s and no full DP be more beneficial in my case?
Does your school put a restriction on only 3 HLs if you’re doing the diploma? For IB’s requirements, you can do 3 or 4 HL. I did 4 (physics, English, history, psychology) and would have done a 5th (German) if they’d let me. The challenge with 4 HL and the diploma, though, is that you might not make the scores necessary to actually get the diploma.
Different schools will weigh the diploma vs. individual courses differently. If you ask the school about their policy and they say “what’s IB?” then they probably don’t care about the diploma. The higher-level the college (i.e., ivy league and similar), the more likely they will care about the diploma.
Can confirm with above post that you can take 4HLs in the diploma program as well.
The EE and the TOK are not as bad as you may think. If you simply want to pass the program and your teachers are somewhat easygoing, then those two won’t take too much of your time. If you have strict teachers or are aiming for a high diploma score, then they might be a little harder.
Having a diploma shows colleges that you took the most rigorous courses possible at your school. Do you have APs at your school? If you’re planning to do the IB program or if the schools you’re applying to don’t recognize the IB diploma, then doing APs might be the best alternative.
Good luck!