<p>lolololololol, I know what you IB kids are thinking now: it’s so easy to get a 5 on the AP exam, so AP must be easier than IB. Makes me laugh, truly.</p>
<p>Okay, I’ve never taken IB, but I’ll concede that the IB test is probably harder, hence why you guys “crap in holes.” However, don’t forget that AP is, after all, a course. Maybe you have really bad AP courses, but I can tell you one thing: AP classes at my high school are not a joke (with the exception of AP Geography and AP Calc AB, of course)</p>
<p>yuechen, i used to think AP classes were hard until i got to IB. heck, sophomore year was tough for me when i took AP stats, AP physics, AP euro, and AP comp sci.
sure, they might have a big workload, but the thing is that as long as you do your work, read, and study a little, you’ll get an A and a 5 on the test.</p>
<p>now, i got to IB senior year. even if you do the work and everything it’s still difficult. take IBHL chemistry, for example. the first period is all lecture, taking notes every second. the entire second period is a lab. and trust me, lab write-ups for IB are not easy. they take at least 4 or 5 hours to do, and you have to do them in one night. add the fact that there are usually 2 or 3 labs each week.
then there’s IBHL history of the americas. it’s basically about your essay writing skills. it in no way matters how much you read or pay attention in class. you to be able to analyze everything correctly, not ask easy as you think. the analysis i’ve learned in AP classes just doesn’t work, they don’t teach you these kind of deep, indepth analysis in AP. you can’t just do your homework in this class and get an A like you can in AP</p>
<p>if it gives me credibility, this is coming from a person who got 5s on 7 AP tests, 2390 on SAT. IB is definitely harder than AP. now, i’m not saying it’s better. if i had the choice, i wouldn’t do IB because i doubt it matters to college admissions as much as the difficulty indicates.</p>
<p>Is my school a complete and utter anomaly in that I have to learn all the HL material…? Anyway, thanks IBscrewed for the comparison. And we haven’t even started mentioning EE or Group 4 yet And yeah for history, I haven’t done multiple choice since I don’t know when. Just lots and lots of essays.</p>
<p>yeah. thats what i’ve been told by kids in AP. just do all your homework and study for a while and you’ll get an A for the class. My school only has AP classes as electives(Studio Art, Music Theory, Art History and Human Geography) usually for freshman and sophomore year. IB requires perfection lol. I feel that after reading for 5 hours from my History Textbook, itgets me no where in the test. Might as well just guess. Instead of asking fact questions on my tests, i have to analyze and think why that incident occured and why that person did this or that. practically everysingle one of the questions on my test include “Why do you think” or “Probably happen/occured because”. Thats things that require alot of research and different perspectives to look at. </p>
<p>My IB Psychology teacher gave a student in my class who is in the top 1%, a 86-90 in one of his trimesters. He cried on the bus on his way home from school in a public bus. he ended up transfering out of it and going into IB Film, a mickey mouse course. </p>
<p>I know kids at UNIS, a strict international school, who said that they also have to learn HL curriculum in SL courses. My school kind of does what your school does too, except in a different way. My school gives “AP (Subject name) Seminars” which are 1 trimester(or 2) courses that are substituted for study hall to kids who are taking SL courses but also want to take the AP equivalent to that course. Courses like SL biology, chemistry, physics, calculus AB(for IB Math SL kids) , Spanish/French Language and English Language(im taking this seminar right now).</p>
<p>Interesting comparison, IBscrewed. Okay, perhaps it’s time I stopped being so obstinate. Maybe I just never thought about an even more difficult set of courses is possible. I think it’d be fun to test out IB in the future, but probably not possible as there is only one IB school in my town.</p>
<p>Though, all comparisons aside, I have to say I’m gonna be screwed next year when I take 7 AP courses at once, no matter what you hardy IB kids say. :)</p>
<p>^ Yeah, last person who got 45 in my school was 4/5 years ago. She went to UCL (in London). The other one was around 8 years ago and he went to Stanford.</p>
<p>I did IB in high school. It was damn hard, but it was worth it in the end. I know I’ll be doing the same level of work (or harder) at Emory. But also not worth it at the same time. The workload is heavy as hell, and I swear many of us wouldn’t have gotten our GPAs shot if we opted out of IB all together. Seriously, I’ll be willing to pull my hair for 5-6 hours a day doing homework/studying and get fewer than 5 hours of sleep at a school like Emory, but not in freakin’ high school NO WAY.</p>
<p>IB is harder at my school than AP. Much harder. But it varies from school to school. At some schools, APs are harder.</p>
<p>I am in the IB Program, taking both IB and AP.
In my opinion, I feel that AP is a lot more detailed and concentrated than IB, more “formula-istic” if you will, whereas IB asses you holistically- with CAS, ToK, EE, IAs, and IB exams. AP helps you become specialized, and IB helps you become a well-rounded student, valuable member of the community, and excellent writer.
I really hope that college admissions officers realize how much extra work IB students put in to IB activities that are not related to the core classes or test scores. IB, in my opinion, is really a way of life and intellectual pursuit. Anyone agree?</p>
<p>here’s a little tid bit. For IB’s you have to concentrate on your school course (state mandated) as well as international code and stuff. It’s very complicated and if a school offers IB and AP, the IB students will be the only ones to sign their name under “Yes I have taken the hardest course style offered at my school”. B/c essentially APs are largely confined to U.S., they are less dominant than the IB programme. In my opinion, even if the school offers the worst IB programme in history, you will still be tested for your higher knowledge through the dreaded final exams. The IB is a whole different universe and “yes”, to sum this conversation all up, they are the hardest and at best placed, the most expensive programs (even more expensive than APs) for a public school.</p>
<p>i’ve taken AP courses, and i have to say the exams were easier then i had anticipated to be frank. being an Australian from a highly selective high school, all of our courses were at an advance level equivalent to the U.S gifted and talented courses; not everyone addmitted are particularly “gifted”, simply hardworkers. Having researched several AP courses and hearing how the exams are “College level” examminations, i decided to gave it a try. Considering the merits of the AP exams; I see little.</p>
<p>One characteristic of good writing is specificity. If a person has taken an AP test or an IB test, the subject of the test should be memorable to the person who took it. What tests have each of you taken?</p>
<p>I’ve taken AP Chemistry, Calculus BC, Statistic and U.S Government and Politics. The exams weren’t that difficult. Their course load might even be comparable to my classes back home. IB is better as it offers an opportunity for students to become 21 century thinkers.</p>
<p>I wish I could redo my highschool career as an IB student. It sounds so freakin sweet. AP was a big letdown for me - I could never get motivated to study for the exams, so I got mostly 4’s.</p>
<p>For those AP kids desperately disputing the obvious fact that IB is a more rigorous course than AP… IB exists to counter ignorance/narrow-mindedness like yours.</p>
<p>I am a recent graduate of the IB program. I cannot say I’ve ever done a more frustrating and nerve-wrecking academic program (possibly due to the courses I elected).</p>
<p>I took about three AP classes and the first difference I will note is that learning “technique.” It’s simple. IB is ACTUAL learning – AP is rote memorization. Whereas analysis has to be applied in IB courses and study material, AP simply gives students notes, asks them to memorize the notes, and then spit out those notes on tests. Good job, you can read. AP kids, you won’t know what I’m talking about and you won’t understand what I’m saying unless you have taken an IB class.</p>
<p>Even in the IB History HL class, simple reading of textbooks is not enough. You’re given a dry, dry history Martin Gilbert to read that has straight facts and you’re required to analyze the facts. AP kids are handed a textbook that has fluff writing and is edited to cater to American needs.</p>
<p>The one class I will concede that is a ‘joke’ is the lowest math course in IB which is catered to those who are not strong in math. But go on the other end of the spectrum and see the IB Further Math HL… AP is no contest.</p>
<p>And for the argument that each program differs from school to school – fine. Let’s take a look at the end of year exams. AP exams have TONS of multiple choice. Good job, you can guess! IB exams hardly have multiple choice - the majority is written (history is all written). That just PROVES my point that AP is memorization, IB is analysis. Stop trying to deny this.</p>
<p>IB offers more flexibility in courses, yet still produces a more worldly, well rounded student. You’re expected to do a lot more than just make good grades - you LEARN. Not only that, but the program is reviewed by a world-wide education board so that it’s impossible to be one-sided to any country. AP kids, try saying that about your solely American education.</p>
<p>Both AP and IB cater to students with different learning techniques, style and abilities. AP is concentrated while IB is for well rounded students. The two have merits, weaknesses and strengths. Although my preference is IB, as I a prefer to be educated in all disciplines in depth over breadth.</p>
Makes me laugh, truly.</p>