<p>How does Caltech treat IB? What predicted point-total would be considered cometitive?</p>
<p>Not too many of our applicants take IB's. The ones that do, we view them as pretty much analogous to AP scores. We consider each exam individually and think about how it reflects on academic intiative/ability. The highest score (7, I guess) is good, the second-highest is okay, below that is kinda iffy. We don't really split hairs between standard and upper levels of the exams.</p>
<p>thanks. What about the extended essay?</p>
<p>I can understand how IB scores are viewed the same way as AP scores.. but what about the fact that an IB applicant has gone through the IB program? An AP student has a lot of flexibility in choosing which AP classes to take.. but an IB diploma candidate must be well-rounded and taking these advanced classes in a variety of subjects. </p>
<p>The IB student also has to do a certain # of CAS (community serivce) hours, do tons of internal assessments (long essays, historical investigations, labs, etc..), and write an extended essay. At my school, being in the IB program is the equivalent of taking the hardest and most rigorous schedule my campus offers. Given that, does being in the IB program help an applicant as opposed to one who chose to only do AP?</p>
<p>For AP scores to mean much, there must also be a decent number of them. And don't worry, low scores in a few humanities IB courses will not impact an applicant negatively, just as similar AP scores will not -- unless they are truly dismal in either case.</p>
<p>That said, we note the rigor of the IB programs and compare applicants accordingly. It certainly reflects positively on an applicant if he or she took on the extra challenges associated with the diploma. IB-level teachers usually also mention all the more involved work in their recommendations, so the student benefits from the rigor of the program that way, too. However, it is certainly possible to get all the same "points" for rigor and academic involvement without an IB program -- just so those without an opportunity don't feel left out.</p>
<p>Just a note for students involved in programs whose schools REQUIRE community service -- it is important, if you want it to count to help you significantly, to give some evidence that you didn't just do it because you were forced. Otherwise (and this is my personal opinion) it's harder to chalk it up to any positive qualities on your part. Some indication (say on the extracurricular worksheet) of going beyond the requirements in some way, even if it's not very big, is helpful.</p>
<p>As for the extended essay, this can help you if your teachers comment positively on it or there is some other evidence of extraordinary performance. Some students have sent theirs in, (usually in physics or another science), if they are particularly proud of it. It can certainly help in some cases, though I think most of the committee is more impressed by research papers that come out of working in a lab or something. But it can certainly help.</p>
<p>Yeah, so I didn't do IB, and wasn't very familiar with it and so didn't give any extra marks for it back when I was on admissions. The other folks on the AdCom didn't seem to be particularly blown away by it either (for example, when I "Pshawed" RSI, not being familiar with it either, I got severly chastised and lectured on the joys and glamour of RSI). Everyone who applies to Caltech took the most rigorous curriculum available (if you didn't, people are going to take a VERY close look at your appilcation to discern why), and everyone who gets in, is, in Dean Revel's words "A Super-Star." So, being a "star" in your school... eh, so is everyone else.</p>
<p>galen</p>
<p>Umm- don't IB scores arrive too late for admissions officers to give any consideration about? (exams are taken in the fall of the senior year when decisions have already been made) That said, what I don't like about IB is that you can only take its HL exams as a senior.</p>
<p>Of course, one can take SL exams as a junior - but I'd much prefer to take AP exams since SL exams are accepted as credit for no other universities whereas AP exams are accepted as credit for most universities (except Caltech of course, but one is smart not to solely apply to Caltech).</p>
<p>Actually, at my school, you can take HL tests in your junior year in some circumstances, I think. For example, the IB Bio teacher is the same as the AP Bio teacher, so they mix the classes; therfore, you can take Bio I in 9th, Bio II in 10ths, and Anatomy and Physiology in 11th, during which you take the test, right? I can't say I'm certain, as I didn't do it in my school (it seemed sort of oppressive towards math/science people and the coordinator seemed only concerned with numbers).</p>
<p>~Christopher</p>
<p>Thanks, Ben, for your comments. :)</p>
<p>Yeah, at my school... most people take SL exams as a junior because, as christopher said, the ap teacher is the same one who teaches the ib course.. and you learn the same material for both exams at the end of the year. I took ap physics b/c my junior year, and took the ap and ib exams in May.</p>
<p>And simfish, we don't take exams at the fall of the senior year.. because school has just started. We take them in May, like ap exams. I guess you would prefer to take AP as opposed to SL to get college credit, but for IB students at my school, it's not about getting the credit for it in college... it's about the fact that they're challenging ourselves to do both IB and AP and becoming an IB laureate.</p>
<p>And kyshantry, I'm assuming you're saying most rigorous curriculum to mean AP classes, right? I think it's hard for people to see the difference between AP and IB if you only did AP. Plenty of my friends at school chose the AP path (hardest APs), and there is much less work involved compared to those who do IB. I know this because I'm doing IB and AP, and I see what AP kids have to do compared to what I'm expected to do. My school's IB coordinator has seen many IB students graduate from high school and to go colleges so much more prepared for the college environment compared to others that are struggling to get themselves adjusted.</p>
<p>Yes - I for some reason, was unable to distinguish between the words "fall" and "spring" up. See - I'm not Caltech material. ;)</p>
<p>My school allows students to take second-year HL classes as a junior but unfortunately, it still doesn't allow people to take the corresponding HL exam so there's a lag of a year. So even though I be taking second year HL computer science and HL mathematics next year, I can only take the corresponding AP exams for credit.</p>
<p>that's funny.. you can take the HL class but not the corresponding HL exam in the same year? Haha, if it were me.. I would've forgotten all the material I learned by the time I took the actual exam.</p>
<p>And pschh... I think anybody who takes the time to go on CC boards is Caltech material. :) Good luck!</p>