Hi, this lil question goes out to all my IB Baes!!! Jw if your struggling as much as i am. I just started my junior year as a candidate for the IB Diploma programme. Let me tell you- this is a grind and a half! I balance IB Diploma with ACT and SAT work, varsity tennis, a spot in the schools’ play, yearbook club, newspaper, debate club, cancer awareness and my school’s television program. Its become so difficult that I’m not even the same person anymore. I feel that the IB Diploma has sucked the life out of me!
Obviously I’m exaggerating, i mean my name is DRAMA KWEEN after all! But my life has become so stressful. I let myself enjoy the weekend for Saturdays only, Fridays and Sundays are set for homework, and heck, there is a lot of it! :(( Even on the one day a week I voluntarily socialize, I still feel that I worry about skool.
Let me tell you my class.
IB Bye-0
IB AP Euro
IB Film (Be warned its very much werk)
Pre Calc (not IB, but I’m still a candidate for the diploma! HA HA! =D> )
IB Spanish!! is so hard!!!
IB English (This one goes out to all my IB Baes, who’s ur fave pride and prejudice character? Mine is Collins, he is so dreamy!!!)
Jr Research
SO ya. Just wondering if anyone else feels this struggle. Let me know, i really want to know if I’m #relatablemagcon voice or naw.
PS if anyone reading this is curious, THE IB DIPLOMA DOES MATTER! its not a waste of time, even if those who are getting certificate tell you otherwise. There is nothing wrong with not being a diploma candidate, but i don’t like to be clocked for being one! We work super hard and its proven that college acceptance rates increase dramatically for diploma candidates. Its very challenging as you can see, but i believe its worth it.
The only reason that’s it’s stressful is because you have seven extracurriculars – now if one of the extracurriculars meet during school hours (i.e during lunch hour) during the week then you would be fine.
Don’t do a lot of extracurriculars – have room for at least 2 or 3.
I don’t want to be rude but… complaining about the IB Diploma Programme isn’t gonna help. You know what your getting yourself into. You know it’s gonna be stressful and such. But think before you do something. I’m glad your being a risk-taker and I know my school just started it’s first year 2 months ago and the 1st set of juniors are like their ‘guinea pigs’ at this point. But try to balance it.
The problem isn’t the IB diploma; it’s he combination of “varsity tennis, a spot in the schools’ play, yearbook club, newspaper, debate club, cancer awareness and my school’s television program”…
You realize that colleges are only interested in seeing you go into depth at 2-3 of those, right?
Let’s imagine the school play and tennis aren’t at the same time?
You still have yearbook; newspaper, debate, cancer awareness, and television program. THAT’S where you cut. 2 of those should go, at a minimum.
Why are you taking so many HL’s? You’re only expected to take 3. (+ 3 SL’s, and for the US you need to take the Ap test corresponding to the SL class since weirdly, while AS level sometimes gets credit, and AP usually does, SL doesn’t.)
HL Maths is incredibly rigorous and almost impossible to get a 7 in - taking Math SL is sufficient to take the AP Calc test and will thus get you the math credit. Maths HL should be reserved to students who plan on a major that requires a high level of maths (same as Further Maths).
I cannot even count the number of times my IB diploma came up in interviews. It is totally worth it. I don’t know about being spoon fed grades. I fought for each and everyone of mine. I got a 7 in Math HL and I can vouch that it is almost impossible. It was the first 7 in HL Math my school had ever seen and I am a huge math nerd.
I’m certain that the fact I had the diploma was a major factor in me getting into the schools I did.
@jeremyj what schools did you get into, and what was your gpa at the time of applying? I’m an IB diploma candidate with a 3.8 unweighed GPA (will also have taken 11 AP classes upon graduation) and Im worried this will negatively effect me. My school is also nationally ranked.
My weighted GPA was 4.67. I got into Princeton, Harvard, UPenn, UMich and UCB. Ended up going taking a full-ride to UMich. A 3.8 weighted is on the low side, but I hope admissions folk truly understand how difficult it is to get the full diploma. I do know that it came up in every interview, so it spoke to the rigor of my curriculum. Eleven AP classes is impressive - did you do well on the exams?
Well I’m a junior right now, and have taken 3 of those AP tests already. I am taking 6 of them this year. And 2 senior year. I got 4s on APUSH and APWH, and a 5 on AP english language. None of the 11 APs are self studied, they go with my AP/IB classes. By the end of junior year my gpa will be a 3.8UW (I’ve allowed myself room for up to 3 Bs with this estimate, although I’m really one expecting 1 B all year in my mathHL1/Calc BC class 1st semester).
Unless you plan on majoring in math or doing math-intensive work, you should try to take Math SL - or ask your school if you can switch to Sl after this year.
It’s almost impossible to get a 7 and the level is far above anything in AP, but you’ll still only get the same credit for AP Calc BC.
In my opinion, this class should be reserved to math nerds, people with a real talent, aptitude, and interest in pure math. It’s not a “regular” math class. It’s good prep if you’re interested in the accelerated math programs at HarveyMudd or Northwestern but otherwise, if you’re aiming, say, for a Physics or Engineering major, pick Match SL and take the AP Calc exam.
If your school has Math Studies SL, you could take that senior if you want. At my school, if you take PreCalc junior year, then you have to take Math Studies senior year (since Math SL/HL requires a two-year sequence).
But my life has become so stressful. I let myself enjoy the weekend for Saturdays only, Fridays and Sundays are set for homework, and heck, there is a lot of it! :(( Even on the one day a week I voluntarily socialize, I still feel that I worry about skool.
You should do fine no matter where you apply.