<p>So my problem is that I'm in the IB program and I'm set to take my second year of Biology HL (yea, it sucks that HL classes are over the course of two years). But the problem is that I haven't taken physics my whole year in high school, and the only AP physics class is on the same period as my Bio class. So I'm thinking of dropping my Biology class and take the physics class. But I'm worried that it may look bad to colleges that I only would've of finished half of the Bio HL class, and didn't finish the whole course. Would it look bad? My other choice would be just to take regular physics (not honors), which may also look bad. How important is it to take physics?</p>
<p>I hate how IB is set up in my school:</p>
<p>9th grade: took biology here because it was required and the only other choice was applied science
10th grade: Chemistry (required as a prerequiste for biology and chemistry, the only IB science classes available)
11th grade: IB Biology HL and Chemistry SL</p>
<p>If I take Biology again it would be three years of biology.</p>
<p>I think you should take AP Physics. Top colleges like to see that you have taken all three sciences - Bio, Chem and Physics. </p>
<p>If this messes up your ability to get an IB diploma, and if that is a goal of yours, then that is a different story. You'll then have to weigh the benefits of having all three sciences against having an IB diploma. It depends on your college plans - this isn't something I can have an opinion on without a lot more information about where you would like to be headed for college. If for example, you'd like to attend a top public which gives generous credit for IB classes, perhaps the IB diploma would be more important (if you want to graduate early or save money). IB would be valuable if you'd like to attend college abroad. If your goal is a school like Princeton (which I think gives little or no credit for IB classes - just advanced placement), my advice would be different.</p>
<p>Most of the colleges I looked into don't accept the IB diploma only the higher level classes. So I definitely would like to here your opinion for schools like Princeton</p>
<p>Also will not having physics hinder me in college.</p>
<p>unless you plan on doing something engineering-like in college, stick with Bio, it'll show adcoms that you have the drive to complete a two-year course, and IMHO, IB is generally more highly respected</p>
<p><a href="I%20took%20IB%20Bio%20HL,%20IB%20Chem%20HL,%20and%20AP%20Physics%20C%20in%20high%20school,%20one%20of%20my%20majors%20is%20geology,%20and%20I%20work%20in%20admissions.">size=-4</a>[/size]</p>
<p>If you don't plan to study science, physics is not required (yes, even for Princeton!). Even if you do plan to study science, IB Biology HL and regular physics is a perfectly reasonable combination, given the schedule constraints.</p>
<p>So about this, would it look bad if I drop IB biology</p>
<p>I'd agree: if you're getting an IB diploma, keep the IB Bio and take regular physics. Ask your counselor to note that you couldn't take both because they were offered during the same period.</p>
<p>Is the IB diploma actually well looked upon? I mean from some of the colleges I've looked upon, they only give credit to high scores on HL tests only, if the diploma was well looked upon, wouldn't they give credit for the whole diploma. Do they not consider SL classes on the same level as AP classes? If I drop Bio, I'll probably change all my SL classes to AP classes.</p>
<p>Any other opinions would be great.</p>
<p>I vote AP Physics. I think physics in general is better looked upon than bio because colleges understand bio is mainly memorization</p>
<p>^Yeah but what if they see I took the first year of Bio HL and then didn't pickup the second year, would that look bad?</p>
<p>OP: "I took the first year of Bio HL and then didn't pickup the second year, would that look bad?"</p>
<p>I think no, if you are replacing it with something like AP Physics.</p>
<p>Getting a full IB diploma is always looked upon favorably. Taking a bunch of AP's is equally so.</p>
<p>If you have the ability to take regular Physics + Bio HL, I would do that. If you are not interested in getting an IB diploma, I think having AP Physics makes you more rounded academically. I think one year of Bio HL and then AP physics would be fine. </p>
<p>The only thing which might throw up a red flag is if you dropped out of the Bio HL sequence because of failure to perform or a desire to take a less challenging curriculum. With the exception of those two situations, you would be fine.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your responses</p>
<p>Monday is when I can do it, so anyother responses will be great</p>
<p>That is so wierd. IB Bio HL and AP Physics are only offered the same period at my school too. I stuck with Bio even though I really wanted to take physics this year because I did really well in the harder of the two years last year. I also think I will do well on the IB test and therefore get some serious credit.</p>
<p>Sorry, you already took IB Bio HL Yr 1. If this was your first year, that would be totally valid, but now you can't even say you're planning on taking the test. The IB Bio HL Yr 1 is worthless without the second year.</p>
<p>@White_Rabbit: Haha maybe we go to the same school. Or maybe its a conspiracy.</p>
<p>@Disneyguy: I'm thinking the same thing. So I either take the Ap physics test or the Ib Bio test. I don't think it would make that much of a difference, will it?</p>
<p>Do you go to High School in Central California?</p>