Please Help: Should I drop the IB Diploma?

Applying to College
1

<p>So I've been considering doing this, but I'm not sure if it's the wisest decision in the context of college admissions... I am looking for advice on whether or not dropping the IB diploma will prevent me from getting into top schools (HYPSM and the like).</p>

<p>Here is my situation:</p>

<p>I have good grades (All As minus two Bs in high school credit eighth grade classes, 4.425 weighted, 3.9 unweighted, 4.0 unweighted in my junior year), good test scores (2300 single sitting, 800 M, 800 W, 700 CR), and a decent amount of extracurricular activities. Last year I took 7 IB classes including 3 sciences and IB Math HL II (I am a STEM-inclined person...), doing the hardest courseload possible. This year I am taking: </p>

<p>Calc3/Linear Algebra (dual enrollment with local university)
AP Statistics
IB English HL II
IB History HL II
IB Biology HL II
IB Physics SL II
IB Spanish SL II
IB Theory of Knowledge (which is one day a week, 3.5 hours after school)</p>

<p>I have recently found that several of my classmates are taking AP classes online in free periods, which piques my interest. I have only taken one AP before this year (AP US Government) and got a 4, but I really want to take AP Computer Science A because I know I will need to eventually have a knowledge of programming if I go through with pursuing engineering, and I think a class like this would be interesting. </p>

<p>Furthermore, this year with anxiety over college applications and SAT subject tests, I feel like I won't really have time to do CAS or my extended essay. I am also really struggling in my Spanish class because I never had a good foundation in it, and the expectations this year are significantly higher than they were previously.</p>

<p>My new courseload would look like this, dropping Spanish:</p>

<p>Calc3/Linear Algebra (dual enrollment with local university)
AP Statistics
AP Computer Science A
IB English HL II
IB History HL II
IB Biology HL II
IB Physics SL II</p>

<p>So my question is: Will dropping the IB diploma tank my chances at HYPSM or UVA? Even if I continue to take one of the hardest courseloads of any student at my school?</p>

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<p>bumpbumpbump</p>

3

<p>TBH, I dont think Universities value the IB diploma AS MUCH as we all like to believe they do, If you still take the hardest courseload and excel in it, instead of wasting time with TOK, EE, CAS you should be just as strong a candidate as someone who did the whole IB. Provided you had some community service to match their CAS hours.</p>

4

<p>I kind of disagree. I think you should stay in IB. I think colleges still value the IB program. I think you will look great to colleges no matter which way you go. Quit trying to kill yourself. Your very competitve with your scores!</p>

5

<p>How come colleges value IB? I’m in IB and I think it’s a total waste of time with all the useless projects they keep assigning us like EE and TOK stuff… if anything, IB is just the same as the usual system but with more nonsense that you have to keep completing. It takes time away from the more important stuff you got to work on like SATs and application essays.</p>

6

<p>As a parent, I say suck it up and finish your IB diploma. You obviously have the skills to do it and I would think that schools would look at your junior year IB classes, then wonder why you didn’t continue into senior year. My daughter would say quit being the victim, “poor me, I have such a heavy classload” and suck it up. JMO</p>

<p>She sucked it up, went to a tippy top school and now in medschool. Just finish what you started, it looks like you are off to a great start!</p>

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<p>My biggest problem with the diploma is probably that I am already really busy as it is with my courseload, and CAS/EE/TOK on top if it will cut into my ability to work on college apps and SAT IIs. But this is a problem with several layers: I also feel weak in Spanish, am not doing well in it at this point, have never enjoyed it, and have filled the Advanced Diploma requirement already with four years of foreign language. I see an opportunity to take a class I might be interested in (I actually started watching MIT OCW videos for computer science last year to start learning some python at the end of the year because I was bored) and feel like I am almost lying to myself or denying my interests if I don’t take this. </p>

<p>But I dunno, maybe I am just full of garbage and trying to convince myself that I should drop the IB diploma to lessen the workload so I won’t be miserable all year or something… is this what senioritis feels like?</p>

<p>My concern right now is that I don’t ruin my chances for top schools (or even state schools) by doing this. There are other IB candidates at my school, but few with credentials on par with mine as far as grades/scores go (not to be conceited or anything). I had the hardest courseload last year, was the only IB candidate to make a 4.0 for the year, and am almost definitely the only person with a 2200+ SAT besides one kid with a 34 ACT and comparable grades and another with a 34 ACT and far worse grades.</p>

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<p>I’m pretty sure every IB student who’s staying in the U.S. for college feels this way (especially senior year). The program is garbage, the diploma gives no credit, and the extra work we do for the diploma is almost pointless (has an IA ever taught you anything?). Still, I’ve asked several faculty members at my school about it and they’ve said it’s virtually impossible to explain why you left without hurting your application. Why not email the admissions office at UVa? I seriously doubt you’d be the first to complain or inquire.</p>

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<p>^ How exactly would they see that I have left the program?</p>

<p>I would have been taking the same classes my junior year with or without the diploma. Only this year would they be different, and if I am able to drop the Spanish class before the first quarter ends, I believe the Spanish class would be removed entirely from my transcript.</p>

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<p>IB is a lot of work. That’s the case for everyone. I hated it off and on while I was doing it. But now I’m glad I did it. You probably will be, too. </p>

<p>That said, senior year is easy after surviving junior year. And CAS and EE don’t take much time at all. CAS hours are easy to get from things you’d be doing anyway. The requirements are not strict. EE doesn’t take as long as they pretend it does, and your grade on it doesn’t matter except for bonus points. You can fail EE and get your diploma as long as you don’t also fail TOK. And failing TOK is difficult.</p>

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<p>Does it matter that most of the other top students at my school (and top students in the past) are IB diploma candidates? Some at my school seem to qualify the IB diploma in admissions by saying that most of the kids getting into better colleges are IB diploma candidates… but the way I see it, the better kids are doing the diploma in the first place. </p>

<p>Do adcoms (especially at top 20 tier schools) look down on kids who do all of the IB courses, but don’t go through with the diploma?</p>

<p>By the way, thanks for all the responses so far. Your input is really helping me out.</p>

12

<p>Hmmmm… Is there another IB course you could take in place of Spanish? If you would qualify as an AP scholar I would say you should drop the IB diploma, but you won’t (you need three AP exams with a three or higher before you graduate).</p>

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<p>FINISH IT. FINISHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. IT DOES MATTER. FINISH. -advise from a girl at a non IB school who is incredibly jealous</p>

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<p>I think that, since you’ve already started, it would hurt your application to drop out now. Colleges will see from your transcript that you were going for the diploma junior year and will assume that you dropped out because you couldn’t handle the course load.
Also, as to your point about CAS, EE, and TOK taking up all your time, well, suck it up. Every single IB student ever managed to get their diploma while also finishing their college applications and taking the SAT, SAT IIs, etc. I know it’s a lot of work, but it would look really weird to have started the IB and then dropped out. I know you want to take that other class, but colleges will assume that you took it to lessen your workload, which will ultimately hurt your application.
Good luck with the work!! (:</p>

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<p>Please do your own research from your school seniors, who had done their IB Diploma. I know, many students, esp. the international ones, in the top 20 schools, who gained almost one year in view of their IB score. In UVa, it may not be so!</p>

16

<p>I still don’t see how they would even be able to tell that I was in the program in the first place. </p>

<p>My courseload last year was as follows:
IB Math HL II
IB English HL I
IB History HL I
IB Biology HL I
IB Chemistry SL II
IB Physics SL I (Honors Physics)
IB Spanish SL I</p>

<p>I have taken the only two AP classes my school offers (Statistics and US Gov). The 6-7 IB classes I took last year (that have no AP equivalents at my school) are all classes I would have taken anyway. How would a college see that I have dropped the diploma?</p>

<p>^ I have already talked to 10+ graduated IB diploma candidates from my school. All of them got little or no credit from the schools they went to (even though that’s not really my issue here). Many said that it would probably look bad dropping it if a college could see that (but how would they?), and that the diploma probably looks good to schools… however, given my grades/scores, some said I didn’t need it. One kid who was val last year and had a ~2340 SAT said that his interview for a top ranked LAC liked that he had the diploma, but it seems like the IB program is very liberal arts inclined in the first place, and I’m not really interested in that. Maybe since I’m planning to study very technical stuff (engineering), it might not be as necessary.</p>