IB or non-IB highschool ???

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>My daughter is in 8th grade and we are faced with a tough decision that will determine her path. We are trying to decide on the most appropriate education for her. She is doing well in middle school taking AP classes and she has tested/applied to two IB high schools outside her district. One IB high school offers a two year (Junior/Senior) IB curriculum and the other offers the 4yr IB curriculum . She wasn't accepted to the 4 yr. IB school but was accepted to the 2 year one. We were willing to find transportation if she was accepted to the 4 yr. IB school but she was wasn’t accepted and now she is down to two choices; the non-IB school in her district or the 2 yr. IB school outside her district. The critical question is what if she doesn’t do well in the IB program- jeopardizing her college chances. Would it be better to send her to the non-IB school in her district where she stands better odds of being at top of her class or risk it with the IB school? With that comes the question:</p>

<p>Which of these two graduating high school students would be more appealing to a University system - assuming all other variables are equal:</p>

<ol>
<li>Academically at top of class from a non-IB school ?</li>
<li>Academically at middle of class from an IB school ?</li>
</ol>

<p>Maybe the question can't be answered without taking other variables into consideration?? I don’t know.</p>

<p>And I know the school bus convenience is a low-weight-factor that can be removed from equation. But I don’t want to risk her class standing with the colleges. I want to give her the best chance of getting accepted to whatever comes our way.</p>

<p>Any discussion or enlightenment on the subject will be much appreciated because I am new to the IB subject and I am trying to make an informed decision for my high school-bound daughter who I hope to set on an education path more focused and better suited than what I struggled through in my . Thanks for your thoughts.</p>

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<p>Academically IB’s have more prestige than AP’s but not a lot of schools offer IB so people not taking IB’s are not at a disadvantage. I would go with "Academically at top of class from a non-IB school " because rank is very important factor in college admissions.</p>

3

<p>Honestly, I’m saying this as an IB student myself, the IB program is not worth it. Send her to a non-IB school. Not a lot of schools even recognize the IB and like you said she stands better odds of being at top of her class in the non-IB school. The IB is just not worth it, it’s such a waste of time. It ruins your GPA with a bunch of classes that don’t even get you college credit.</p>

4

<p>I’m a senior in the IB program and lately I’ve been having several conversations with friends about whether we would have been better off for college admissions doing a traditional program, loading up on APs, and getting higher ranks. We all agreed that the IB experience was worth it. I think you should not only consider what looks better, but also think about where you’ll get the better education. It’s 4 years of school, so in my view you should be seeking the best experience possible instead of just viewing it as a stepping stone to college. IB might be harder but it also carries the benefit of a strong curriculum and surrounding your daughter with other intelligent, talented students who will motivate and support her.</p>