<p>My D is currently in IB Math SL , in her Junior year in HS. She wants to major in the sciences in college (currently loves the idea of neuroscience research..non med school), but she is not really a math person. She can do it, but the more conceptual math doesn't come easily to her. Give her a math problem connected to science and she seems to have no trouble, but the math for math's sake...not so much. </p>
<p>She has the opportunity to switch to IB Math Studies instead, which would still be 'most rigorous' for college apps, etc, but isn't only focused on calculus (which I like)...it seems to incorporate a variety of math, including calculus. It also has some personal finance math, etc...which I think is important for HS students to learn. Each class is really a two year course, getting more in depth in the senior year. </p>
<p>I suspect, even if she stays in the IB Math SL, and can get credit for her math requirements in college, it would probably benefit her to take some of the normally required math (as it relates to her major) anyway, to be sure she truly has a solid foundation to begin her college career.</p>
<p>Year 1 IB Math Studies Course Content:
The content should include, but not be limited to,
Using graphing display calculators
Number and algebra
Sets, logic and probability
Functions
Geometry and trigonometry
Financial mathematics</p>
<p>Year 2 IB Math studies Course Content:
The content should include, but not be limited to,
Using graphing display calculators
Probability
Statistics
Introductory Differential Calculus</p>
<p>From what I have read of the IB math options, Math Studies SL is for students who do not intend to take more advanced math later, while Math SL is for preparation for more advanced math later, and Math HL is similar but more advanced, including more calculus. Math Studies SL appears to cover more topics, but at a more introductory level for each.</p>
<p>A strong precalculus preparation would be better for someone who, as a biological/social science major, will be taking calculus and statistics in college.</p>
<p>The way it was set up at my school was to have Math SL and Math Studies lined up with pre-calc and calc. Math Studies went through the class “Pre-Calculus IB” and Math SL went to “Calculus IB”.
My only concern would be that colleges looking at applicants in STEM fields at highly competitive schools seem to be more and more looking for calculus in high school.</p>
<p>I’m confused about the year 1 and year 2 part. Are you saying its a 2 year course sequence? So that she takes IB Math SL junior year and then IB Math SL AGAIN next year, her senior year? OR is she taking IB Math SL this year and then IB Math HL next year?</p>
<p>sarahing, It is a two year set of courses. So, she’d take either IB math studies, year and year 2 (Each year has its own set curriculum. It’s not repeating the same course twice), or IB Math SL, year 1 and year 2.</p>
<p>Okay. Yeah, I’m still a little confused. I think yal’s IB program might be a bit different??</p>
<p>I’m in IB Math HL right now- its really challenging (we call it IB Math hard life). I had friends that took IB Math SL last year tho & they did really well on the IB test in the spring. But here the SL is only for a year. I would tell your daughter to ask the seniors at your school for their advice 
cuz they know how everybody does better than anybody else and go with whatever class they most recommend. Maybe she has a senior IB mentor that she can ask there? And maybe ask the teacher what they think? That would be my advice for choosing a class that she’ll be successful in… </p>
<p>For what’s most USEFUL to her tho: What I noticed in dong my college apps is that I should have paid closer attention EARLIER (like sophomore year- of course I didn’t know then what i was interested in, haha) to the IB/AP equivalency charts at the schools I’m applying and the suggested curriculum tracks for the majors I’m interested in- so maybe you should also look at that to see what best uses your daughter’s time? Like print out the curriculum track (at 2-3 schools you think she might attend for the proposed majors) and highlight the stuff she will likely have credit for and see what she needs that way…</p>
<p>Thank you all for the input. It’s a tricky decision. Stay in math SL and risk lowering the GPA…and maybe not fully understanding the material, or move to what appears to be the less demanding course and risk colleges viewing that negatively. She (and we) are not really concerned about her getting college credit for the classes. She got so stressed last year. That was the weed-out year for the IB program. She is now determined to be less stressed this year, and the math class is stressful. Now, when she starts to get too stressed, the anxiety kicks in and begins a cycle of stress, anxiety, stress. I also suspect the stress she feels in math class is affecting her in the class immediately following it.
So, the math studies seems like a reasonable solution, but she wouldn’t want to do anything that might hurt her chances for college acceptances. She’s thinking of some selective and moderately selective (possibly Emory/Duke as the biggest reaches, then others that aren’t as Highly selective).
Sarahinga, I hadn’t even thought to look at the IB equivalency charts for the schools. It looks like, for some schools, only the HL class would count for credit anyway, so that becomes a moot point.</p>
<p>shoboemom, the IB students at my school take the AP tests for their SL classes to get college credit for them- usually junior year so if they don’t do well they can retake the AP tests senior year. Plus, by taking the AP tests if she gets at least a 3 on 3 of them (really easy to do) junior year then she gets to put AP Scholar down on her college apps in the honors/awards section as a national level award when she applies to colleges in the fall of her senior year.</p>
<p>Wow, Sarahinga…that’s another thing I hadn’t thought of! Taking the AP for the SL classes is a great idea.</p>
<p>That depends on how the material is covered. Some of the AP tests align well with the IB material and some do not. At sarahinga’s school, there may be some classes where they specifically cover AP material in SL classes to prepare for the test if it otherwise doesn’t match up well. However, after IB Math SL and Chem SL I was able to get 5s on both of the AP tests (chem and calc AB) without any additional studying. (In retrospect, maybe I should have studied…)</p>
<p>Perhaps your high school “topped up” the IB SL courses to cover the material that is in the corresponding AP tests. Colleges normally do not give subject credit for IB SL test scores.</p>
<p>My school, or sarahinga’s? At my school I was 1 of 3 people taking the AP tests; they definitely didn’t prep us for that.</p>
<p>Mine doesn’t either. You just read and do the sample tests in barrons. And you can go to an AP teacher and ask them if they have any review sessions that you can attend and any study materials.</p>