Most rigorous or most in-depth classes?

Applying to College
1

I’m currently a sophomore in high school and will be applying for classes soon. I have the option to do the IB program, which is two years long and taken during junior and senior year. I’m interested in chemical engineering and would love to go to a top school like UC Berkeley, UVA, Harvey Mudd, Princeton, or Stanford.

Our IB program offers the following classes:

IB Mathematics SL (covers a range of math topics as well as AB calc material)
IB English HL
IB Biology SL/HL
IB Physics SL
IB Chemistry SL
IB History HL
IB Language (Spanish, French, Chinese, etc.) SL
TOK/ITGS and those other IB classes

As you can see, our IB program does not offer many HL math and science classes, meaning I would not be able to receive college credit for them and would not be going as in depth with the material as I would had I taken the AP route. Our IB program is obviously more for students who are more interested in social studies or humanities. However, our counselors mark the IB program as the most rigorous route offered at our school (despite the many APs that go into even more depth in subjects) and I know colleges take this into great consideration when looking at applications. Also, I would receive a much higher GPA and thus a higher class rank through the IB program at my school. So my question is, regarding college admissions, should I do IB on the basis that it’s “more rigorous” and allows for a higher class rank, or should I do AP where I will be taught more in depth of the subjects that I want to pursue a career in?

2

I am currently enrolled in AP classes so I would vouch for AP. They’ve really opened up my eyes on some subjects and I find them very very helpful. Sometimes “more rigorous” isn’t always the best route. I would say take classes that go more in depth, so that when you end up having to take them in college, you’ll have a good foundation.

3

Can you combine AP and IBDP? How is the schedule set up? Schools often work it to have both, looking at your school’s poor HL offerings I am thinking there must be options you could explain further. It seems to me that your school would be hard pressed to meet IB criteria with such a shortfall of class offerings.

4

@Alfonsia If I do the IB program at my school, 7 out of 8 of my classes will be an IB class, because it’s a “program”. We have four blocks each day, or 4 classes each semester. Our IB program allows for one elective, but it must be a semester long class (because 7/8 classes are IB). All of our AP math and science classes, however, are year long, and I don’t think I’ll be able to take half of one AP class one year and the second half the next year. My biggest concern is really just math at this point because I really want to take Calculus but our IB program doesn’t allow for us to take the year long AP calc AB/BC as an elective (because it’s year long). We do cover AB material in IB Math SL but I’m going to talk to my counselor and see if I can take Calc BC as my senior elective because she mentioned something about being able to do that. You would think that the most rigorous and most in-depth classes would go hand in hand, but I guess my counselors have yet to realize that. I’m just worried that if I don’t do the IB program, my counselors won’t mark the checkbox that says I have taken the most rigorous classes and therefore jeopardize my chances at being selected into a top college.

5

If I do the IB program however, I will still have taken 5 AP classes throughout high school and most likely 9 or 10 AP exams.

6

That IB program is not optimal for a student whose best subjects are math and science. An IB program should offer HL in all areas if it is intended for students of all interests.

If an IB program has limited resources, English and math HL should be the highest priority to offer.

7

I completed the IB Program (and was awarded the diploma) when I was a high school student. However, we had many more options in the sciences, math, etc.

Personally, I think that the IB helped me a ton once I went to college. I ended up taking SLs for Math, Physics, and higher levels for English, Spanish, Economics, and History. But, even when I went to college and took other math and science courses, I found I was ahead of most (well, nearly all) of my peers. And, when I compared my workload to that of AP students, there were noticeable differences in curriculum rigor (at least for MY school district and the comparisons I made once I went to college). In many ways I found my IB years to be more of a challenge then my college years, but this is due to a variety of factors, like what went on in my personal life and the fact that college allows me to take classes I really, genuinely love. I’d also like to note that the IBD experience helped me tremendously with my presentation skills. As a result, when I did interviews for college and visitations, I stood out in a positive way. Overall, I think the IB helped not only my admissions, but my performance in college.

What you could do is do the IB Program, but, the spring of your senior year, take AP exams that correspond to your SL courses. At least the way IB was taught at my school, learning SL material prepared me for AP exams. So, I took some AP Math and Physics (my SLs) and got all 4s and 5s with no extra studying. So, that’s always an option, too.

All of that being said, AP may be a better route for you. If you are 100% sure on the science thing and do not care about any other subjects, AP could definitely work. And, if you are particularly bad at any of the IB subjects, your GPA will take a hit. IB kind of forces you to be a well rounded, balanced student, or you pay the consequences. Keep that in mind.

8

Can you do the IB program (which will prepare you for the studying/writing skills for college) but take the AP tests for Calc AB or Physics or Chemistry? You get the credit based on the tests, not that you were in a AP Class.

9

@bopper Yes, I will be able to take as many AP exams as I want if I do the IB program. However, I’m not sure to the extent in which the IB SL classes will cover the AP material, so I’ll probably end up doing some self-studying. My biggest concern is that I won’t be able to take BC Calculus, and I want to be an engineer. Do you think top colleges would see that most of our IB program’s science and math classes are only SL and dislike the fact that I took these SL classes over AP classes, which go more in depth? Or do you think it would be better to do IB (which is considered more rigorous and gives us a higher class rank) and just take the AP exams without taking the class?

10

I would love for you to look up whether a school can really offer such a poor selection of HL classes can claim IB status. This is a discussion you could have with your GC re the rigour tick, as you have no HL chem, physics or math on offer, so the IBD is hard pressed to be called most rigorous if BC calc is on offer, AP chem, physics C etc. There are standards IBD school must maintain.

11

Is it possible to combine AP’s and IB’s?

I definitely recommend you do that. Mix them both in what you like/enjoy and what will prepare you for what you want to do. Once you have a general schedule in mind, go down to the GC and see if that will get that “highest rigor” box checked.

12

You can be an engineer and not have taken BC calculus! Many many do.