<p>I will be a senior in a public school that offers both IB and AP. My AP scores so far are:
Human Geo: 5
Japanese: 5
European History: 5
English Language: 4
Biology: 5
Statistics: 5
Chemistry: 5
English Literature: 5
Physics B: 4
US History: 5
World History: 5
BC Calculus: 5
In order for counselors to mark "most rigorous course load" on college applications, the student must be an IB diploma candidate. However, with these AP test scores, what would be the point in shooting for the diploma when it's not even going to get me any college credit or special recognition. The tests I would be taking are:
HL English A1
HL Math
HL History of the Americas
HL Spanish B
SL Theatre
SL Chemistry (I took this this year and got a 5 -.-)
Advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>My understanding is that the IB diploma path is a two year program that requires more than exams. Have you taken the Theory of Knowledge class and written the extended essay?</p>
<p>Your AP scores are great, by the way.</p>
<p>
Think you just answered your own question there, Sparky. And it’s not just the counselors’ marking it… actually taking more rigorous courses has its own benefits.</p>
<p>I am really trying to figure out how you got all those AP classes in with you required classes for IB. You have not had a lot of fun in High School. </p>
<p>You are right for the most part you not going to get much college credit out of the IB courses you are taking. IB hl english, IB hl math, IB hl history will not get you college credit beyond what they will give you for your AP exams which you received the 4 and 5 because they are the same subject matter. For example; Hl english credit comes in like an english literature credit which you already got a 5 on your AP test and colleges will count it only once. Spanish Hl IB will get you a foreign language requirement credit depending on you IB grade and maybe the Japanese AP can get you a different language elective since they are really two different languages. The higher tiered colleges require a 6 or 7 on HL IB exams to get credit. Some colleges allow a 5 but don’t give any credit for SL courses. Easier admissions colleges give credit for both HL and SL with a 4 or better. I am surprised that you got a 5 on the chemistry AP test but only got a 5 on the IB test. Kinda shows you how hard it can be to get the better grades in IB. </p>
<p>Why should you finish IB? Because it would look bad now if you were to drop it imo. You clearly have the ability to finish this diploma. The only issue some have is the EE and CAS hours. I am sure you have no problem cranking out the EE paper with your ability. CAS logging and completing the hours are a pain but this is why you are doing the program. It shows colleges you more than just a bookworm.</p>
<p>If you were to have only done IB, you would have only gotten credit for the your 4 HL classes plus maybe one more class credit for a combination of the EE and TOK class. All depending on your grades in each subject. Not much considering the amount of work. IMO colleges like IB because it makes you do all kinds of things in addition to study for course work. I see many really smart kids drop out because they don’t want to do the CAS hours or EE. Colleges want more than just smart kids. Colleges want talented kids that are well rounded and interesting. IB shows that more than just taking AP classes. </p>
<p>Again, in my opinion you get a whole lot more college credit for AP, but IB makes you look like you can juggle more than just school. Colleges really like to know you are well round and it gets you a better edge in the admission process.</p>
<p>Thank you for the responses. I forgot to mention my CAS and EE situation. I pretty much have my EE done (my school requires a draft done by July) and I have more than enough CAS hours from varsity tennis, Model UN, and community service projects here and there. I will be continuing ToK into my senior year. The system at my school is quite strange: BC Calculus is considered IB HL Mathematics Yr 1, APUSH is IB History of the Americas Yr 1, and AP and SL Chemistry were the same class (The other tests I either self-studied for or took the class my freshman and sophomore years). Would it look bad on my college application if I quit the diploma so I wouldn’t have to take SL Theatre (which seems to me like a complete waste of time) and took AP Art History for my VAPA, and instead of HL Math, took Calc D/Linear Algebra?</p>
<p>I would not quit so you can take those classes. You are such a great student and colleges will love you either way. </p>
<p>Take the sl threater and don’t think it is a piece of cake. Weird how there were not too many 7’s in that course. Take math further if you can at your school. Can you take both the hl math and the other math you want?</p>
<p>You have done too much to just drop IB.</p>
<p>IB prepares you much more fore college than AP if you’re given the correct coursework and teaching. It seems like at your school, even though it is an IB school, it focuses much more on AP, and in doing so hinders the massive amount of work needed to do well in the IB. IB is much more in depth than AP and for the most part requires more work and effort.
I think in order to do well in the IB you need to devote those two high school years to your coursework; to be honest AP is not a very good preparation for IB anyways.</p>
<p>That being said, your scores are definitely commendable 
Don’t drop the IB, and don’t take the easy way out. And btw the reason why TA students don’t do well, at least in my school, is that the majority of them are not the brightest in the box. Take hard courses, work even harder, and in the end it’ll pay off.</p>