I’m in the full IB Diploma Program, and I’m taking 3 SL classes and 3 HL:
SL math, film, and Spanish
HL history, english, and biology
I’m thinking about taking a few AP tests this May as well but is there any point in studying for them if I’ll be taking IB exams next year and I’m doing well in all my classes? The curriculums are a little different so I would have to do additional studying (also because most IB courses are 2 years whereas AP are 1 so we won’t cover everything by May). Would taking about 4 AP tests add anything to my resume for college applications?
My son’s school counsels against this – they think the IB tests are enough. On your college application, the scores (IB and AP) are self-reported in any case. If, however, your SL Spanish class is at the same level as AP Spanish, (for example), the benefit of taking the AP is that you may get college credit for it, whereas most colleges are quite stingy with SL credit. Note, though, that many will give you a full year of credit for the diploma. I’d suggest that you look at the websites of some of the colleges you’re considering to see what their policies are for credit. My sense is that the AP exams add nothing to your application if you are doing IB but could get you some credit when you get to college, particularly if you decide not to pursue the diploma or if you don’t get it. If you’re doing well in Spanish, you might consider the SAT II in that – another way to demonstrate proficiency.