<p>Hi, I'm an international student, so obviously I can't do AP courses, so I was just wondering if in America the IB is seen as sort of equivalent to taking APs? Would it look better than just taking your country's standard end of school test, in my case the higher school certificate? (I also think it sounds much more interesting)</p>
<p>IB is definately worth it, it is a rigorous program. It is sort of, in some senses equivelent to the AP program, but rather than focusing one your strengths and choosing AP classes depending on those strengths, IB is a full program, where you have to excel overall.</p>
<p>In addition, there are the IB exams at the end of your senior year, 3 HL and 3 SL (Higher level and Standard level) but your school will tell you if they have the program all about it.</p>
<p>IB is seen as equal to AP at US schools...</p>
<p>it's the most well rounded pre college program in the world, if you do the full diploma.</p>
<p>Actually, IB is higher than AP</p>
<p>if your school offers it, do the diploma. it<code>ll expand your opportunities if you do well in it since it is widely recognized everywhere.
IMO, IB is higher than AP, although I guess I can</code> t say anything about it because my school doesnt offer AP..
if you are interested in other classes your school offers, that` s a good too. just remember that competitive colleges( if you are planning to apply to any that is) wnat you to take the most rigorous courses offered at your school. however, the IB diploma looks impressive, so i would do it definately.</p>
<p>They're considered equal...but IB is definitely better.
If i could, i would be in the IB program, not AP. This AP crap doesn't play well to my schedule</p>
<p>okay, I'll explain my situation, I'd be interested to know what you think: my school doesn't offer the IB, I'd have to change, which would be fine (apart from the cost...) It's just that my school is really quite an academically prestigious school and I know that a few people from my school have gotten into Ivy League colleges just taking normal exams. So I'm not sure what is best: take the IB at a regular private school or stay at my current school, which is selective.</p>
<p>it is different in different places. i have friends all over the states and in many places IB is really bad. IB is only good if u go to a school that has a strong IB program. in AZ we dont have strong IB programs so AP is the way to go =D but they are seen in the same light.</p>
<p>ummm if ur current school is selective already i would stay there. but that is only because IB program isnt looked upon in a good light out here hehe</p>
<p>well, IMO, i think you should stay at your school. if you are happy with your school, and it` s quite selective, i wud stick with it. just remember to take the most rigorous schedule at your school. IB isnt exactly for everyone, some like it and some dont, regardless of their academic potential. it might be risky to transfer during your junior year (im guessing you are a junior?) because what if you dont like IB or your new school?</p>
<p>As a program, IB is better. It teaches you how to think and analyze and it's much more rigorous than the AP program. You also learn the valuable skill of BS'ing, since the tests involve so much writing.</p>
<p>As for college, AP is better. Since they're seen as the equivalent anyway, AP is a lot easier, and you can take more AP classes. Most colleges accept AP credit and only IB HL credit (which is a two year course), so AP students always come in with more credits. It makes more sense to do AP if all you're concerned about is college.</p>
<p>Dont worry Quaker08, AP also involves plenty of BSing, as USH taught me last year. Luckily, my test's graders seemed to be fully aware of this, and graded accordingly :)</p>
<p>Not always. One of our IB grads last year had enough credits to start at a state school as a senior...</p>
<p>according to a former admissions officer at duke, applicants taking the full IB program are automatically awarded the highest possible academic score as part of their application points system. this isnt the case for aps.</p>
<p>IB is one of the best educational programs, when a full diploma is taken.</p>
<p>a 7 (80-100) is a 4.5 GPA
a 6 (68-79) is a 4.0 GPA
a 5 (55-67) is a 3.0 GPA
a 4 (44-54) is a 2.0 GPA</p>
<p>So it gives you a boost.</p>
<p>The IB is so much better and more rigorous than the AP, I find it amazing US schools consider them equal.
In any case the IB is great. I just started my IB course and not only is it very well-rounded and challenging, but you don't have to stack up thirty ECs like many US kids do, simply because the CAS (Community Service and Action, you have to do 150hrs of it) program (a requirement to have the IB diploma), provides for a lot of EC time.
I joined the rugby team, hopefully will progress to captain soon, and then if I take up something else that'll be my ECs taken care of.
And about the grades, at first I was confused (who the hell marks grades out of 7??) but now I realise it's a great system, and really working to my advantage.</p>
<p>So, in short, the IB is a very rigorous and challenging course, much more so than the APs and the A Levels (I used to take the French Bac but it sucked- never go into french education.. ever - then I switched to A Levels, which were great, but then I had to move to Switzerland and now I'm taking the IB, which frankly is great too.)</p>
<p>Not putting down the APs or the ALevels but the IB is, or should be, considered as being a notch or so above those.</p>
<p>"but now I realise it's a great system, and really working to my advantage."</p>
<p>ib grading system sucks....it confuses me like nothing else...why dont they just give us as and bs so we can compare our selves with other college bound ppl....hey what school do you go to in swiss?</p>
<p>IB is a program. AP is only a series of examinations. </p>
<p>Although they are both given equal weight at selective colleges (provided you take 3+ AP classes a year), IB is definitely more rigorous. This is not because of the level of difficulty of the exams, but rather because of all the extra requirements that an IB diploma demands:</p>
<p>4000 word extende essay (research paper)
two 1200 words world literature assignments
one 1600 words philosophy paper
150 Creativity, Action, Service hours
Numerous oral assignments (15 minutes each)
plus a plethora of other subject-specific assignments (such as a 50+ page computer science program called dossier, economic commentaries, etc.)</p>
<p>Furthermore, all of these assignments will affect your IB grades. So, whereas AP scores are based on a single test, IB grades are based on a test and numerous other activities done during the school year.</p>
<p>"but now I realise it's a great system, and really working to my advantage."</p>
<p>ib grading system sucks....it confuses me like nothing else...why dont they just give us as and bs so we can compare our selves with other college bound ppl....hey what school do you go to in swiss?</p>
<p>I might just be used to it, but I like it a lot more than As and Bs because I feel the latter are too subjective... If it's a number scale it seems more mathematical, just and unbiased.
I go to La Chataigneraie (THE school that pioneered the IB! wootwoot), which is in the Geneva region.</p>
<p>APs are definitely much better than IBs....with the exception of IB science courses. </p>
<p>APs are for you if you're really interested in the course you've taken, while IB is a pile of crap....i mean, i've taken IB Business HL, IB Chem HL and IB English HL...seriously, i have learnt NOTHING that i didn't know...all i've learnt is to bull***** and do what is expected to score high in the exam. IB is DEFINITELY NOT for you if you want to master your talent in whatever subject you've chosen. AP courses however, let you SHINE through. They're more enjoyable and definitely more organized. The work involves productive use of your time. Unlike IB courses where everything is abstract and up to you to complete. IB requires a LOT of self-motivation, because the teacher's definitely don't PUSH us or require us to learn our material. They tell us what to do and leave us to it. And if you're a talented BSer, you can get through IB. You can't do the same for APs, because APs require you to know your material. AP is also a one year course, which is very sensible, because you don't have to waste your time reviewing for stuff you hardly remember from 2 years ago...or to be less critical, more than a year ago. Bottom line is, take AP if you are interested in what you are learning. Take IB if you are willing to waste a lot of time and be brainwashed by the program which says it delves into the breadth and depth of the subject, expanding your critical thinking and analytical skills. that is absolute BS. You are HS students. If you want to be challenged and at the same time take a rewarding course, take AP...that's the way to go. Take it from me...i've taken BOTH! but i will say that IB Chem is a different experience because our teacher is extremely good, and after all it's a science...u can't bluff thru it. But APs are definitely more challenging...you have to be at a much higher level of understanding to be able to take AP Bio, chem, physics...and calculus. just imagine squeezing that 2 year IB course into 1.</p>
<p>mm..have u thought about the fact tht maybe urteachers plainly suck..and its not ib its just the ppl who teach it - so far iv learned a lot in ib and have no idea what ur talking bout!!
nick3333...ur school is really great.. i used to live in swiss a while back...but i went to bording school.. tasis if uv heard of it.. its in lugano... back then we used to play sports against ur school and stuff...best time of my life really, but i thought that tasis was the first to introduce ib ... i have a q tho.. whats the equivelence b/w ib gradeing and us scale eg is a 7 = a+ ....6 = a- ect..? thing is tht we dont get gpas or anything so its hard to determine where one stands...</p>