<p>My high school offer the International Baccalaureate program (It is somewhat similar to AP, however it is not as popular as AP in the U.S. It is recognized more internationally.) and I was wondering would my chance of getting into one of the top colleges increase greatly when I graduate with a special set of diploma for having practicipated fully in this program? Since my school offer IB it have few AP classes. So now I can choose to either just take some IB courses of my choice to mix with my normal class schedule and not receive the diploma or enter the program and have almost all my classes be IB beside my elective. However, if I do this my choice of courses to take are very limited and some normal or AP classes I want to take will not be allowed due to the tight IB schedule. For example, I must take two science courses, one for my junior year and the other for my senior, but there is only IB Biology I and II for IB science which I will automatically have to take since the program offer no other science courses while maybe I would like to take AP Chemistry instead but can not. If the IB diploma doesn't affect my college application tremendously then I'm not sure I want to enter the program. Anyone got any advice, especially ones who are familiar with IB and its potential?</p>
<p>Take the toughest courses if you want to get into good schools.</p>
<p>IB really looks good.</p>
<p>Agreed. Colleges are highly unlikely to give you "bonus points" for doing IB as opposed to AP, but you are expected to follow the most rigorous course of study available. Are you sure you can't mix classes? I did IB and took AP classes as well (like Bio HL, Chem HL, and AP Physics C).</p>
<p>Well, yes I can take some IB and mix it with a few AP, but then I won't be recognize as a full IB student by way of the IB diploma. So I was wondering if having the IB diploma is better than taking part IB, but have a choice of which classes I want to take.</p>
<p>Oh, I see. IB Diploma >>> IB Certificate</p>
<p>My son just graduated HS and went through the IB program, he also got his IB diploma.. he took several AP classes along the way, and was still considered to be in the full IB program.
Hope this answers your question!!</p>
<p>The diploma is definitely worth it. I think you can still take APs, at least a couple, because some IB courses like TOK are only a year long, so the seconf year you would have a free period for AP.</p>
<p>IB is worth it for going into college. You are much more prepared and it really gives you all kids of shiny wonderful skills (like writing very long research papers the night before).</p>
<p>However, it's not always worth it for getting into college. Unless your school is known with top universities and you often send kids to good schools, then IB usually holds the same weight as taking AP classes would (as in like no weight at all). So that's a whole lot of extra work to have the same crummy chances. My school's full IB diploma valedictorian straight A's top SAT scores student got waitlisted at Pomona, rejected from Stanford and is ending up at UPS...</p>
<p>But at least she's prepared. ;)</p>
<p>worthy of what?</p>
<p>Full IB program is competitive but I don't think it's really worth it if you're not going to be able to take the courses you want to. In terms of admissions, the difference between a full IB and just the courses is marginal. If you have a reason why you want to take that AP Chemistry course rather than the IB Biology, then forget the diploma. I've heard from alumni of my school that the benefits are that you get more experience at doing labs for natural sciences and the extended essay gives you experience for writing similar ones in college.</p>
<p>Yeah, it does prepare you better for college. Personally, I opted out of the IB because I prefered to make my own schedule instead of being forced to take a specific one.</p>
<p>I didn't take IB either. I got into the school I wanted and a lot of people that I have talked to in my school have said it was a waste of time...I mean you can take just as hard of an AP based curriculum by selecting the actual courses that you want to take not ones you have to.</p>
<p>well i'm currently in IB, this will be my last year. I don't know how much IB helps you in college admissions but it sure does help your rank and weighted gpa.</p>
<p>as to not being able to take AP classes thats untrue, during you're junior year you're able to take classes like, ib/ap bio, ib/ap chem, ib/ap psych, ib/ap spanish lit etc. So you can take both.</p>
<p>my only regret over the last few years was not being able to take the classes that I wanted, during high school, I've only had one elective because my schedule was almost predetermined before even starting.</p>
<p>Would anyone please clarify what you all mean when you refer to a "full" IB program? We live in a district where all of my kids attended the IBMYP grades 6-8 (supposedly the first MYP in the US) but then have about a dozen or so choices for specialty high schools, one of which is to continue with the IB program 9-12. After 10th grade, they receive a certificate and then an IB diploma at graduation. But it is an all or nothing program; my oldest three chose to attend different programs for high school because the IB program is so structured that there isn't even room to allow them to continue with band, let alone take an add'l language or any AP classes. Can anyone explain the differences among the various IB programs and their impact on college admissions? Our rising eighth grader is seriously considering continuing with it, but we're not so sure....</p>
<p>Actually IB is really 11-12, all that MYP and 9-10 "IB" are mostly school designed programs to help the students get accostumed to the workload and structure of the courses. IB program allows you to take the full diploma ( all IB clases, TOk, min. 3 HLs, extended essay, TOK essay etc) or you can just take certificates ( as many as you can handle, nothing extra besides the classes, no EE, no TOK), but this depends on the school. My school offers bothe diploma and certificates, but I know of other schools in the area how permit only diploma, as there are others that offer only certain classes ( thus certain certificates). People tend to call the diploma full IB....</p>
<p>Personally I would never leave IB, I've fallen in love with the program. It is a lot of work, but definitely worth it. I've worked hard all throughout the diploma, maintained a great avg ( like 97) and still have time for all my ECs, so if your 8th grader fears IB will consume his EC time it will not. The sole basis of IB is time management, if you can manage your work, prioritize etc, it is very possible to excel in school and still have time to do what you love out of class ( band/volunteer/sports etc).</p>
<p>I did the diploma and I thought it was worth it. It's a lot of extra work, but you'll learn a lot and be more than prepared for college.</p>
<p>megaman123: Thanks for your clarification. What is TOK? Time management really isn't a concern, it's more the different focus of the various programs and choices we have here. I guess we'll just have to see what seems the best fit next year when it's time to decide. What makes it tough is that we also have a top notch Governor's school which seems to send more kids (percentage wise) to so-called "better" colleges. But I really appreciate the IB certificate and diploma clarifications!</p>
<p>sewbusy-</p>
<p>*Theory of Knowledge (TOK), an interdisciplinary requirement intended to stimulate critical reflection on knowledge and experience gained inside and outside the classroom, is a course of study unique to the International Baccalaureate Organization and mandatory for every Diploma Programme student; it adds coherence to the programme. TOK should involve at least 100 hours of teaching time spanning the programmes two years. The origins of TOK lie in a fusion of two divergent educational traditions, one pragmatic and the other placing prime importance on the teaching of philosophy. In TOK, students are encouraged to reflect on all aspects of their Diploma Programme work. It is possible to have informed discussions about the nature and purposes, strengths and limitations of particular knowledge systems, since distribution requirements ensure that course selections include each of the principal domains of knowledge. For example, students are encouraged to reflect on the nature of poetic truth in literature and to contrast such truth with that obtained in other systems of knowledge the historical fact, the scientific fact, a mathematical proof, and so on. They also examine the grounds for the moral, political and aesthetic judgments that individuals must make in their daily lives. Emphasis is placed on the role of language and thought and on the development of the students critical thinking skills.Students are helped to consider how they know what they know (different ways of knowing) and to develop habits of reflection which they bring to each subject, resulting in a deeper intellectual experience. As befits an international programme, the TOK course explores various cultural traditions and encourages students to think about the strengths and limitations of different ways of knowing. TOK is not another name for philosophy, which exists as a subject option in its own right, yet in a broad sense the aim of TOK is to encourage a philosophical cast of mind and to promote clarity of thought and good judgment. The IBO devotes considerable energy to training teachers and to providing exemplar (sample) materials.</p>
<p>Each student is required to submit one essay between 1,200 and 1,600 words from a list of 10 titles prescribed by the IBO for each examination session. In addition, the student makes a 10-minute presentation to the class and writes a self-evaluation report that includes a concise description of the presentation and answers to questions provided by the IBO.*</p>
<p>Thank you! This is info we have never gotten from our IB resources here. We've been to three open houses/visitations to the hs IB program with my older kids and have never heard any of this. It really helps us to better understand what the IB diploma requires. The public high schools in our county all compete for the top students, so I'm surprised at our not knowing this. It gives a much better understanding of what IB at this level is all about. Thanks again for the great info!</p>
<p>I just graduated with my IB Diploma this year. I thought it was definately manageable. My high school has had the program for years, so it's established with colleges, which helps in admissions. I felt IB seemed more complete than AP since everything sort of tied together, as well as the EE, TOK essay, and internal assessments. I enjoyed almost all of the classes I took. I ended up doing really well on the exams, so I earned some credit (I would've had a year or more at state universities or half a year at USC). </p>
<p>From what I hear, IB diploma students do better in college because IB requires long, detailed research papers. Many actually say college is easier. I'll find out next year.</p>