Currently I’m a sophomore in high school. Soon in February I will have my course selection and will sign up to be full IB.
I don’t have a deep and complete understanding yet, but I have a general grasp of the courses I will take and the coursework of the classes entail. Below are classes I plan to take, any tips for the IB Program and these classes would be greatly appreciated.
classes /
IB Art HL
IB English HL
IB Japanese SL
IB History HL
IB Chem HL
IB Math Studies
About Me /
female
Filipino
approx. 4.2 current weighted gpa(as of last semester) and 3.8 unweighted
top 20% of class as of right now
also plans to balance 3 main ecs (1 sport) with Full IB next year, heavily involved in ecs.
*these 3 main ecs are aside from community service clubs ( Key Club, UNICEF)
plans to apply to university ( though unsure, planning for a science major )
I ask that you please reply with any tips you have for these classes and the IB Program
( aside from time management and not procrastinating)
Thank you !
If you’re transitioning into the DP program, I am assuming you weren’t in the MYP program. It’s going to be tough at first. Very tough. I was in MYP my freshman and sophomore year, and I am currently in the DP program in my last semester of senior year, and it still is tough. My first piece of advice is that taking 4 HLs isn’t necessary. Your main priority would be to, for one, pass your exams and get the IB diploma. This may seem like a given, but many IB candidates end up without the IB diploma and instead have IB candidate written on their diploma. IB Art is a very fun class if you enjoy the visual arts. It’s more than just drawing–you explore different types of art and different media, and students get a lot of independence. A good HL choice if you truly enjoy art. Now, you are very lucky to have Japanese as an option! If you believe you speak it well, then sure, HL in it! Math studies is a VERY easy class. Chemistry, history, and english… not so much. At my school, however, english and history of the Americas are required HLs, and typically students would only choose 1 more HL. It doesn’t change how adcoms see you to a significant extent, so if you have the option to lower your stress level, take 3 HLs and 3 SLs. I am assuming you’ll also take Theory of Knowledge which is required in the IB curriculum.
Keep in mind you will be preparing for college admissions, studying for the ACT and/or SAT, finishing your Internal Assessments for each class, and participating in sports/ extracurricular activities almost all at once. My advice would be to MANAGE YOUR TIME (an IB given) and lower your workload if you have the opportunity. If you intend on enrolling in a science major, I would HL in chemistry if you're confident in your abilities. It looks good to show this kind of endeavor towards your goals to adcoms, but it's not worth it if you aren't confident.
Sorry for writing so much! If you have anymore questions or wish for anymore IB survival tips (yes, because it’s a struggle to survive in some cases! :D), I will be happy to answer your questions!
