<p>I really need some help in making the right choice ASAP...
I am an American but decided to study abroad. Currently, I am finishing 10th grade and by July I need to tell my school about my future plans. The option is to either continue my regular studies in my school (by the way, I go to TIS which is in Tehran) .... or to enter the IB Program. My average this year was a 96% and the teachers said I am qualified to go to IB. However, I don't want to stay here or go to Europe for college. I have always wanted to go back to the US and my dream was to go to Stanford so basically I wanna try any way possible to get into Stanford -- my priority. The Stanford website didn't really give me the information I wanted, so I was wondering if I should continue my regular school in Tehran or if I should go the IB route?
Some people said that Stanford doesn't really care for IB....is that true?
Also, I'm not really sure on what I want to be yet.. I was thinking maybe something in the medical field (like dentistry..pediatrician..pyschol ogist.. etc. ) or business/law. I'm really good at Biology , but I'm kind of mediocre at Chemistry so that's kind of what's preventing me from being 100% towards the medicine field. Also, I'm really into music and if I would want to take music, I couldn't take two sciences.. and I would have to take a 7th course. Is that too demanding? Are 2 sciences even required or can I just take Biology? I'm really looking for some major help!!</p>
<p>As far as I know, as long as your courseload is “rigorous” enough (I’m guessing this means no “math studies” but at least “math SL” instead?), you should be fine. Regardless of the subjects you take, you should be able to major in anything you like in college. </p>
<p>As a pre-med you’ll have to take chemistry eventually. I’d say, take chem to at least standard level and do bio to HL, if that’s what you’d like. I do’nt see why you’d have to take a seventh subject!</p>
<p>
The top American colleges want to see a check mark on school report next to, “most rigorous courseload offered by the school.” If doing the IB is the only way to get that check mark, the IB is the way to go. </p>
<p>If you have other options (e.g. APs), the IB may not be your best option. Here’s why: First, from what I hear, the IB is said to be more work than what it’s being given credit for. And more importantly, selective American colleges really care about your extracurricular activities. You need to be amazing at something besides schoolwork (e.g. science olympiad, sports, politics, anything really) to have a real shot at the likes of Stanford. If the IB commands so much of your time that you do not have enough spare time to develop a competitive extra-curricular profile, then it will hurt you more than it would help - for the tippy top American colleges at least.</p>
<p>The picture looks very different if you include top European universities (like Oxford and Cambridge). They really only care about your academics, and - unlike a standard American high school diploma - the IB is actually accepted for admission.</p>
<p>laila123,</p>
<p>Have you talked with your parents about how your family will be paying for your education? You need to know now if they have enough money, or if you will have to get scholarships. That can change your whole college list pretty quickly.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies! </p>
<p>Sombre: Hm… but even if I don’t take Chemistry I could still take it later on in college right? Well… If I wanted to take music too I would have to have 7 subjects… (because of lit, math, music, chem, bio, business, 2nd language) Also, my school only has French and German for 2nd language… is it hard to self-study Spanish? </p>
<p>b@r!um: So if thats the case… I probably have to have a really hard IB schedule too, right? I’m pretty good at singing and Piano… so that’s exactly why I really want to take music if I go to IB!</p>
<p>happymomof1: Yes… true. Well I have already talked to my parents and they would really love it too if I got into Stanford… My brother already went to Stanford before and my parents really paid a lot for his tuition… but since they haven’t said anything I’m pretty sure they have some money set aside if I get in! Hopefully! However, I’d still want to try my best to get a scholarship as well…</p>
<p>
What do you want to learn Spanish for? You could pick it up in college if you don’t need it for a specific purpose in the meantime. </p>
<p>If you did try to study Spanish on your own, I would expect that you could get quite proficient in “passive” use of the language (i.e. reading and listening comprehension) but you are probably not going to make much progress in active use (i.e. speaking and writing) until you have other people to practice with.</p>
<p>You’re correct OP - that would indeed be seven subjects. The “subject area requirements” seemed to have escaped my mind for a bit there…</p>
<p>If you’re concerned about rigor, then perhaps taking another subject such as “history”, “philosophy” or “economics” in lieu of “business”, which is considered a (so-called) “soft” subject. Note that I have never seen this concept evoked by American colleges. I’ve only read such things on the websites of the “top” UK universities. I can understand why they wouldn’t be too keen on “business” though. I did it for a while in IB and I found it incredibly dull and simplisitic.</p>
<p>
I have. American high schools offer a lot of fun electives (from parenting to computer graphics to accounting) that are not terribly valued by the most selective American colleges and universities. Which category IB business falls into, I don’t know.</p>