<p>So, I'm a bit conflicted here. I am a junior in high school, year one IB. My school is new to IB. I will be in the second graduating IB class, and there are not many teachers available, or classes for that matter. My school only offers Maths SL and whatever one is below that. I finished AP Calculus BC this year under an agreement with my guidance counselors. I never took pre-calculus. That may seem like a pointless detail, but I think it is relevant to my dilemma. I want to take the HL Maths test next year. My teachers say that it may be possible, but my IB counselor says that it would be impossible to do well on the test without someone to teach me the curriculum. The only teacher who would be able to teach me the HL Maths is retiring next year. So, should I take the risk and take Maths HL, or just go along with the SL? I've also already done the first IA for SL. I don't really know what the pros and cons are of taking HL, and I just want to take the highest math possible, because, well, my only reason is because I'm an over achiever. Will this end up hurting me in the long run?</p>
<p>tl;dr Can I take the Maths HL test without a teacher if I have taken all math classes up to AP Calculus BC and dual enrollment statistical? What are the pros and cons of taking an HL test as apposed to the SL?</p>
<p>I am sure you have 3 HL classes already or otherwise you would not get a diploma. HL math is not AP calculas BC, but to be honest you would gain nothing by taking HL math for college purposes because you have AP calculus BC already. I am sure you will be just a well off with your AP class when it comes time to get credit from college and since your school does not even offer HL math so colleges will not hold it against you. Selective colleges are rough on given credit for IB tests. Many new IB schools don’t do extremely well on these tests. Your maybe an exception and do very well but many hs are not stellar at administering the programme. In fact, many schools are just happy to get kids to qualify for the diploma and to do that you only need 4’s on the test. No selective college is going to give you credit for 4s.</p>
<p>IB classes don’t work like APs. You can’t just show up and take the test - there are internal assessments that go with every class. I’ve never heard of anyone self-studying an IB certificate because it’s more than learning and following a syllabus. My sister had the opportunity to take a 7th class by having it tutored by a certified IB teacher outside of school - but she still had to take it for two years and produce all the required work. Some schools also offer accelerated SL classes, but I don’t think you could do that with math, even if you already know the material.</p>
<p>Firt, let me say thank you so much, momof3greatgirls (awesome name ) and retrohippo!
I know that IB is a lot different than AP, I just wanted to know if I would have learned the majority of the information in Calc BC and if it would prepare me for HL Maths. I’m planning on taking a differential equations course, but like retrohippo said, there is a lot more than just understanding the course material. I know one girl who is taking the HL Maths with the teacher I mentioned earlier, and she did both IA’s in her senior year. (The teacher was also her grandmother, so she was a bit more fortunate than me) I think now I understand that it is not just a matter of comprehending the material and passing a test. And also, I really do not care about having my IB credits transfer to my colleges. I think that the application process is more important, and I just want to be the most exceptionable student in the eyes of the colleges that I apply to.</p>
) and retrohippo!