<p>This is my first post but I just wanted to say something since i have taken and am taking a lot of AP AND IB courses. I took 2 APs (the most my school offered to sophomores) last year and am now enrolled in the full IB program (yes we're still allowed to spell it program not programme; taking an international program does not make us European). I'm halfway done my junior year and am taking 8 classes this year. 3 are just IB classes, 1 is just AP, and 4 are AP and IB combined. For the combined ones I feel that I will be prepared to take both exams and will do so at the end of this year. Upon my graduation I will have sat for 10 IB exams and 10 AP exams, if all goes according to plan.</p>
<p>At my school and in my academic situation, I think that I have definitely been given the best of both worlds and am grateful for that since I have the opportunity to recieve what some people consider the equivalent of a year at a liberal arts college with IB as well as delving into some of the more math and science classes that I will continue to pursue in college with AP.
However, if I had not been given the chance to participate in both programs simulaneously I have absolutely no idea which one I would choose. I think that they both have different benefits for different people obviously.
From my experience, I think that the rigor of the CLASSES depends on the teacher and school. However, the individual AP TESTS are overall more comprehensive than their IB counterparts. Therefore if you're going to be choosing between the two programs, I would honestly pick IB simply because it's easier, if you were planning on taking a ton of AP classes anyway.</p>
<p>M4gici4n, you say that HL IB courses cover more material than similar AP courses, but why do most colleges still grant similar IB and AP courses the same amount of credit? For example, you mention that IB Chemistry covers more material than AP Chemistry. However, most top tier schools give the same amount of credit for an IB Chemistry HL exam score of 7 as an AP Chemistry exam score of 5.</p>
<p>Colleges don't even grant credit for SL IB exam scores.</p>
<p>And I never said one can't be well rounded with AP's. I said that they allow the student to show interest in certain areas. High schools have requirements so the student can be well-rounded.</p>
<p>But, the same high schools allow students to take a concentration of AP's in one area, which shows colleges what type of person he/she is. My high school doesn't force me to take certain AP's.</p>
<p>You say most students change their minds on what they like in college. Of course they do. There are more courses to choose from at the university level. You won't see high schools offering molecular biology. </p>
<p>Still, a student can show a general interest in a broad subject area.</p>
<p>"M4gici4n, you say that HL IB courses cover more material than similar AP courses, but why do most colleges still grant similar IB and AP courses the same amount of credit? For example, you mention that IB Chemistry covers more material than AP Chemistry. However, most top tier schools give the same amount of credit for an IB Chemistry HL exam score of 7 as an AP Chemistry exam score of 5."</p>
<p>Because many colleges do not fully understand and/or recognize the IB program. But HL IB courses do cover more material than AP courses. </p>
<p>Also many colleges will give credit for an IB HL exam score of 5 the same amount of credit for an AP exam score of 5.</p>
<p>That's why I said AP is better for U.S. schools. It's established and more recognized than IB (which is relatively new compared to AP). AP has been around longer and colleges understand it more. </p>
<p>So you say HL takes two years? So an AP Chemistry student who takes Chem for one year will get the same amount of credit as a IB Chem HL student who takes chem for two years. AP is at an advantage in that area.</p>
<p>Please. Even UCAS considers the IB diploma to be superior to A levels. Apparently completing a standard IB diploma, with just 38 points (out of 45) is considered equivelent to 5 A*.</p>
<p>Tell me why IB is better for U.S. students who plan to go to U.S. colleges. I already gave my reasons, and you did not object to them.</p>
<p>Get over it. AP is better in the U.S.</p>
<p>I'm getting tired of your posts. All you do is antagonize me, but you can't back yourself up. Please, I already told you that you shouldn't post anything nonconstructive.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You are arrogant, cold and difficult to be around. Please adjust to this forum, and come back to reality, although I understand and can appreciate your love for AP, you are not prepared to understand nor appreciate the IB program, which is clearly superior. I refuse to read any more of your AP proganda.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Why did you even bother posting this? What was the point? You can't even spell propaganda correctly :D .</p>
<p>IB is better for International Schools cuz it's has a more international way of thinking. Many international schools are like much on memorization and things like that. In the US it's more analytical and other things. They're just different.</p>
<p>Jman: I have to disagree with you. AP and IB are both great programs if you are going to college in the US. I would say that IB is better if you're going to an international college.</p>
<p>AP > IB in the United States
IB > AP internationally (obviously; it's called International Baccalaureate for a reason)</p>
<p>I don't plan to go to a college out of the U.S. </p>
<p>I plan to stay in the U.S.</p>
<p>I am not rich. I don't have money to travel and pay tuition for international colleges. If I stay in Florida, I won't have to pay a cent to go to a good school because of Florida's Bright Futures Scholarship.</p>
<p>In my eyes: I can either go to school for free in Florida and get a great job or I can go to a school outside of the U.S., and waste a TON of money to get the same job.</p>
<p>Which sounds better? It is quite logical. Do IB students not have logic? Maybe all the analytical writing they do has caused their common sense to fade. I don't mean to be harsh, but you guys just aren't getting it.</p>
<p>Please. Even UCAS considers the IB diploma to be superior to A levels. Apparently completing a standard IB diploma, with just 38 points (out of 45) is considered equivelent to 5 A.*</p>
<p>A*s = GCSEs. I'm sure 38 points in IB is as good as getting 5 80%s in your GCSEs, but A-level > all.</p>
<p>I understand that IB has it's advantages, but in my situation, I'm better off with AP. If you travel alot, and go to schools in different countries, then by all means go the IB route. It's the same in every country, so it is best for students who travel abroad.</p>
<p>IB really does brainwash kids.
I'm in the IB program and I mean yeah I feel like I'm learning a lot, preparing myself for college, etc; but this could have easily been done with AP.
I do think that IB is a stronger program overall in terms of what you get out of it intellectually, but how many highschoolers are honestly concerned with that? AP is easier and colleges treat them the same so why on earth would anyone choose to do IB?
Oh, thats right, I did..too late now</p>
<p>
[quote]
AP is easier and colleges treat them the same so why on earth would anyone choose to do IB?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That depends a lot on the subject.
My French teacher claims AP French is much harder than IB French (one of the reasons she cited was that in AP if you get an accent wrong the whole word is wrong, but in IB they forgive such mistakes). My physics teacher has said IB HL Physics is easier than AP Physics B. I don't agree with him since we're required to do thirty-page labs for HL IB, but in AP B we got by not doing any labs at all.</p>
<p>sorry fizix i wasn't saying AP is easy.
its just that for the most part AP and IB cover very similar material with some classes of each being harder than others. but overall it would just make more sense to take AP for a lot of students than to deal with all the pointless extra stuff that comes along with IB (IAs, TOK, EE, CAS, G4, etc) since the classes all average out to be of about the same difficulty assuming a mixture of IB SL and HL classes</p>
<p>"Because many colleges do not fully understand and/or recognize the IB program. But HL IB courses do cover more material than AP courses."</p>
<p>He beat me to it. Was exactly what I was going to say. I've experienced this ignorance firsthand whilst touring many colleges in the US and going to their information sessions, among them UCSD, UCLA, Michigan, Harvard, Princeton, and others. Basically, my family would grill the person leading the information session. Most had no idea about an "IB Program" or how IB helps you in the admission process. Instead, most just said sth like "Yeah IB Classes get you credit in college".</p>
<p>Right now, they're treated the same way (AP and IB), but hopefully the IB will receive more credit in the future.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the type of person...for essay writers IB, for multiple-choice and memorization people AP. Of course both require critical thinking and both are challenging. Myself I wanted to take IB but since my school does not offer it had to take AP. I'm more of a writer than a memorize-everything guy, although I can memorize well. I'm not saying that IB is totally focused on writing, or AP is totally based on memorization--both contain a certain balance--they can, however, be more inclined towards certain abilities.</p>