<p>Hi all. I am an incoming sophomore and I was given the opportunity to transfer to a school with a IB Program for my Junior/Senior years. The school I am currently at offers around 8 AP Courses. I have read many 'IB vs AP' threads but it seems those threads are comparing schools that have wonderful AP classes to the IB Program. Unfortunately, the school I am currently at does not. At my current school, they do not offer many AP classes. And sometimes, they might not even offer an AP class because not enough students are enrolled in that class. Do you all think it would be beneficial for me to switch to the IB Program at a different school? I would love to study economics in college and I have found that IB seems to offer many classes that relate to economics. They school I am considering transferring to would let me enroll in AP courses while under the IB diploma. Would transferring to a school that offers IB help me prepare for pursuing a career in economics? Would it help me in college admissions? </p>
<p>You’ve got a few questions so I’ll start from the top:</p>
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<li><p>Keep in mind that school transfers aren’t as easy as you might think, if you currently have a well established group of friends it can be hard to leave them, if you are a shy and reclusive person then you will have difficulty adjusting to the new environment with its established social circles. If you’re outgoing, a school switch could propel you to the center of the social scene. Just something that you should consider that most people forget about.</p></li>
<li><p>If you can do both IB & AP at the same school that is a great oppurtunity, especially considering that you are at a school with a sub-par program. As someone who went to such a program I can tell you it is no walk in the park, and that the IB program may suffer a bit due to the dual nature and the areas that don’t overlap between the two programs. That being said I found it rewarding, especially because it gave me a chance to get college credit for SL courses that I wouldn’t of normally (yay for AP).</p></li>
<li><p>Whether the IB will help you with Economics is something I’m not 100% sure about. This is dependent on the courses offered at the school. Due to my school being smaller we didn’t get as wide a variety of IB courses as some other schools. If you have a variety of IB courses then you have the opportunity to get a leg up through classes in business and such. You stated that your school has AP & IB so check to see if Micro & Macro econ as these are the best bet for actual econ involvement and learning. </p></li>
<li><p>As you’ve probably read, the IB diploma serves to prepare you for college. It is demanding and the interconnection of the subjects is something you don’t experience in AP as these courses are usually stand-alone. This college prep will better prepare you for an economics major than taking AP Micro & Macro econ classes. </p></li>
<li><p>One last thing, this is for transfers in general, don’t just look at the IB program, but rather look at the school holistically. Does it offer good EC’s? Where do people often go from this school? What do people say about teacher quality? How competitive is the school? etc. If you consider these factors you will be able to make a more accurate and informed decision, because regardless of the courses offered if you have bad teachers and a bad environment it isn’t worth going there.</p></li>
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<p>Hi, thanks so much for a very informative reply. I really haven’t thought about number 6. The school is in quite a bad area, but I have heard the IB program isn’t bad at all. I will ‘shadow’ a student in September, and honestly this is the biggest decision factor for me. If I get to the school and don’t like it, I will not transfer. The school that I might transfer to does offer both AP Micro and Macro economics. The closest thing my school offers would be AP Gov. and Politics (one course) I really don’t know how I can find out if the school offers good EC’s. Should I talk to a counselor at the school? I think the school is semi-competitive. It is probably similar to my school in competitiveness. I believe I can ask current and former students about the bad environment and bad teachers. </p>
<p>Thanks for your detailed response! You’ve given me a lot to think about.</p>
<p>NP, you can just stroll over to the trophy case. Look for recent awards to see what they are active in and do well in. Also look around the school to see what clubs are actively recruiting. Finally if those don’t work out, just ask a student. Any student you are shadowing will be someone who is outgoing, active, and probably well connected, as these are the students most likely recruited for school ambassadors.</p>
<p>My daughter goes to SUNY Binghamton. One reason she picked it was because of the generous IB policy. With a couple of summer courses, she will be graduating a year and a half early. At SUNY Bing you get more than just credit for the courses you take, you get credit for some general electives (assuming you get a good score) So definitely worth it to us!</p>
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<p>Binghamton University recognizes schools offering IB programs and the students who earn IB diplomas as offering or having accomplished the most challenging comprehensive curriculum available. IB participation is recommended, taken into account and considered during the application process. </p>
<p>Binghamton University students may earn credit by exam for coursework completed in high school under the International Baccalaureate Program. Credit is awarded only for Higher Level exams, with students scoring a 4 or 5 receiving 4 credits for a subject and students scoring a 6 or 7 receiving 8 credits for a subject. </p>
<p>SUNY General Education credit can be awarded for successfully completing Higher Level exams in five of the ten areas of competency. In addition the General Education requirement for foreign language may be satisfied by a score of 4-7 on the Higher Level or Standard Level exams. </p>
<p>Binghamton University needs to receive an official International Baccalaureate transcript in order to evaluate credit. International Baccalaureate courses and grades listed on a high school transcript are not acceptable for evaluation. </p>
<p>Students in the Diploma Program may receive up to 32 credits. To receive the full 32 credits, the following conditions must be met:</p>
<p>· The IB Diploma must be completed with a score of 30 or more points; and </p>
<p>· The student must complete at least three Higher Level exams with a score of 5 or higher. </p>
<p>Diploma holders who meet these conditions receive credit for their individual exam scores plus additional liberal arts elective credit to total to 32 credits.</p>
Look for recent awards to see what they are active in and do well in. Also look around the school to see what clubs are actively recruiting. Finally if those don’t work out, just ask a student. Any student you are shadowing will be someone who is outgoing, active, and probably well connected, as these are the students most likely recruited for school ambassadors.</p>