<p>so for the first week of school I was enrolled in our school's IB program. I had to drop out because the french course was designed for people who have already taken french before (on the first day of school the teacher asked us to write an 150 word letter in french)...and I don't speak french other than the junior high basics which was a joke. so learning a language while in IB really wasn't a language so I went bag to normal school. Will this decision ruin my chances to go to a good (let's say top 30) school in the US?</p>
<p>It depends on what the regular program is like. If you are still taking AP or IB-level courses, it shouldn't be too much of a problem that you are not an IB candidate. But if e.g. the hardest math course you will take now is pre-calc as opposed to calc/statistics/vector geometry and whatever else the IB math involves, then you might be at a significant disadvantage.</p>
<p>Come application time, you could ask your counselor to mention in his recommendation that you could not do the IB program solely because of the language pre-requisite, so colleges are at least aware of it. By the way, how come everyone else has a much stronger French background than you do? Did you start the language sequence later than your peers?</p>
<p>no I'm not taking any AP or IB courses. would it make up for it if I take calculus in high school instead of just pre-cal? They have the french advantage because a majority of them were in late-immersion(basically you do all french in junior high) so... my school is trying to get a language for those who aren't strong in french but of course I won't be there when that happens...</p>
<p>Are all Canadian students in US school (like UCLA, Berkeley, etc.) really IB students? I have a hard time believing that for some reason...</p>
<p>I don't know, but I also kind of doubt it.</p>
<p>The important factor here is not whether or not you are an IB candidate. It's whether or not you take a challenging course load that's comparable to the typical (admitted) applicant at top 30 universities. (And since your school offers it, it's not like you didn't have a chance.) If you don't follow something close to the most challenging high school program offered, chances are you are not a top student at your high school (or at least an outsider might think that). And if you are not a top student, why should a top university be interested in you? </p>
<p>Random observation: Multivariable Calc (Calc 3) is considered an introductory class at Haverford and an upper-level class at Bryn Mawr. At Haverford, 89% of the freshmen class were in the top 10% of their high school graduating class, but only 62% at Bryn Mawr. Draw your own conclusion.</p>
<p>That really sucks...IB would really be more attractive if it was better organized at my school. but since it has only been around for 2 years, there are barely any choices, all IB students practically have the same schedule. </p>
<p>Oh well, I guess if all else fails I can go to a good school in Canada. Going through all the hassle hardly seems worth it just to go to a US university when it's not even guaranteed. I wish I was applying 2 years ago, then I'd have an excuse for not having IB.</p>
<p>lol no one has even graduated with a diploma yet in my school</p>
<p>As b@r!um said, universities look at your courses in relation to what your school offers. You don't need to have completed IB/AP to get into top US schools (i.e. one of my friends at Penn never took IB/AP or university courses in high school simply because his school didn't offer those options. He simply took the hardest courses he could)</p>
<p>I find it strange that your school doesn't offer intro French (e.g. French ab initio) but no matter, since the language requirement is only for the diploma, could you do the IB certificate program instead?</p>
<p>no the deadline for switching courses has passed so I'm stuck...either universities will understand my problem and excuse me or I'll just have to settle for a Canadian alternative to my dreams.</p>
<p>and yeah there is no IB intro to french, only French SL(the one where you're supposed to already know french) and HL(for immersion students although 3/4s of the SL class are immersion students not willing to give up their HL course)</p>
<p>...ugh if I had just been born two years earlier!......</p>
<p>UPDATE My plans have officially shifted to Canada so: /thread closed</p>