<p>Obviously, IB Certificate is less work. But what makes IB Diploma stand out? What are the benefits of taking IB Diploma? How do those two compare?</p>
<p>For the IB students, which do you take? Is it a lot of work? Do you still have time for extracurriculars? On average, how many hours of homework do you have per night? Do you regret taking it?</p>
<p>Thanks guys. :)</p>
<p>An IB diploma stands out because you've had in-depth study in ALL types of subjects, not just that you are "strong" at. I guess it could be described as the difference between an AP and IB (diploma), where AP you get to pick and choose and IB, well, obviously you don't (besides SL/HL).</p>
<p>The IB diploma is obviously a lot more work, but if you're going to do IB, take it! That way, you get the whole package, CAS/Extended Essay/TOK, etc. That's why it stands out; because colleges/other persons of importance recognize all of the different things you went through, how rigorous the ENTIRE course load was?</p>
<p>I'm an IB student taking history HL, French SL, biology HL, English HL, psychology SL, and math studies SL...</p>
<p>I have never regretted taking it, although I've sadly watched a lot of my friends "burn out". You really, really, really have to take the idea of "time management" (which the IB program stresses) to heart because it really is how you survive. When you get a long term project, immediately start working on it...even in small little pieces, it saves a lot of stress since so many of the internal assesments/finals/orals will fall around the same time. Again, if you actually start doing the homework without distractions (ie turn the TV off) it averages about an hour and a half...</p>
<p>There's plenty of time for extracurriculars if you think you can handle it. I have one friend on ski team who is up the mountain on fridays and saturdays/weight training wednesday nights and he is fine. He also talks to his teachers. I had another friend on volleyball who always bombed the first semester because of the way she handled it. I am president of three different clubs, volunteer at the aquarium on monday nights and participate in a lot of other things....it's just about time management! </p>
<p>I'm going to go back into the "regret" thing. I love IB. It's hard. There are times I want to yank my hair out and scream. But then, looking back at middle school where we weren't allowed to use the bunsen burner because kids liked to burn things in them, I realize that this is such an amazing opportunity to...learn...and that's what it's about. </p>
<p>Get the diploma!!!</p>
<p>I'm in the IB Diploma program at a private school in DC. </p>
<p>Some differences from Certificate:
* three HLs and three SLs
* distribution requirements (first language, second language, math, natural science, social science, elective)
* Extended Essay
* Theory of Knowledge
* Creativity/Action/Service requirement</p>
<p>It is a lot of work (sometimes overwhelmingly so), but it's absolutely possible to be involved in extracurriculars and maintain an active social life. I'm the News & Features Editor/Photography Editor of my school newspaper, take photography courses outside of school, volunteer at a hospital, am heavily involved ("am in a position of leadership") in my school's Amnesty International chapter, ride horses and occasionally compete, and so on.</p>
<p>Academically, I will say this: my experience with the IB at my high school has been mostly excellent, but I think that's more thanks to the small class size (between 3 and 12), personal attention, and amazing teachers than to the IB program itself, which at times can be extremely, maddeningly bureaucratic. It's meant to teach you "critical thinking", but there are so many requirements and hoops to jump through that it's hard to really accomplish that (my English teacher says it sucks the creativity out of people). As standardized programs go I think it's a pretty good one, but it definitely depends on how it's implemented. I don't regret my decision, exactly, but I'm glad it's almost over.</p>
<p>By the way, I take English A1 HL, French A1 HL, Chemistry HL, Mathematics SL, Biology SL, History SL, Theory of Knowledge, and Journalism. If you are a masochist, by all means feel free to take two foreign languages as a "first language" (A1 is the level expected of a native speaker; my actual first language is Swedish) in addition to two lab sciences, one of which (Chemistry HL with Mr. M) has a reputation for being the hardest class at your high school... but if you value your physical and mental wellbeing, you may want to reconsider.</p>
<p>I've a few more questions here:</p>
<p>What's the difference between HL and SL?</p>
<p>So if you're a diploma student, you take 6 courses per year, with at least 3 HL? </p>
<p>What's the total score out of? 6*7=42?</p>
<p>Thanks for the comprehensive replies. I'm applying to two IB schools, and one of them is my dream school. But that school is out of area which means I might not get in. Anyone has similar experiences?</p>
<p>I'm not in IB, but I think I heard that with SL, you don't get any college credit.</p>
<p>SL courses are less time-consuming than HL and cover less material, but they're still demanding courses. For example, Math SL and Math HL both cover calculus, but HL is more advanced and includes more complicated topics (I don't take HL, so I can't say precisely which).</p>
<p>Your IB score is out of 45. 7 points for each subject (to 42) and then 3 additional points for your TOK Essay and Extended Essay. You need A's on both or an A and a B to get the full three points. Otherwise, you get fewer points... there's a matrix somewhere. </p>
<p>I took a bilingual IB diploma in hs (I'm in first year uni now), and I don't regret it at all. It really helps you in first year, especially if you took some HL courses in your university subjects. You also have smaller classes and get to bond with people through the hard times like the week you have to hand in your EE or oral exams (or both at the same time plus a few chem labs and a history IA). I also had time to be in extra-curriculars. Actually, I've found that IB students are for the most part the ones who will be running the school in terms of music, sports, and clubs. To get into IB or succeed in it (past pre-IB, etc), you need to have good time management skills, and this usually translates into being able to take on IB and ec's. </p>
<p>Good luck getting into the school you want... :)</p>
<p>P.S. I took: English A1 HL, French A2 SL, History of Europe HL in french, Chem HL, Bio SL, and Math Methods SL in french. I was in french immersion IB in a public school.</p>
<p>First of all, you dont actually get the diploma until AFTER senior yr, and trust me, not everyone will get it. It is more than just passing 6 tests; you have to really work hard and want to get ahead. Unlike AP, the HLs cover 2 years worth of college-level work all wrapped up in 3 or more "papers"
Although I'm not in IB yet, i take IB Spanish 4 and have got to see some SL papers compared to free response in the AP test; The two are completly different formats- AP Spanish Language is defintly harder than its AP counterpart and just proves that if you take IB SLs jr year take the AP test, too (you dont get credit for SL) </p>
<p>HLs are, of course, more difficult than SLs b/c of the 2 year thing but the actual classes are similar in format and the way things are taught</p>
<p>At my [private, all-IB] high school both HLs and SLs are two-year courses, but HL courses have more class time each week. It varies between schools, I guess.</p>
<p>First off, IB is an incredibly rewarding experience. That being said, it's rather stressful. My "worst" experience was probably staying up for about 50 hours (from 6 AM Sunday morning to 8 AM Tuesday morning) working on a Computer Science dossier. It actually wasn't as bad as you'd think, since I had a friend who was in the same situation, so we kept each other up and motivatd. Also, the intensity and the level of the courses tend to be similar to the level of AP classes. For the SL vs. HL question, HL classes cover things in greater depth, for example in Biology, there is a requirement for two optional topics and usually has more difficult assessments in terms of portfolios and the like. For math, there's more topics to cover and the differences can somewhat be summed up to be like Calculus AB and BC. My math teacher tells me that some schools that teach the SL class out of a Calculus AB course and the HL class from a Calc BC class. But as a senior in IB, it's really nice because most, if not all, the classes are run in a seminar style rather than a pure lecture style and I rarely have any homework. The IB is much more about understanding than fact recall, which the AP tends to like on its tests. It also teaches time management, which I know will be very useful in college. So all in all, I wouldn't regret taking it, because if your school offers it and you don't, you didn't take the "most rigorous curriculum available," and I know that hurt someone's chances to get into Stanford this year. However, if you are considering commuting hours upon hours or moving for the sake of going to an IB school, don't do it. It definitely eats up into EC time and colleges will never penalize you for not taking an IB curriculum if your school doesn't offer it.</p>
<p>Honestly, IB is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. If you're considering doing the program just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons and you're ready for it, because once you're in you're kinda stuck (unless of course if you drop out which just doesn't look to good on your apps.)
I was really scared to do the IB program at my school because I had heard many things about how stressful it is/how it kills your social life/how you don't have time to sleep/how you won't have time for ECs and whatnot, but its really not that bad! I actually tend to do better during the few months of the year when I have multiple ECs after school every day rather than just a few here and there because it really just makes you sit down and do your work and getting it done is the only real battle of IB.
Good Luck!</p>
<p>Some people are fairly overdramatic about it, if that helps at all. Although, I did stay up all night once to meet an EE deadline. Learned my lesson there. </p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind is that if your school has diploma, in order to be in the "most rigorous curriculum the school offers" (criteria for selective colleges) you have to be in Diploma, unless you have a good reason like not being able to fit a class like music in that you're dedicated to. So that's something to keep in mind although it depends on the colleges you're thinking of. For most, just pursuing a varied amount of certificates is okay.</p>
<p>So are you guys saying that a full IB diploma is worth all the sacrifice? What if you don't get it in the end, because you got less than a 4 on one of your IB exams? Won't it make you feel wasted?</p>
<p>The diploma itself is crap. The seniors at my school who graduated LAST YEAR (class of 06) just got their diplomas a few days ago.. halfway through their first year of college.
I did hear that some high schools give them earlier but you don't even receive word that you got the diploma until after your hs graduation.</p>
<p>I have friends who graduated and then found out they didn't actually get the diploma but by then who really cares? As long as you go through the program you'll feel rewarded afterward..apparently</p>
<p>I'm not too sure about all that but that's what I've heard from the Ib kids before me..</p>
<p>i'm a junior going for the ib diploma, and overall, i think it's been a good experience. the courses are challenging, some more so than others depending on your academic strengths, but the quality of education in comparsion to taking regular classes at my school is a whole other ball park. i have about 3-5 hours of homework a night, which is quite a bit... but i still have time to play varsity sports in the spring and hold a job for around 15 hours a week. so long as you manage your time, anyone can do it.</p>