<p>I dont think they count bonus points in the Predicted grade - i.e. the max is 42.</p>
<p>If only around 50-80 people get 45 points each session, do you think Harvard consider them as certain admits?</p>
<p>Well, the 45 points is not certain in the first place. Everything is predicted since you get into college before you get all your scores. So unless they read your predicted scores, I think that you will definately get in with 45 friggin IB points.</p>
<p>Haha pomelinacs, wish I knew. Almost nothing can "guarantee" admission to Harvard, really. I know that Oxford expects 7s on all your Highers (after the conditional acceptance, of course -- lol) so Harvard is probably looking for students with similar credentials.</p>
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<p>As jav2010 said, your scores are predicted by your teachers or IB coordinator or someone like that. IB requires predicted scores because if your actual exam score is more than 2 points higher or lower than your predicted score, they know something probably went wrong (i.e. either you cheated or your moderator graded funky) because a difference of 2 points from your predicted is quite a lot.</p>
<p>IB exams are completely driven by essays and student-generated answers. The only exams (that I am aware of) that have any multiple choice section at all are the science exams. But all exams (science included) have a major essay or explanation section. So they want to make sure everything is being objectively graded.</p>
<p>Also, anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of your IB exam grade is already determined before you walk into the actual exam room in May or November. All IB subjects have "internal assessments" (recently the bane of my existence) such as oral commentaries, extended investigations into problems, replication of a psychology experiment, etc. These are graded by your teacher and moderated by the IB. This is done so your exam score won't be entirely ruined by a bad exam day or anything like that. So your predicted score can be partly based on how strong your IA is, so they're usually quite accurate. Acceptances to European universities usually hinge entirely on one's IB scores, so they are extermely important for those applicants.</p>
<p>Yeah. I'm sure that was a much longer answer than you even wanted to read, haha. Sorry. :)</p>
<p>IBWORLD - a magazine published by IBO (you can look for it at <a href="http://www.ibo.org%5B/url%5D">www.ibo.org</a>) published how this girl got a full ride for MIT with a 45.. pretty interesting, too.. She's Thai, if I'm not mistaken.</p>
<p>If you're a diploma student, then your predicted score + grade transcript are probably the first thing they'd look at, but getting a great score doesn't guarantee admission in anyway, nor does not having a perfect 42 spoil your chances. This guy from my school got into Yale with a midterm of 38/39 or so, whereas another got deferred from UPenn with a midterm of 41/42. So I don't think you can really correlate IB scores with admissions once you cross the 40/45 boundary.</p>
<p>well.. it also depends on their extracurriculars.. did the gu with 41 points have any extracurriculars except studying??</p>
<p>Yeah.. the guy with 41 had plenty of extracurriculars and work experience, so we were all really surprised when he got deferred. The guy who got into Yale had loads of ECs as well.</p>
<p>I think the AP tests are harder than the IB tests (especially the Standard Level ones) but looking at the program as a whole, IB is harder just because of all the other mandatory essays and etc. that are required.</p>
<p>Think about it ap physics Cs and calculus BCs,.....nothing the IB can handle</p>
<p>Not even sure if this was asked, but throw in a couple cents wherever I can. </p>
<p>As a AP and IB student at my school, my insight is thus:</p>
<p>Overall, IB is much more rigorous at my school, though it is very concievable and not unheard-of for IB to be an blow-off program. This is my senior year and my schedule is still hectic. Come May, I will be taking a total of 12 tests (not including Paper 1, Paper 2s, but including both AP and IB tests). If you want a free senior year, I would suggest against IB. But if you want a free senior year, then you probably shouldn't be on the Harvard board either. (I concede it is another point entirely to end up taking a lax senior year against your will ... i.e. senioritis)</p>
<p>The Science curriculum often is much more broad but lacks occasionally in depth (e.g. the IB Higher Level physics covers everything unlike Physics C which ignores Thermo, fluid, optics, but Higher Level does not require calculus). On the other hand, the humanities can be rather specific (e.g. studying only single-party states in the Americas or just British Romantic literature). </p>
<p>On tests: The IB tests tend to be easier than AP tests. However, it is graded much more stringently. On AP tests, you can probably pull a 60% on the test and still achieve a 5. On IB tests, you pull a 60% and who knows what you'd get? It would definitely be at a 5 or below (on a seven point scale). As a result, although I have probably done better on IB tests, my scores have been lower (different demographic taking the exam, so the curve is different). Also, IB tests are almost entirely free response. Some tests can last almost eight hours all told.</p>
<p>IB includes a lot more than just the test; some have been listed - the Extended Essay, the ToK essay, CAS hours, internal assessments, external assessments, orals and labs. </p>
<p>Does IB help? Cheesy, but I can say: I am definitely a better student for it. Does it hurt your GPA? In the past at our school, IB students have swept the top few ranks (1-4ish). This year, however, the top few are only AP students. So really, you can't extrapolate anything from that. Early Action: no IB student made it to a top college (HYPMS). A couple of AP-ers (valedictorian and salutatorian) made it to Princeton and Stanford.</p>
<p>So does Harvard like IB? Sometimes I really question whether or not Harvard knows what it likes, so beats the heck out of me.</p>
<p>Great answer, JohnGalt.</p>
<p>Another point to note about the IB: it was originally begun for the benefit of TCKs (third culture kids) who move around globally throughout their school careers. The idea was that having a globally-standard (more or less) educational program would allow them to have a more fluid, consistent education.</p>
<p>As a result, a hugely integral part of the IB is awareness of the international community and global perspectives. Considering different perspectives is an extremely important part of all IB classes and definitely mentioned in all grading schemes (I'm not talking about math or science courses, obviously). I think it's a great aspect of the program that hasn't been mentioned yet (if anyone was wondering, lol).</p>