<p>So I know this is probably one of those questions CollegeConfidential goers as well as admissions officers get sick of hearing, but what exactly constitutes most rigorous courseload? </p>
<p>At my Public School we have the IB program, but ALL of our IB courses are also AP courses (with the exception of IB HL 20th Century History and IB HL English). I am currently pursuing my full IB diploma, but I'm wondering whether or not it is worth it. </p>
<p>My dilemma is currently as a senior, I have already tested 8 AP Classes and credit wise, even if I were to get 7 on all of my HL's and SL's I would get no extra credit to all the colleges I want to go to, with the exception of my state university, and even then it would only be a few extra credit hours. So if I continue pursuing the IB Diploma I will be paying $600+ to take a bunch of tests I won't get credit for (and no I do not plan on applying to an overseas university) and I will have to do a lot of extra things such as Extended Essay, Historical Investigation and logging service hours. If I were to drop out now would that negatively affect admissions if I were to still stay in the same classes? </p>
<p>Also, my school doesn't weight GPA's at all and recently a classmate found out that UCLA only weighs HL classes in IB and not SL. Is this the same with Harvard? Because, like I said before, at my school all of our IB classes are AP as well and my transcript says I took SL European History, SL Spanish, SL Biology, when all of those classes were mixed with AP kids and we were taught according to both AP AND IB Curriculum and graded exactly the same and the only real difference was what my transcript said. And IF Harvard does not weigh SL classes would I need to get something from a counselor that indicates I took an IB class that was in actuality the same as an AP Class?</p>
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<li><p>I would be surprised if your current courseload (if you continue with the IB diploma) does not constitute the "most rigorous courseload at your HS.</p></li>
<li><p>IB and AP classes are generally considered equally rigorous, but the IB diploma is an added plus over the AP classes.</p></li>
<li><p>Harvard does not give you “credit” for AP or IB classes. If you score high enough on your IB tests (42+?) you can skip your first year and graduate in three years. The same may be available to AP students, I’m not sure. It is an either/or situation. You either skip the year or not.</p></li>
<li><p>Harvard has its own placement tests to determine where they think you would be best placed in multiple subjects, but it is placement - not credit.</p></li>
<li><p>With a high enough placement score, you can avoid taking a foreign language.</p></li>
<li><p>I’m not sure that I understand how your HS weights or describes your classes. For instance is SL Biology also called AP Biology depending on whether you are an IB diploma candidate or not? I think that you GC’s description of the school would explain to the colleges how this is done.</p></li>
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<p>I think your admission chances are far better if you continue with the IB diploma than if you drop it.</p>
<p>Harvard has advanced standing. To get advanced standing you may not mix IB and AP. Only 7s on IB HLs count toward advanced standing. 5s on certain APs count towards it. Only certain APs are considered. It is an all or nothing program in which the student who meets the qualifications is granted “advanced standing” to graduate in 3 years. Check the website for the specifics. If OP is talking about “weight” of SL classes as far as Harvard computing the High School GPA, that is a different issue. Harvard does respect the IB program. But if you are seeking advanced standing at Harvard, that is easier to obtain via the AP route. (7s on IB HLs are very difficult to achieve).</p>
<p>The Harvard Dean of Admissions said: "We have found that the best predictors at Harvard are Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate Exams, closely followed by the College Board subject tests. "</p>
<p>Hm, I have looked up Advanced Standing, but what I was really wondering is the age old question of whether or not IB is better than AP in terms of admissions. And really I am just wondering whether or not I should continue doing IB and pay $600+ To take a bunch of exams for no credit (If I wanted to do Advanced Standing I have the AP scores for it already) or if I should drop the full IB diploma and forgo having to do the extended essay and paying a lot of extra money for exams (I didn’t test any of my IB exams last year due to a mix up). So my real question is whether or not doing the full IB diploma itself gives extra weight in admissions or if it is because inherently doing the IB diploma makes you take harder classes which is what gives you more of an edge in admissions.</p>
<p>^ What will you counselor write on the secondary school report regarding the rigor of your schedule if you drop IB. At S’s high school (which offers both IB and AP), only the IB diploma candidates get the “most rigorous” box checked. Also consider how dropping any kind of program looks to a college. However you do have a financial issue that you could point out. I am a proponent of IB, but in reality, the admissions decisions are long made before you will get your IB exam scores and know whether you earned the diploma. The Columbia admissions dean has been quoted as saying that a predicted IB diploma score of 40 assures the college that the student will succeed. Does your high school provide predicted scores? Sorry that there is no clear cut answer for you.</p>