I’m in Diploma, but I really want to drop back to certificate. I haven’t been in school ling but already the work and stress have been rolling in, and it’s just going to add on. Don’t get me wrong, I do care about education and school, but I also don’t want to stress all the time, and worrying about assignments and due dates. I also don’t want my time to be consumed by just doing school work. Plus there’s no freedom to choose classes, and I would take a lot of APs if I wasn’t in IB. And I feel like ever since elementary all I’ve ever focused on was just school and schoolwork. I want to round my self out and do other things like clubs and volunteer. Is college going to be about the same course load as IB? I don’t know which college I want to go to but I have ideas: University of Washington in Seattle, West Chester, maybe Johns Hopkins.
I am an IB senior and I admit the classes are difficult and like to pile work on you, but I see it as a preparation for college whether or not I get my IB Diploma. Many of my friends who have received their IB Diploma who are at college now admit I b was a lot of work, but they were prepared to the intensity of college classes. Ultimately it is up to you and how you can manage stress. The whole club thing, you can always be in clubs, but that’s when you have to stop procrastinating (; (Something us IB kids are great at)
I love that there is an IB Survivors website. I have this mental image of all the other seniors voting each other off the IB island. And trust me, as we got closer to graduation we were fiercely competitive with each other.
It may be too late, but as an IB senior, I honestly don’t see it as being worth it. Last night for example, I went to bed at 4:30 am. That’s not to say it’s not possible, I’ve maintained straight A’s throughout, but there are all of these extra requirements and fees that are ridiculous. My school didn’t make it clear that there would be internal assessments for every class, TOK presentations, a TOK essay, the EE due this month when they’re not due for IB until spring, the tests cost over $1000 overall, and colleges accept you before they know if you’ve even received the diploma. Furthermore, some of the tests don’t even count for college credit such as SLs.
It sounds like you should drop back. It won’t make a difference in being admitted to the type of college you mentioned, but it will make a difference in the number of college credits you come in with. Some colleges give you 24 credits for having the diploma which is an entire freshman year. It looks like University of Washington gives quite a few extra credits for the diploma. So you can work hard now or save it and do the work in college.
Some schools give you more college credit because you have taken the diploma over just IB classes, e.g., at SUNY Binghamton:
Students in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program may receive up to 32 credits. To receive the full 32 credits, the following conditions must be met:
The IB Diploma must be completed with a score of 30 or more points; and
The student must complete at least three Higher Level exams with a score of 5 or higher.
Diploma holders who meet these conditions receive credit for their individual exam scores plus additional liberal arts elective credit to total 32 credits.