@irlandaise Oh, sorry, yes the school offers Physics, Biology, and Chemistry HL as well.
Basically, my question is, would colleges look down on someone who did Math Methods SL compared to someone who did Calc BC? Would just taking SL and taking BC test independently help? Right now, with summer prep she would be on track to BC by 12th according to her math teacher.
Based on what colleges give credit and placement for, HL >= BC > AB > SL.
I think HL (at our school) covers more than just Calc. Here are the course descriptions
*AP CALCULUS BC Grades: 10, 11, 12 Year: 1 credit
Prerequisite: Pre-Calculus with a “B” grade or better AND Teacher Recommendation
AP Calculus BC is a college level course in differential and integral calculus which is designed for students who will major in mathematics, science, or a mathematics related field in college. The pace and rigor of instruction will be geared for preparing students for the BC exam, which is the more comprehensive of the two AP Calculus exams. This course will also prepare students for IB Calculus HL. Teacher recommendation is required. A TI83+, TI84+, or TI89+ graphing calculator is required.
*IB CALCULUS HL (FOR MATHEMATICS HL OPTION) Grades: 12 Year: 1 credit
Prerequisite: Successful completion of AP Calculus BC or AB with Teacher Recommendation
This course is designed for students in the IB program with excellent mathematical ability. It is also designed for students who will major in mathematics, science, or a mathematics related field in college. The calculus concepts and applications of functions and graphs, limits and continuity, differential and integral calculus, and sequences and series will be studied in depth. Additional topics studied include probability and statistics, vectors and matrices, and further trigonometry.
@lauraaa
This would probably only matter if your DD is going to major in math or engineering at one of the most exclusive colleges like MIT where most of the competition will have A’s in the highest math available at their schools.
Re: #23
Looks like your school’s HL substantially duplicates BC but with a few added topics like statistics and introductory linear algebra, although it is possible that your school goes into more depth or gives harder calculus problems for the HL course if it is expected that students have already had AB or BC before.
HL is roughly equivalent to calculus1,2,3 (including differential equations and discrete math). It’s incredibly difficult - at the top level internationally - and absolutely not necessary in HS, especially since it doesn’t bring more credit than BC even though it’s a semester to a year more advanced in content. It’s essentially for advanced future math majors or advanced future engineering majors. It’s also incredibly hard to get 5’s 6s, and 7s, and considering how unforgiving American colleges are with total scores, it’s a detrimental choice except for kids who are just very, very advanced in math.
SL Methods is roughly like Calc AB, SL Studies is Applied Math with daily life/world issues where math appears, including stats, probability, a little bit of calculus, etc. For a future STEM major, SL Methods would be a fine choice and it’d be possible with very little extra work to take the AP Calc AB exam to get credit for it.
My DD (who ended up being a Math Major) took Math HL without Calc AB/BC. She only had Alg 2 and Geometry before…she went to an IB school so the Math HL is a two year program.
http://ibmaths.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/73875992/maths_HL_syllabus_2014.pdf
http://ibmaths.pbworks.com/w/page/8285668/Higher%20Level
Based on the syllabus, IB math HL includes calculus 1 and 2 (not 3, which is multivariable calculus). It also includes some probability and statistics. Introductory differential equations and discrete math are listed as optional topics.
I don’t think anyone says HL math requires calc as a pre req but the kids who might do HL math are the ones already on the fast track. I read on CC that some IB schools offer soph start for HL math. There will be quite a few kids in soph next year here doing AB calc before they do HL math as jrs. But we are straddling the common core so perhaps rightly parents are iffy about how that will work out with HL kids. Again though, it is all about the score in HL math.
“optional” is a misnommer, the better term would be “teacher’s pick”. Depending on the school, class level, expected pace, whether HL is 1 year or 2 years… teachers may pick one, two, three of the “optional” segments, but they can’t do none of them.
However, colleges which see a math HL score won’t be able to assume which optional parts have been covered, so they will base credit and placement on just the required parts of the syllabus.
^ very true. That’s why only gifted math students who really love math should take HL, since the benefits for college credit or placement aren’t greater than Calc BC. Some smaller colleges with strong math programs allow students to bring their syllabi and paper samples to the head of department to determine placement, but such personalized attention can’t be given to HL students at large universities and they’re typically considered like the BC5 students if they got 5, 6, or 7, regardless of what their teacher actually covered.
For good math students, Math SL Methods is sufficient and overlaps enough with Calc AB (+ stats/probability) that it’s possible to take the AP test for credit. It’s also better in terms of overall score since it’s exceedingly hard to get high scores in HL.
However, the most advanced math students on track to complete BC in 11th grade or earlier would likely be best served by completing BC then, followed by taking additional math at a local college. The reported rigidity of some IB programs where some such students are forced to wait at year, taking AP statistics as a 10th grade filler math course, and then not getting as far advanced in math as they otherwise would like to, seems like a limitation of those IB programs.
IB math may serve a relatively narrow range of students (with respect to math) well – those who are stronger than average who would otherwise complete honors precalculus or AB in 12th grade at the low end (SL) to BC or BC plus enrichment in 12th grade at the high end (HL), but not super-advanced. But it seems that students outside this range for math would not be served well with IB math.
It is a limitation if progressing rapidly in math is a high priority for the student.
But some students may be willing to make the necessary sacrifice, either because they like other aspects of IB or because IB is where all the top students in their district are.
I totally agree with the advice to go with SL. My Ds school has the same options you listed. They started with a full class of HL but that has dwindled to only a handful of students. HL is for the math wiz/ future math related major.