IB Diploma or no?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi!</p>

<p>So I'm about to confirm my schedule of classes for senior year, and I have a pretty big decision to make. So all along during my high school days, I've been pretty determined to do the IB diploma. Thus, junior year, I took 5 IB classes and set myself onto the path to 3 HLs and 3 SLs.</p>

<p>However, schedules just came out and it seems that I didn't get some of the classes I wanted to take. I'm still on the right path for diploma with 3 HLs and 3 SLs, but IB bio is no longer an HL for me, because it's in the same period as IB japanese, and I need the language IB class in order to get the diploma.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, I really want to take biology and this change of HL plans really upset me. So now I am thinking of switching out of IB japanese to take HL biology. However, if I do this, I will not be a diploma candidate anymore, since I didn't fulfill the Group 2 requirements in the IB areas of knowledge by not taking a language IB class. Even though I am actually going to be taking 4 HLs and 2 SLs, which is harder than my original diploma plan, I will still not get the IB diploma title.</p>

<p>After looking at the IB credit policies at the colleges I want to go to, I realized that if I take 4 HLs rather than 3, I would get more college credit through taking the exams than if I did the IB diploma, since many colleges only give credit to HL exam scores.</p>

<p>Despite this advantage, and my own happiness in being able to take HL bio, my parents are concerned that without the "IB diploma" title, my coursework difficulty will seem less impressive to admissions officers who don't look at the classes I took carefully. </p>

<p>Even though (I think) it should be obvious that with 4 HLs, my classes will be harder than 3 HLs with the IB diploma, would I be a weaker applicant without that "IB diploma" title???</p>

<p>Some of the schools I am thinking about include University of Washington, UCLA, and USC. </p>

<p>Can someone give me an opinion on whether or not the IB diploma is important to get, or would colleges see that my classes are still just as hard, without that title?</p>

2

<p>I think you can ask your counselor to put a note in his/her recommendation about this.</p>

3

<p>I’m no expert on the IB program, but be assured that admissions officers would look at your transcript very carefully, and that they like students who take on a challenge. You may explain the situation briefly when you apply to colleges and/or ask your counselor to do it. If you really want to make sure, then e-mail a few college admissions offices to gauge their feelings about it.</p>

4

<p>Make sure your have your GC explain this in her rec, and don’t drop the ball on any of the other IB requirements (CAS, EE). Your GC should be able to say “She fulfilled every requirement of the IB Diploma except X, but her senior year schedule was in fact more rigorous than many Diploma students.”</p>

5

<p>I am a recent IB diploma graduate (did my exams this May). I did 4 HLs and 2 SLs. I understand your frustration about possibly not getting the level you want. However a few things did not add up to me.</p>

<p>To get the diploma you need to take 6 subjects (one each from A1 lang, A2/B Lang, Humanities, Sciences, Maths and Arts but in some cases one can choose an extra subject from the first 5 instead of arts). </p>

<p>You wrote that you are taking 4 HLs and 2 SLs, so you are still taking 6 subjects even though you are not taking japanese? :S From what you wrote is seemed more like you are taking 5 classes (4 HLs and 1 SL). If this is the case, then I have to say that not taking an SL class for the sake of an additional HL is not harder or more rigorous. If I had skipped one of my SLs my life would have been a LOT easier ;)</p>

<p>Having the IB diploma definitely looks good on paper. However if your future major/career plan involves biology then you should DEFINITELY take biology HL. If not, then going for the full diploma is the better choice.</p>

6

<p>Yeah, I don’t understand this either. If you drop the Japanese class, then how is it you still have 4 HL and 2 SL??? </p>

<p>I’m in IB too but I really don’t know what to tell you. I only think the diploma’s more impressive because it shows well-roundedness within the classes and shows you know how to research and balance time well with CAS and the EE. However, if Biology is something you’re truly interested in however then go for it! Maybe try taking Japanese at a community college or the AP version (I don’t even know if there is AP Japanese,lol) just to show you could’ve done everything.</p>

7

<p>Ah, I just recounted my classes, and you guys are right, I will only have 4 HLs and 1 SL if I drop IB japanese.</p>

<p>I don’t plan on majoring in biology, but by doing biology HL, I will be able to get college credit for biology.</p>

<p>At this point, I don’t know about academic rigor, but if I take 4 HLs, regardless of how many SLs I’m taking, I will be able to get more college credit than if I got the IB diploma at all of the colleges that I am considering…</p>

<p>Some of the IB diploma graduates from my school told me that doing the diploma for the colleges I am thinking about (particularly UW) is an overkill, so I thought I might switch for something I am more interested in…</p>

<p>Does anyone here have any info on whether or not IB diploma will make THAT big of a difference for schools like UCLA and USC?</p>

8

<p>The IB degree is impressive. The reasons you’ve given for not completing the program are very weak. The degree matters very much. Also the notion that you’d want to place out of a rigorous biology course at a selective college is misguided. Apart from AP courses in foreign languages, and (perhaps) calculus the college equivalent courses in most of the AP subjects are much deeper than any high school course. To place out of courses can very easily lead to gaps in higher level courses that are difficult to overcome.</p>

9

<p>I think taking the course for placement would be fine if you’re confident that you can manage it and that you need it. But it seems like the OP is more concerned about the credits than the placement. In that case, it’s not a worthy sacrifice. Most students (on CC at least) finish college with an excess of credits.</p>