<p>I’m not sure about the other UWCs, but at UWC of the Atlantic they have four levels of maths: Maths Studies, Maths SL, Maths HL and Further Maths. Further Maths is taken as a seventh subject, so it doesn’t even really count.</p>
<p>The IB system is completely different from the US. Any comparison in terms of GPA, class ranking and such is mere speculation.</p>
<p>Honestly, if your main concern is getting into a good university, you shouldn’t be applying to UWC. They do send many students to top universities in the US, but the majority of students attending schools like Harvard and Princeton score 40+ in their final IB examinations.</p>
<p>UWC is more than just the IB abroad. It is an experience. Anyone applying should have that experience as their end, not as the means to a top uni.</p>
<p>Not all applicants are interviewed. When I applied, ~400 students in the US applied to the UWC program. 100 were selected for interviews and 50 were chosen out of the 100 interviewed to attend the various UWCs.</p>
<p>As for academic rigor, it depends on the student, but that’s no different than any other school. If you were to insist on applying an objective label to the IB, I think rigorous would certainly qualify.</p>
<p>Justin</p>