Should I Continue With Full IB?

Applying to College
1

I am the first class in my high school to pursue the full IB Diploma, however I just learned that most of my classes last year did not do any external assessments. None of my classes this year are doing external assessments either. Honestly, everything is so unorganized and the teachers do not know exactly how to run an IB class either. This is an issue because classes are AP/IB, so teachers have to do both. My math teacher isn’t AP or IB certified. I’m in 8 classes on my schedule, but I have to balance 2 other classes outside of my schedule just to meet requirements. They also want IB students to take AP and IB tests. It’s all so ridiculous. I learn something new I have to do every day.

so should I continue to pursue the Full IB Diploma?

2

I can honestly say that doing full IB was the best decision I made in high school, but I come from a high school that had IB down to a science. I would highly recommend continuing, but you may have to talk to some students who already completed the program (other high schools, discussion boards, etc.) in order to get advice. I know the extra assignments seem like a lot, but I promise you, the program is worth it in the end. I wrote at least one of my supplemental writings for each of my applications on some experience I faced via IB, and I think I am a better student and person because of IB. My IB class has received more scholarships and acceptances compared to the rest of my high school, so overall the IB program is helpful for college, regardless if you are applying to a state school or an Ivy.

Bottom line? It’ll be hard, but I think it’ll be worth it. Good luck!

3

How could you without EAs?

4

By my understanding (as an IB Diploma recipient), you must complete and pass IB external examinations, internal examinations, and CAS to be considered full IB.

5

Schools have to jump through a lot of hoops to become IBD accredited. You should clarify your situation with your IB coordinator. It sounds unlikely that you’re a senior and only now concerned about EAs. . http://www.ibo.org/contact-the-ib/

6

Always take the AP exam anyway because some SL classes will help get AP credit (sl doesn’t carry credit).
What SL and HL classes are you taking?

7

Not sure what you mean by “classes are AP/IB.” AP and IB classes have different curricula, assignments, assessments, etc… I’m not sure how the same class could function as both AP and IB, especially if it’s intended for full DP students. And it’s impossible to get your IB Diploma if you didn’t do any EAs. Maybe your teachers do assign EAs but just don’t label them as such (which is pretty silly regardless)?

Full IB is hard if your teachers aren’t educated as to what is really needed for your IB assessments and exams. If it continues to be this disorganized, I think I’d recommend you switching to AP or a combination of IB/AP without the full diploma program.

What classes are you taking? Have you finished your EE yet?

edit - I just realized you have one semester left of high school, so you wouldn’t be able to switch to AP classes. You need to talk to your IB coordinator or your teachers specifically about your concerns.

8

At DS’ school, where roughly a third of the students do the IBD, there are a number of classes that are IB/AP. They cover the material needed to succeed at both although students are only expected to test in one… This is most common in language classes, but a couple of courses in the sciences and math progressions (and possibly arts??) are handled this way as well. In most cases, the SL class overlaps with the AP, but not always. Of course, there are a few classes that are only one of the other. (TOK, for example, is only IB.) It definitely takes some work on the part of the of the teachers and curriculum designers, but it works. 100% pass rate on the IBD!

9

My kids’ high school has lots of AP/IB classes

For example at the end of:

Spanish 4 you can take IB SL exam, AP lang exam, or both
Spanish 5 you can take IB HL exam, AP lit exam, or both
HOTA year one- AP History
HOTA year 2- IB HL history of the Americas
Math HL yr 1- Calc bc exam
Math HL yr 2- HL math exam
IB English 11- AP lang
IB English 12- IB HL Exan and/or AP Lit exam

and so on

10

Are you a current junior?

I think it would be super rough to get through all of your assessments with teachers who are not experienced at all. They are a big deal. And to be loaded down with all the AP assignments also is crazy.

11

@gardenstategal @VickiSoCal wow, I never realized those types of classes were a thing. You learn something new every day :slight_smile:

12

At our school, only a couple of classes are officially AP/IB, but students in strictly IB courses often take the AP tests anyway.

13

I have a child in a full IB school that has been doing IB for a long time and I think it is a fantastic program for her and I would highly recommend the IBD for students willing to work hard and put in the effort.

I have another child who is in a new school that is offering the full IB curriculum (elementeray through IBD). I can see that without trained teachers, administration that knows the IB in and out, and enough structure and safeguards in place pursuing IB curriculum is incredibly challenging.

Therefore - I would ONLY recommend the IB program when the school is experienced in offering it, when the teachers are experienced in teaching in, when the administration is experienced in monitoring it, and when they have a record of excellence.

14

I am a current senior and a lot of my classes last year did not do external assessments. They planned on jamming all of the tests at the same time this year. I learn new IB requirements all the time and the program isn’t clear to the teachers as well. My teachers are not experienced in balancing AP and IB curriculum.

15

@carachel2 @gardenstategal @Sybylla I am a current senior and a lot of my classes last year did not do external assessments. They planned on jamming all of the EA tests at the same time this year. I learn new IB requirements all the time and the program isn’t clear to the teachers as well. My teachers are not experienced in balancing AP and IB curriculum. I’m in an American Government class that isn’t IB, and should be Global Politics. It’s barely an AP government class because the textbook is from 2005.

My counselors keep saying that I need 24 points to get a full diploma when it’s possible to get roughly 50 points altogether from EAs, CAS and EEs. But I’m pretty sure the standard is low because IB is very strict with their evaluation

16

You don’t do external assessments until the end of the subject. Some schools do each subject (e.g. math SL) over junior and senior years. The external assessments, aka IB exams, are scheduled by the IB organization, not your school.

I’m confused - you say you won’t be doing any external assessments, but you say you have to do the IB tests. They’re the same thing.

17

Not sure how you get 50 points in IB?

Grades are up to a 7 in 6 classes = 42

3 points are awarded based on a matrix of how you performed in TOK,EE and CAS.

So TOTAL is 45 if you get ALL POSSIBLE POINTS.

18

@bouders

Work is externally assessed well before the “end of the subject.”

From the IBO website:

Externally assessed coursework, completed by students over an extended period under authenticated teacher supervision, forms part of the assessment for several programme areas, including the theory of knowledge (TOK) essay and the extended essay (EE).

In most subjects, students also complete in-school assessment tasks. These are either externally assessed or marked by teachers and then moderated by the IB.

19

Also from the IBO website (the paragraph that comes before the paragraphs quoted above)

For most courses, written examinations at the end of the DP form the basis of the assessment. This is because these examinations have high levels of objectivity and reliability.

All of the EXTERNAL assessments are done at the end of the course subject, including the TOK essay and extended essay, and any moderated internal assessments.

20

To get the IB Diploma, you need to complete 3 HL and 3 SL (or you can do 4HL and 2HL, I believe) courses meeting a “gen ed” type distribution – (1) English, (2) History/Social Science, (3) Foreign Language, (4) Math, (5) Science, and (6) either arts or another class in one of the prior 5 subject matter areas. Each course, whether SL or HL, requires both internal assessments (IAs) and year end testing scored outside the school (and country) — IB exams. HL classes usually try to spread the internal assessments across the two years, so students are not crammed up with deadlines senior year. For instance, the English oral exam may be in the spring of junior year for English HL, then the written paper in the fall, and then the 3 days of IB testing in May. In SL classes, the IAs happen in the same year of the class. Then there is the Extended Essay research project, and Theory of Knowledge and 2 years of Creativity/Action/Service.

In terms of scoring, each class can range from a high of 7 to a low of 0. The IAs, oral exams etc, all get factored into the score. It is not just the year-end testing that goes into that score. A student needs a minimum of 24 points to receive the diploma, and 12 of those points need to be from HL classes – basically, there is a minimum performance required for HL coursework. You could get a 6 in one HL and a 3 in 2 others, or a 4 in all 3 HL course, but the student must have 12 points in their HL coursework. There are also requirements about no scores being lower than a certain level to get the diploma. Then, a student can get up to an extra 3 points for ToK and the Extended Essay. Those are not easy points to come by.

The program is tough, but excellent preparation for college level work, both in terms of substance and time management. Students find out if they scored high enough to receive the diploma in early to mid-July after high school graduation, after college decisions have been made. The most selective colleges tend to give college credit only for 6s and 7s in HL classes; step down outside the top 20 universities, and you may get credit for 5s in HL classes, depending on the school. Keep shifting down the scale in terms of college competitiveness/selectivity, and you will find schools which give credit for 4s and also for SL classes. Some schools no longer give any college credit for AP or IB scores. Other schools may use test scores so that students can move into more advanced courses in a department, skipping the intro level, but do not give college credit for the test score received.

Bottom line – IB can be excellent training for college course work. If a student is counting on AP/IB credits to be able to graduate early etc., they should look at the colleges of interest to see what their policy is on test score credit, and consider signing up for AP exams as needed. It can be easier to get a 4 on an AP exam – often the minimum score required for 3 credits in college – than it is to get a 6 on an HL exam.