<p>Which is the best high school diploma program for a major in computer science?
So i just finished my IGCSE's and i really breaking down on what the **** i should do next :(( </p>
<p>I have four choices: IB, AS, AP, A-Levels </p>
<p>I don't want AS since its low recognition and less valued grades. IB has recognition but its mainly for students who like history geography and things that have to do with the world and the society and I'm the opposite of that. I like math and computers and i want to major in computer science in college and in a good one </p>
<p>AP is the most frustrating one. I couldn't understand it after a lot of research can someone please explain it to me and tell me weather its good for a future major in computer science??! </p>
<p>Finally, a levels don't have a lot of my preferred subjects, just ICT and design technology but thats all i know </p>
<p>Basically i'm looking for the most advanced program with its best known for its math and science nd can help me get in a good college for major in computer science. </p>
<p>Also, i wanted to do a major in computer programming but i couldn't find a college that has that but i dint know maybe you could help. if it's true that computer programming doesn't exist then computer science. </p>
<p>I don’t think it will end up making a huge difference for CS which of these you choose. Having taken and tutored college CS courses, there are differences in skills when students start out based on their past CS experience, but these wash out after a few courses. From the CS-specific perspective, it doesn’t really matter. From the college admissions perspective, not totally sure. In the US, I don’t think it makes a big difference.</p>
<p>None of the diplomas are domain specific. Either way IB is pretty trash when it comes to credit transfer unless the school you applied to accepts it, and AP is good in the United States since it is only accepted in college within the United States (with exceptions).</p>
<p>AP is not a diploma program but a program that lets students take college level introductory courses and is self paced, IB is a interdisciplinary aimed diploma which aims for a wide understanding of subjects through different subjects. What a lot of people misunderstand with AP is that the credit transfers are very vague and different colleges have different acceptance of accreditation for credit, a college might accept your AP computer science while denying your AP calculus, or vice versa. </p>
<p>I was in the exact same position as you this year when I was also choosing between A Levels, AP and IB so I hope my insight is helpful! </p>
<p>First of all, there is absolutely no need for you to downgrade the worth of A Levels. They are definitely just as well recognized as IB and AP are in the US and more recognized than AP in the rest of the WORLD! Second of all, who said IB is better suited towards humanities oriented students? You clearly don’t know that IB HL Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology are more challenging than their counterparts (A Level/AP). </p>
<p>I personally recommend that you go for A Levels since you clearly are more career oriented and are only interesting in taking classes that pertain to your intended major. Plus, since A Levels (Cambridge and International Edexcel) are more challenging than AP’s and are more internationally recognised you are probably better off doing it instead of AP. And IB clearly isn’t the thing for you since you are only interested in taking challenging maths/science classes. </p>
<p>Also keep in mind the transition from a British secondary school to an American high school is extremely tough and isn’t recommended at all. The two curriculums differ so much so by switching over to the American curriculum you are doing your self a disservice as you’ll need to adjust to their ways which is obviously difficult. You can’t take the risk as your grades initially may drop. However, the American curriculum is quite a lot easier than the British one so you might actually end up getting higher grades. (Hope you get what I mean, I totally contradicted myself there)</p>
<p>The A Level subjects offered depend on your school (obviously). My school offers both computer science and ICT which are useful if you want to go into computer engineering. To maximise the difficulty of your course combination I recommend you take A Level Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Computer Science/ICT and/or Chemistry. That combination is plenty challenging, trust me </p>
<p>P.S: A Levels (AS and A2) will get you credit at most American Universities/Colleges if you get an A*/A/B and in some cases a C. </p>
<p>Good Luck. Feel free to ask me any more questions! </p>
<p>I have no idea what AS and A-Levels are (I’m American if that means anything) but between IB and AP it sounds like AP would be the better fit. IB is all about challenging students in multiple subject areas, creating a community of thinkers and scholars, and making students think globally. I love IB and it was one of the best decisions of my life, but if the above does not appeal to you and you’re just looking for college preparation, take AP. IB is strong in philosophy and more liberal subjects, but AP sometimes has stronger math and science classes. Take AP Computer Science for sure, Calculus and Statistics if you can, and as many other subjects that you think you can manage that you can use as electives in college.</p>
<p>As far as what AP is: there is a company called College Board that offers a bunch of college-level tests in the following subjects: <a href=“https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse”>Get the Most Out of AP – AP Students | College Board; If you get a high enough score, boom, college credit (the score you need depends on your college). AP classes prepare you for these tests but you can also self study. There is no diploma program or anything; each class stands alone. From what I understand AP is mostly an American thing. If you live anywhere else @pink997 is making those A-Levels look pretty good.</p>
<p>My daughter did the IB program and majored in Math at SUNY Binghamton. She took HL Math, HL Chemistry, HL Physics, SL English, SL Business, and German Ab Initio. She moved from the USA to German and did the IB program there in an International School.</p>
<h1>She graduated a year and half early with a couple of summer courses. So it depends on what college you want to go to.</h1>
<p>Students in the Diploma Program may receive up to 32 credits. To receive the full 32 credits, the following conditions must be met:</p>
<p>· The IB Diploma must be completed with a score of 30 or more points; and </p>
<p>· The student must complete at least three Higher Level exams with a score of 5 or higher. </p>
<p>Diploma holders who meet these conditions receive credit for their individual exam scores plus additional liberal arts elective credit to total to 32 credits.</p>
<p>As a student in the IB program, I feel like there are a lot of misconceptions about what it means. IB is not synonymous with liberal arts, philosophy, and english. Instead it promotes interdisciplinary study between science classes and arts classes. For example, you’d be hard pressed to find another diploma program, or AP class, that requires you to write a mini-thesis on a in-depth mathematical idea like the IB Math HL/SL IA does. And as a student who has taken both AP and IB classes, I’d warn you against taking AP classes for content because in America, teachers usually just teach for the test. Think of an AP class as a factory where if you follow exactly what the teacher says and the power-points he/she hands out you’ll get a 5. </p>
<p>You would need to look specifically at what IB courses are available at a school. Our high school offers a diploma, but on the math/science side, there is only Math SL and Biology SL. On the humanities side, there is English HL, History HL, Visual Arts HL, ToK, and various languages SL & HL. I’m not sure where you’d count Economics, but they have SL & HL. So, it is not attractive to people with a math/science focus.</p>
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