Should I take 4 HL subjects for IB?

Pre-College Issues International Baccalaureate (IB)
1

I will be starting the IB diploma program next year and am now finalising my subject choices. Here are my confirmed subjects -
HL Biology
HL Chemistry
HL Mandarin B(Chinese)
SL Math
SL English Language & Literature

Ok so the last subject I want to take is Geography and I’m not sure whether I should take it in HL or SL. I guess the underlying question is whether admissions in the US will notice if I take an extra HL subject and will it put me at an advantage?

Mandarin is my first language so Mandarin B in HL would be relatively easy for me to do well on. And geography is not that hard of an IB subject, I think. So is it worth it to take on an extra HL?

Any info or opinion would be much appreciated!

2

Will they notice? Of course. Will it put you at an advantage? No. Most schools limit students to 3 HL’s, so admissions will want to look at a level playing field.

Well, most schools only give credit for HL exams. That said, relatively few schools will give credit for Geography. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it, but it’s your call.