<p>I'm a junior currently in AP Calculus BC. I made an A in the class and am confident I got a 4 or 5 on the AP exam I just took. I enjoyed Calc BC and consider myself "good" at math, but by no means a "math genius." Next year, I have the option to take either AP Stats or IB Math HL. I would take both, but I do not have room in my schedule. The teacher for Math HL is the same teacher I had for AP Calc BC, and he is fantastic. I'm not going for the IB diploma, but I would still be required to do all of the internal assessments and end of the year papers for this one class. I would not get college credit for HL, but I would if I took AP Stats. Would taking Math HL be better than taking AP Stats?</p>
<p>You are not going for the diploma so do not take IB Math HL. It doesn’t get you any more credit than the AP Calculus BC at college. Take AP Stats because you very well may need that for college. Many majors need it.</p>
<p>Well… I’m a junior taking IB Math HL II this year and AP Statistics/Multivariable Calculus/Linear Algebra next year (before someone asks: I know, I can’t take the HL exam until senior year if I want the IB diploma).</p>
<p>There are a couple of things to point out with this. </p>
<p>As far as curriculum goes, IB Math HL (in my two years) covered a LOT of material. We went through topics in precalc, probability, statistics, logic, group theory/set theory, complex numbers, and calculus. As far as probability/statistics goes, we went through about half of the AP Statistics curriculum, and with calculus we went up through a fair amount of BC Calculus. There are some things that we did not cover in as much depth (sequences/series for example), but those subjects were made up by exploration of other topics. </p>
<p>IB Math HL can be awarded with some type of college credit if you score high enough on the exam (usually a 5, 6 or 7… but it’s supposedly one of the hardest IB exams). However, since you have already taken BC Calculus, any of those requirements are probably already fulfilled. </p>
<p>If you are just looking to get more college credits out of the way, take the AP statistics class. If you want a holistically better knowledge base in mathematics (your calculus knowledge plus perhaps additional differential equations knowledge, complex numbers, a statistics/probability base, and group/set theory), take IB Math HL.</p>
<p>Interesting thread - - at our school, IB Math HL is a combo class with AP Calc BC. So they cover the same material, but the IB diploma candidates have to do the extra assessments, etc. I think most students in that course get a 4/5 on the AP, but a 3-4 on the HL exam.</p>
<p>In order to meet the HL testing requirement (seniors only), IB students take AP Stats in 10th grade, Honors Precalc in 11th.</p>
<p>At my school, the Calc BC class is separate from the Math HL class, but those in HL have to have taken Calc BC or be taking the Calc at the same time (it this the same teacher, but different class periods). Usually only students pursuing the IB diploma take HL, but because my teacher wants to increase the class size, he is offering Math HL to the few juniors currently taking AP Calc BC (including me). So my question is: Would Math HL give me a strong er understanding of complicated topics that would help me in college, or would I feel like I am wasting my time doing internal assessments and not be learning much more than I did in Calculus?</p>
<p>What do you plan on studying in college?</p>
<p>My daughter took AP stats and then SL math which she is finding easy. Look at the schools you are considering. AP Stats rarely counts towards college math credits; it may give you elective credit. It is possible to get an IB certificate for a HL course even if you are not doing the full diploma. Check with your school to see if they are willing to apply for the certificate for you. It is not necessary to have taken the course for two years. My daughter took HL psychology as a sophomore after taking psychology the summer before her 9th grade year and scoring a 5 on the AP exam. She did all the assessments and received an IB certificate. Even the best math students at the high school where I teach found HL math challenging and worthwhile.</p>
<p>I took IB Math HL for the diploma when I was in high school. I took it in conjunction with linear algebra, discrete math, and graph theory as I already finished Calc 1-3 and Diff Eq prior to the course. Even with all that math background, the course was VERY difficult (granted I didn’t have the greatest teacher). The IAs are poorly evaluated, imo, and I overall got a 5 on the IB exam, which was the highest in my school (and almost a 6 >.<). My recommendation is to NOT to IB Math HL for fun unless you really enjoy math. Unless your teacher is really amazing and consistently has a high passing rate on the exam, getting higher than a 4 is a challenge (and even that 4 requires a lot of work).</p>
<p>I plan to major in biology. Also, I would be able to get an IB Certificate.</p>
<p>Definitely not worth it. AP Stats will be a necessity for your major and not Math HL. Even if you need to retake stats in college, you’ll have the background of basic stats and learn more. You won’t need any more math than BC.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice! AP stats seems to be the better option, so I will take that class.</p>