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We never know what the admit people really think, but if I think that they may ignore any single, isolated standardized test score that is notably poorer than the others, while raising an eyebrow at a student taking 3-4 AP exams and not doing well on any of them. The isolated bad score seems to clearly be related to the "whatever" factor, particularly if class grades are good, and a pattern of low scores plus high class grades has got to raise an eyebrow. But I think they are able to put even that situation in context - poor school vs wealthier suburb for instance.
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<p>I agree that a pattern of multiple poor scores vs. good grades is going to raise eyebrows more than a single poor score. In many schools, however, students have relatively few opportunities to take AP courses prior to senior year, so admissions officers aren't going to get a lot of data until after the students have been admitted.</p>
<p>It's also the case that some teachers are better at preparing their students for the specifics of the exam than others--a notable example: teachers who have been AP readers have gotten, in essense, a crash course in the nitty-gritty of the make-or-break (sometimes picaune) details of how the exams are scored. Other teachers may pick up some of this knowledge informally through participation in on-line AP teachers lists which discuss such details. Other teachers may decide to allocate more of their student's time to substance rather than picayune test details. (For example, they may require lengthy term papers but not give so many "practice tests." Some students with high AP scores complain that their AP courses fed a steady diet of multiple choice questions and timed short essay practice, but that they never had the experience of writing a thoughtfully graded term paper in high school. Students who crammed lots of trivia--e.g. learning the name of Pres. McKinley's campaign manager--may score well on the AP tests but I suspect students get a lot more long-term learning value out of writing a lengthy term paper.)</p>
<p>I'm under the impression that the IB curriculum requires students to do a great deal of writing outside the contest of the IB exams themselves. It is not just about exam performance, but rather an entire process of learning. That's one reason it gets a good deal of respect from knowledgeable admissions officers.</p>
<p>The AP program does not require anything more than short essay writing and multiple choice exams.</p>
<p>Part of the AP problem is that the courses are comprehensive, while college classes are delineated by certain topics within the whole so that they can go in depth into concepts. Too much material in too short a period of time. The AP people have acknowledged this, and will be changing the curriculum to do things like colleges - AP government: the beginnings. AP government: the 20th century, etc. (My titles, not theirs) This should help kids be better prepared.</p>
<p>I agree with homeschoolmoms comments in principle, but I dont think the government class that the OP is talking about was an IB course. I think that the OPs daughter is enrolled in an IB program and was taking an AP course in addition to her IB courses. (I may be wrong; pebbles please come back and straighten us out.) If shes doing the IB diploma and just taking an AP course or two on the side, then I dont think that colleges would find it at all strange that she didnt take the AP exam. Shell have her hands full with the IB exams.</p>
<p>A lot of kids who do IB take AP exams. Sometimes the classes are tailored to both streams IB slash AP. Sometimes the schools supplement their IB courses with AP material for the expressed purpose of taking the exams. The reason for doing this is because many IB exams are taken at the end of senior year and scores are too late to be of any use in the US admissions process. </p>
<p>Many US colleges will give credit or acceleration based on IB scores as well AP scores, but I think the overall understanding and appreciation of the IB program still lags behind AP. Theyre still trying to fit the IB peg into the AP hole, but the two programs are really quite different in approach and concept.</p>
<p>momrath: </p>
<p>My D is an IB student who took an AP Government class. You see, government (a one semester class) is a required course in our hs district. My D needed to take it as an honors/AP or IB level to get the extra boost to her GPA. The only way she could do it was to take it as AP Government. IB doesn't have a government course and if it does it isn't offered at her school.</p>
<p>IB junior year was very tough. My D took IB physics and the IB HL math. She does write a lot and she is just starting her extended essay this summer. I know AP is hard but IB seems to "put it all together" and make one a well rounded student, at least IMO.</p>
<p>pebbles, That's what I thought. My son did the same thing with US history which wasn't offered IB at his international school.</p>
<p>Your daughter is wise to work on her essay over the summer. The due date comes at the worst possible time for US college applications (another holdover from the European system, I think).</p>
<p>My son has greatly benefited in academic and analytic preparation from the IB program, but as far as advancement or credit for college courses it didn't help one iota, though. Colleges vary widely on this point.</p>