<p>This’ll be my own advice because my eyes hurt just looking at the huge block paragraphs the previous two posters wrote, lol, but anyway. (I did read enough to say that, like Kaeroze, I will be biased towards IB.)</p>
<p>Do you consider yourself more of a “product” person or a “process” person? When you learn, do you enjoy that you know the facts or the process of learning those facts more? What’s most satisfying to you at the end of the day, what you know or how/why you know it?</p>
<p>IB vs 3 languages-this depends on your levels in those languages. Colleges prefer to see depth in a couple languages rather than a smattering of knowledge in several languages. If you really wanted to, I suppose you could take 7 IB courses so you would take both the Diploma and the Certificate and be able to take 3 languages. Anyway, if your level isn’t evenly distributed across all 3 languages, or you don’t consider yourself very good at those languages, I would suggest picking two and going with IB. If, however, you are very strong at all 3 of them AND they will be important aspects in your major/life after high school, I’d say go AP.</p>
<p>Like Kaeroze said above (skimmed just enough to glean that fact), you don’t have to take visual arts unless your IB school doesn’t have more than one science class, which I find highly doubtful. This also ties in to your pre-med path-medicine usually requires extensive background in chem and bio. Instead of taking visual arts, you can do both chem and bio (preferably both at HL).</p>
<p>If you’re going into pre-med, I would say debate doesn’t matter that much. However, if it is an extensive EC of yours that you have leadership and experience in, see if you can squeeze it in along with your IB schedule. If it doesn’t work, I guess you could do AP. What would be more appealing to colleges would be a description of how, in choosing to do IB, you were unable to take the debate class but you still showed leadership and demonstrated experience and skill in that EC! This also shows commitment-a bingo for top colleges.</p>
<p>For pre-med students, if you are absolutely 100% positive that you will go into this field later in life and you will enjoy it and be in this field for the majority of the rest of your life in this world, I don’t think the IB would be worth it. However, I doubt that you’re absolutely 100% positive. 
Doing the IB will keep your options open in undergrad and grad school just in case. Most people when they go to college change their original intended major in the first few months, as a heads-up. And you never know what might spark a future career/major potential in the IB program! :p</p>
<p>I think IB is extremely worth it. I was also toying with the idea of dropping out of IB (I did the 6-10th grades MYP program), but after talking to many college students and current IB juniors/seniors, I believe it’s right for me. I work well under time constraints and probably won’t work well at all without enough of them. Also, all of the college students I’ve talked to say that they feel so much more prepared and on top of things than their peers, most of whom still procrastinate tons more than they should. The IB students at my school right now also (for the most part) say that it’s worth it, because you become part of a really tight, close-knit community (thanks to the six-subject stipulation :p) and you have classes with many people who actually want to learn and are serious/dedicated about school.
That, however, could be an entirely different story at your school. So ask around! Ask upperclassmen from both programs. Ask them what their study habits are like, what their personalities are like, what they’re planning to major in, what the teachers are like etc.
Also, if your school’s IB program is known for being subpar, don’t do it. Your IB experience will literally be like going to hell. Same goes for AP, unless there’s a particular subject you excel in and are determined/disciplined enough to self-study in.</p>
<p>Like nancydrewfan said, though, both AP and IB are absolutely amazing programs when viewed as a whole nationwide. It seems like you would be a better fit for AP, judging from your post, but please still read over our posts and consider very carefully which sounds better for you. That’s the most important aspect of your choice. The people in IB that are unhappy are the ones for whom AP would have been better, and vice versa. Though the major overachievers at my school enroll in the IB program and also take AP courses…</p>
<p>Anyway. Hope this helps! (Sorry for making it so long! :o)</p>
you can also ask e any questions.</p>