IB students: Was It Worth It?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey all, i couldn't find a thread for this, but if it's out there please let me know =) I'm an IB senior, went into the program my freshman year and am currently in the Diploma Program. I figured we could use a thread to discuss life- at least, what little we still have after varying lengths in the program and college apps under our belts ;) </p>

<p>Anyways, i was just curious about other people's thoughts on whether IB was worth it. I know for some (including myself) the rigor of the program resulted in more B's than I would have goteen if I hadn't done it, meaning my gpa and rank were dropped too.</p>

<p>I know that they say IB helps come admissions time because amissions officers get to see you have challenged yourself, but where is the line between helping and hurting crossed with regards to grades and time available for ECs? What do all of you think?</p>

<p>My personal opinion is that it was worth it- having the sense of community in our tiny IB class (dropped to ~50 for senior year) was AWESOME, and I have learned to think for myself much more than I probably would have if I hadn't done the DP. Plus, TOK has been just about the coolest class ever, and has really helped me to start examining things in a broader sense than just how they relate to me and my local experiences.</p>

<p>What are everyone else's thoughts?</p>

2

<p>Worth it. Very hard, and I’m about to get my @$$ wooped on the Physics HL, but definitely worth it. We’ll be more prepared for college than most non-Diploma candidates.</p>

3

<p>My D started the IB program and did the pre-requisites at her school (starting with AP World History in 9th grade to keep her “on track”). But dropped it after 10th grade (just when it was REALLY starting) because she wanted LOTS more performing arts class slots. </p>

<p>Looking back…her AP work load was AS hard. BUT, she considered applying to Oxford so the IB would have been beneficial because they “understand” that grading system well. (she ended up not having the advanced course she needed in physics, so she didn’t apply).</p>

4

<p>So incredibly worth it in every single way.</p>

5

<p>I’m three months into my first year of IB and it’s killing me, but I’m still loving it, especially since my school used to do British A-Levels, which apparently make it more difficult to get into college.</p>

<p>I got first term grades based on tests, practice orals and the like and I’m predicted a 38 so far (not including TOK and EE) so I’m really happy :D</p>

6

<p>I don’t know, that’s a tough question.</p>

<p>My entire school is IB on the diploma program (for junior & senior year) - granted, it’s about 60-80 a class (63 in my class and 50-ish in the previous one).</p>

<p>Last year was the first class to go through the program (and to graduate from my school), but a lot of them regretted it, and I would agree that I wish my school simply offered AP courses instead. Speaking to admissions officers, of the 20-25 I’ve contacted, most of them simply stated, “IB is relatively new to us so we’re still working things out.” And that was at schools up and down the East coast (and Stanford), ranging from Rutgers to Princeton.</p>

<p>I also don’t like that the Diploma Program maxes out at 3 HL courses – so you can only get college credit in a maximum of 3 classes (for most schools). I’ve known people who graduated with 50+ AP credits so it’s slightly frustrating.</p>

<p>It hasn’t been a setback for me, but certainly not a benefit. I’ve always loved analyzing literature and such, and the IAs and lab work comes naturally to me so it was the same as regular work. Same goes for community service - I always volunteer so it wasn’t as if I had to go out of my way to earn the CAS hours. As I mentioned before, I know that I would work equally as hard in a BC Calc course - which I would have taken back at my home high school (I may have forgotten to mention that I’m at a career high school for biotech) - as my current SL Math course.</p>

<p>With that said, I’m taking the AP exams and studying independently for AP exams for my SL courses so I can hopefully get credit.</p>

<p>(Sorry about the long-winded answer, I didn’t realize I had so much to say about IB.)</p>

7

<p>Parent here - hope you don’t mind.</p>

<p>My D did MYP as well as IB, so she was in “the programme” from 6th grade on. There were definitely times when we both wondered if it was worth it, but her only alternative was regular-track. Based on the few regular-track classes that she took (state requirements), we both knew that it really wasn’t an option for her, so she stayed in IB.</p>

<p>She just finished her first college semester, and she gives IB a big thumbs-up now. She confirms what we always heard, that college is easy compared to IB (at least the first year; I’m sure it will get harder as time goes on). She says that she now understands how much it helped her with her writing, critical thinking, and organization/time management, not to mention subject matter. She says that in class discussions, she can always tell exactly who took ToK and who didn’t. She does NOT miss group projects though!</p>

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<p>As a quick note, every one of the students says “college is easy,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re doing well…</p>

9

<p>^I totally agree
I applied to the IB program as a bright-eyed and intelligent middle schooler. The academic rigor and intrinsic social security appealed to me, the thought of college credit was a secondary, almost ethereal thought. After a round of essays and standardized testing, I was admitted, and began freshman year in what my school system called “Pre-IB.” I was tethered to a group of intellectual snobs, disillusioned by the ease with which my peers resorted to academic dishonesty and disgusted by the malicious rumors, ritalin abuse, and prevalence of mental imbalance.For me, the opportunity cost associated with IB was much too high. I left the IB program and soon found the Advanced Placement Program. If you’re a top student and IB isn’t an option, AP’s what you do.</p>

<p>AP kids work just as earnestly as IB kids, albeit with more pressure and less prestige. I’ve completed Calculus(my favorite subject) problemsets at the break of dawn, only to begin reading complete volumes of text for APUSH or AP Lit. High scorers are a commodity and prospective teachers actively recruit the best for the toughies like Physics C and AP Euro. My AP class is a family, we hold each other together during the darkest times throughout the courses, in the heat of AP season, and as we open the nondescript envelopes bearing the fruit of our 6 month accomplishments. </p>

<p>If you can relate to my AP experience, your IB program is probably worth it. While I may not have been suited to the IB setting, there are many people who are. The friends of mine whom stuck it out do attest that they have better study skills than some of their standard kid counterparts, however the same can be said for any student whom applies himself in a more rigorous academic setting. The real test of your high school’s worth is, upon matriculating, whether you are capable of functioning as a productive member of the collegiate community, in academic, as well as social and spiritual capacities.</p>

<p>There’s my take.</p>

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<p>Eagles17 – it doesn’t mean they’re NOT doing well. D ends her first semester with a GPA that’s comparable to her unweighted high school GPA; I haven’t quizzed her friends who have told me the same thing about IB vs. college regarding their GPAs.</p>

11

<p>My daughter recently answered this. she says definitely yes because, for her, the extended essay was life-changing and has helped her set her plans for college and career.</p>

12

<p>WOW lots of opinions :slight_smile: @bayhawk- yeah, i missed out on the fun middle school years, but 9/10 grade were kinda similar to what you described. Lots of people just skating by, mooching off of others, and a surprisingly large number of druggies (most memorably we had three small time local dealers and a klepto). </p>

<p>Once you hit the DP, though, everyone who wasn’t really serious about the academics dropped, so maybe it’s just being able to wait it out until then?? I have lots of friends in AP who say it’s actually a little harder than IBfor some calsses like bio, where it’s essentially the two year IB HL class squashed into one year :stuck_out_tongue: Guess it really depends on what you’re looking for and what works with your life.</p>

<p>@zoosermom- oh man, my EE has opened my eyes too! Im doing it on film, specifically black and white in moder cinema and the director’s vision, and while i’m not planning on going into it for a career, i’ve definitely developed a new passion for film! :D</p>

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<p>I’ve talked to a handful of students who have been through the IB program. Most give it good reviews. Others say it’s kind of a matter of “fit,” and if it’s a bad fit, there’s nothing redeeming about it. The IB diploma survivors I’ve known have all been strong students in college.</p>

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<p>spdf, It definitely is a matter of fit, and the full-on IB program is not everyone’s cup of tea at all. But there’s a reason that college adcoms like to see it on the applications of the “survivors” (apt term, BTW) – they really are academically prepared for college.</p>

15

<p>it was kind of nice to hear that you liked your TOK class !
I had the worst teacher in the world, and the class resulted in people just screaming out their opinions about everything in class.
Kind of a let down.
But i can see how (if taught right) the class is beneficial.</p>

16

<p>All I can say is: we will see in April :)</p>

17

<p>SFmember: yeah, we have some of that too, but the teacher is really great about redirecting and refocusing everyone, and when we do devolve (because obviously, with that many type A kids, it WILL happen) he lets it run it’s course and then somehow twists it against the people who were arguing and uses it to further the lesson! O_o he’s a genius.</p>

<p>and alex7592- geez. that’s what i keep telling myself, but it just seems so scary… and completely out of my hands. talk about terrifying :P</p>

18

<p>Our school offers both AP and IB.
In the end, i dont know. If i took AP, the chances are i would have ended up with higher gpa and ranking, and probably look better on my college apps. but IB made me a different person =)
you can weigh the two.</p>

19

<p>I’m a Diploma junior, but I’ve been in MYP since sixth grade. I’ve found that the most important aspect of IB has been the community. When I sifted past the grade-grubbers and the unintelligent S/D of overbearing PTA moms, I found a really charming group of people, some bright, even brilliant, but some not so much. My group of friends is a strange conglomerate of people who love and fit the IB program, those who don’t but are still in it, and those who have chosen an AP/honor class-ridden schedule instead. In my approximately 2500-person high school, it’s nice to have classes with the same 100 or so kids every year. Teachers who have taught both IB and non-IB (whether that be AP, honors, or regular) complain that we’re too comfortable with one another and that our chit-chat gets in the way of classwork, but, hey, what are you going to do?</p>

<p>I also appreciate the EE. I have yet to start it, but we’ve begun brainstorming topics already, and as someone with a humanities bent, it’s nice to have an opportunity to delve into topics that interest me. It gives me a reason to talk to local college professors and other experts and explore fields (in my case, language/linguistics, creative writing, and politics) that there aren’t any courses for, IB/AP or otherwise. I think that it’s impressive that a program that prides itself on creating well-rounded kids has simultaneously produced, at least at my school, kids who are passionate in specific areas of study. IB grads have gone on to win UNC’s Morehead scholarship, NC State’s psychics-something-or-other scholarship, worked for NASA, gone into film, drafted health care bills that got sent to Congress, gone to design school, etcetc. </p>

<p>However, there’s no denying that IB can spread you thin. At my school, we take eight classes a year. I’m currently in 4 HLs, 3 SLs, and an AP (Euro–I wanted to take the significantly easier Human Geography, but it wouldn’t work with my schedule). For someone who avidly pursues writing, debate, and french outside of school in addition to my nerdy penchant for reading anything and everything that comes my way, this can become somewhat of a strain. There’s never a lull in my workload, even now, and it’s winter break! I’m lucky that I thrive on constant momentum and am fine with 4 or 5 hours of sleep, but even when I spend every waking moment meaningfully working (never mind the fact that I just contradicted myself by being on CC), it’s sometimes literally impossible to get everything done. </p>

<p>Oh, and did I mention that my chemistry grade is horrible? Sometimes, it’s tough knowing that adcoms weigh IB and AP equally (excluding schools like Florida who have developed quite an affinity for IB grads) in the admissions process, and yet, I’ll likely have imperfections on my transcript that someone in AP, who was able to tailor their classes to their interests and strengths, won’t have. Sure, all IB grads have proclaimed that college is infinitely easier for them than for their non-IB peers, likely because of IB’s emphasis on writing and lab reports, but doing well in college and getting into college are two very different things. </p>

<p>And a quick complaint about CAS: As much as I appreciate what they’re trying to do with this requirement, it makes it difficult for the student who doesn’t have an established commitment to community service (or, for that matter, action–I have no clue how I’m going to get those hours considering I am not involved in any school sports). Sometimes, I wonder if IB promotes too heavily the Renaissance-man type at the expense of allowing specific interests to develop. </p>

<p>Just my two cents. As a whole, I’m glad I’m in the program, if only for the community aspect. As much as I’m self-driven, I still like to be surrounded by bright, passionate peers. But were I in a setting with a strong offering of AP classes and the same EC opportunities that I have at my current school, AP may have allowed me to more fully explore my strengths.</p>

20

<p>glasses: Holy crap, 4 highers? I wanted to do that, but when I was choosing subjects I was told by a teacher that I was a “stupid, stupid girl”. Hmmmm.</p>

<p>I completely agree with you about the CAS though- I’ve already almost fulfilled my C and S, but I have pretty much nothing in Action. I signed up for a 10K run in February just to satisfy that because I do nothing else sporty in or out of school :P</p>