IB Couse Selection: Help Urgently Needed Please!!!

Pre-College Issues International Baccalaureate (IB)
1

<p>Hi everyone! I am a current rising senior and need help for my course selection this coming year.</p>

<p>Before I state my problem, here is some relevant background information:
-Junior year, I took IB Physics SL (5) and IB Spanish B SL (6).
-I am very good at Spanish (I'm NOT a native speaker, I'm Indian lol) and I have won various competions at the state and national level in the subject; I do not know what happened on the SL exam. I was predicted a 7, I got a 5 on the AP Exam, and I breezed through the course.
-I want to do engineering at RICE University and MAYBE go into Med School (I'll take premed classes).</p>

<p>Okay so this year I am slated for the following schedule in a school with 7 periods a day:
IB Economics SL
IB English A HL
IB Mathematics HL
IB Biology HL
Theory of Knowledge
Swimming
7th period free period</p>

<p>However, I have heard that not only is Biology HL exam much harder than SL, but it is also known to be a tough class with a tough teacher at our school.
Personally, it would be much easier for me to take Spanish HL instead since I'm actually good at the subject, and take the Biology SL exam. If I did that, since I already took the Biology SL class last year, I would not have to take a Biology class this year and I could just take the exam in May.</p>

<p>As a result, my schedule would look like this if I opted to test in Biology SL:
IB Economics SL
IB English A HL
IB Mathematics HL
IB Spanish B HL
Theory of Knowledge
Swimming
7th period free period</p>

<p>The only thing stopping me is this:
Will colleges like Rice frown upon the fact that I do not have a science in my senior year course load? Will my schedule be seen as "too easy" for them?</p>

<p>Please let me know!</p>

2

<p>You should probably just send the admissions office an email. They will be able to answer your question better than most CCers</p>

3

<p>In my opinion (which is hardly credible since I’m just a high school senior like you), not having a language or science senior year looks bad either way. Is there a way you could take out your free period and take another SL science (like Chem or Environmental systems) or even just an honors science class at your school. I would recommend doing that and then taking HL spanish. I’ve heard the HL Spanish exam is much easier than the SL Spanish exam. </p>

<p>If you’re totally against getting rid of your free period, I would take IB Bio HL and drop Spanish. If you can score at least a 5 on math or english then it’s okay if you get a 3 on your bio exam. </p>

<p>Also if you do take Spanish HL, why would you have to take the bio exam? You already have your 3 SL classes. You can just not test.</p>

4

<p>I’m a graduated IB student in college now, and I’d like to just say that if you don’t want to take the IB Bio HL class at your school, you should seriously look at how much you want to do Pre-Med. Because FYI, that involves Biology. And IB Bio HL is the best prep you’re going to get for your intro Bio course, so if you won’t take that because you’re scared, then you shouldn’t bother with Pre-Med.</p>

5

<p>@sumobats‌ :
my SLs currently are Spanish, Physics (already done both) and Econ (taking this year). If I HL Spanish, then I lose the SL score for Spanish so I would need to take the Bio SL exam for my 3rd SL.</p>

<p>@SusieAnne‌ and @sumobats :</p>

<p>Due to another conflict that arose recently, these are my only two options:</p>

<p>Option 1: Swimming, English A1 HL, Math HL, TOK, Spanish B HL, Physics HL, and Economics SL</p>

<p>Option 2: Swimming, English A1 HL, Math HL, TOK, Biology HL, Environmental Systems SL, AP Economics (one semester only)</p>

<p>My take on these:
option 1, although I lose Bio, I still have Physics as an HL science, which would be beneficial for my BME degree that I want to pursue. I also get to keep Spanish, which I really enjoy. Furthermore, I would not have to test in Spanish and Physics; I could choose just one to test in. I would have to take the Bio SL exam a year removed from the course.
Diploma: Math HL, English HL, Physics or Spanish HL, Econ SL, Physics or Spanish SL, Bio SL</p>

<p>option 2, I have to take IBESS (to fullfil group 3 because Bio and Econ are only offered same period) which I find boring, and to be quite honest I think it would be a waste of my time because at my school, it is a bunch of busy work. I would get to keep Biology, and I would have a free period 2nd semester. However, I do not get to keep a language this way.
Diploma: Bio HL, Math HL, English HL, ESS SL, Spanish SL, Physics SL</p>

<p>Any suggestions? Thank you so much.</p>

6

<p>Take option 1. Having a science and a language is preferable.</p>

7

<p>Just looking at the Diploma listings, I still say Option 2 to keep Bio HL. ES&S is a gimme course, even if it’s a lot of busy work, you show a strong science commitment with 3 sciences, a tough Math schedule, good English skills, and you at least get to have Spanish as an SL. You’ll always get the opportunity to take classes you’re just interested in in college, why don’t you focus on getting in first?</p>