<p>Hey everyone, so I'm currently a Canadian student taking 4 IB subjects, being Math SL, Biology SL, Chemistry HL, and World History HL. I have excellent grades in all of them and have approximately a 95% average at an extremely competitive school. Our school was visited by Ivy League representatives, and upon asking them, they all told me that I wouldn't be considered a strong applicant because I had only taken Partial IB where Full IB was offered to me, despite the fact that I had spent much of my free time in various extracurriculars rather than taking further IB classes. Is this true? Would this really ruin my chances at getting into a good American university? Thank you, any feedback is appreciated</p>
<p>There is a major distinction between holistically following the IB curriculum and completing it, and taking some courses offered in the IB track and graduating from high school. For reasons that you’ve given in your post you’ve chosen the latter – so really you are not in the IB track.</p>
<p>In the United States, where IB programs are relatively rare, your transcript would look much like a typical transcript with some advanced courses. Perhaps some of these courses would be equivalent to AP courses.</p>
<p>So the answer to your question … it depends on the courses you’ve taken, and it will need to be evaluated in that fashion, and in terms of what other students from your school have taken. Is it the most rigorous? Well not as rigorous as the transcript of someone who’s completed the IB, but still pretty good.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply fogcity =)
I actually have the option of switching into the Diploma Programme since all of the classes I don’t have are next semester, would that be a good idea for admission into the States? I’m just wondering what sort of difference it is having the MOST rigorous courseload vs a very rigorous courseload?</p>
<p>bump…anyone? any input would be greatly appreciated =)</p>
<p>To get into the any better university you should definitely do the full IB. All you effectively have to take is English A1 HL and for example French B SL (just seeing as you live in canada). English is really not very difficult, don’t know if you speak any other languages, but adding those two subjects will make major difference to your application.</p>
<p>That’s actually a great way of looking at it, thanks Switzerland, it makes more sense to me to do it now =) I hope you’re right and it makes a significant enough difference to be worthwhile though!</p>