Some questions about IB Diploma

Student Lounge International Students
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<p>Hello everyone,I'm new to this website as I just registered yesterday.I came to this site coz I thought I might be able to find some helpful information here.As a matter of fact, im pretty puzzled now.So I genuinely hope someone out there could help me clear up all these questions following.
Here is my own introduction first.I am from China and going to government school in Singapore presently.But i has been considering going to International School to take IB Diploma Programme since I think it might be better for me.However,I dont think that I have completely known about this,so here are my questions blow:
1)Does IB Diploma really recognized by most of universities in the world?If I want to go to one of colleges in US,do I still have to take SAT?
2)How difficult IB is for students whose native language is not English?
3)what are the advantages of taking IB Diploma?In comparison to others.
4)It is said that IB involves a lot of essays with thousands of words,is it true?
5)Is it extremely hard to graduate from it?</p>

<p>THANK YOU and waiting for some responses.</p>

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<p>1)Does IB Diploma really recognized by most of universities in the world?If I want to go to one of colleges in US,do I still have to take SAT?</p>

<p>Yes most schools recognize it. UK schools accept it definitely, it can be used for admission. For most US schools you MUST take the SAT, you can only not take the SAT for the schools that don't require it, regardless of your education system. </p>

<p>2)How difficult IB is for students whose native language is not English?
You take English B or some course like that. My friends pass.</p>

<p>3)what are the advantages of taking IB Diploma?In comparison to others.
Well rounded, rare, hard to achieve high marks. CAS, TOK, Extended Essay and etc. </p>

<p>4)It is said that IB involves a lot of essays with thousands of words,is it true?
Yes depending on the subject.
But for TOK its a 1600 word essay. Extended Essay is 4000. </p>

<p>5)Is it extremely hard to graduate from it?
Not sure, but kind of hard to graduate with a 40></p>

3

<p>Hi welcome to CC where you will find lots of great info, advice, and fun interactions with people from all over the world. You will soon get addicted to it....</p>

<p>Let's answer your questions:</p>

<p>1) Well, yes. IB diploma is recognized as the most challenging coursework one can take during high school comparable to the American AP courses. And the rigor of coursework during high school is a huge factor in admissions. Plus, if you manage to get good grades in IB exams such as over 5 out of 7, you may be able to get advanced credit for that subject even before entering the university, thus clearing some basic course requirements at the freshman year.</p>

<p>But well, SAT is a must for US universities as IB is not the 'required' option for them. Some universities may just take SAT 1, may take SAT 1 and two SAT 2, or take SAT1 and three SAT 2. They may allow you to take ACT instead as well.</p>

<p>2) It is a tough programme and i know it from first hand experience ; / English isn't my native language, and IB is really challenging... requires huge efforts... however i feel that anyone can successfully do it if even this 'procrastinator extraordinaire' can! Good luck!</p>

<p>3) the rigor of the programme compared to normal classes... A B or A- in an IB subject may be considered way above straight A+ in a normal class</p>

<p>4) yeap true.... It's got a lot of essays to write.... including Extended Essay of 4000 words, World Literature Essay of 1500 words (for IB English A1), and Theory of Knowledge Essay of 1600 words..... However it will eventually all pay off and help you develop that crucial skill you need for not just college, but anywhere your life will take you (am i sounding too dramatic?)</p>

<p>5) hard yeah.... you will sometimes feel like screwing it all and just get on with other things in life... but DON"T ever give up. It's a great program and if you manage to complete it, it will be a huge milestone for your academic achievement!!!</p>

<p>So Good Luck and hope to see you around~~~</p>

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<p>In short: IB is very widely recognised, but you do have to put a lot of effort in. It is tough to get 40+ points in the actual diploma. Statistically 40 points is equivalent to the 94th percentile. Your english seems fine, but some subjects will be more challenging than others. (eg. Business and possible Economics.)</p>

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<p>1)Does IB Diploma really recognized by most of universities in the world?If I want to go 1) Does IB Diploma really recognized by most of universities in the world? If I want to one of colleges in US,do I still have to take SAT?</p>

<p>Yep. That's what I did. It's manageable. </p>

<p>2)How difficult IB is for students whose native language is not English?</p>

<p>Not that difficult. I have a friend who has only been speaking English for one and a half years and he has a 33-34 right now, which is pretty darn good given his situation. The IB is a very internationally-oriented course so they will give you leeway in terms of English language use/grammar. The only course where this might not apply to is English A1, so I would suggest for you to take English A2.</p>

<p>3)what are the advantages of taking IB Diploma?In comparison to others.</p>

<p>I took a number of AP classes before I entered the full diploma. Advantages include that it's a lot more writing intensive, which will be very helpful in preparing you for college. CAS hours also force you to take a break from academics and relax and do things you enjoy while earning credit. </p>

<p>4)It is said that IB involves a lot of essays with thousands of words,is it true?</p>

<p>Hmm...in some cases, yes. Your EE is supposed to be between 3000-4000 words and many internal assessments and some essays in your classes will require 1000+ words. However, you'll easily get the hang of it once you practice a few essays and soon you will get very good with them. EE sounds hard on paper, but if you pick an interesting topic, it will be a much better experience than you think it might be.</p>

<p>5)Is it extremely hard to graduate from it?</p>

<p>Hmm no, I think the IB is extremely EASY to graduate from, in terms of passing (getting 24 out of 45 points). You will have to work somewhat hard depending on your skill level if you want 35+, but even that isn't that hard. It is very difficult to get 40+, however.</p>

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<p>THANK YOU ALL for these incredible responses.
To be honest,I did not expect to see such helpful answers so soon,coz I thought it always took some time.But I am TOTALLY amazed by all of you with your sincere responses here.I have to say that they DO help me a lot,as I eventually know what kind of decision I am going to make instead of being confused and waiting for nothing.What I have realized is that IB is challenging but well-rounded and the skills I can acquire from it are useful for my whole lifetime.NEVER give up as well as to put effort on everything you are learning,thats all for not only me but everyone to do.</p>

<p>THANKS AGAIN,and GOOD LUCK to YOU ALL.=D
It seems like I have already been fascinated by this amazing website.Nice to meet all of you here,and I will be around in my leisure time.</p>

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<p>Hey,
There is no government school in Singapore that offers the IB programme unless your referring to ACS IB?</p>

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<p>I will try to answer some of the questions within the context of Singapore, although I suspect my answers will be largely similar.</p>

<p>1)Does IB Diploma really recognized by most of universities in the world? If I want to go to one of colleges in US,do I still have to take SAT?</p>

<p>Yes, the IB Diploma is recognized by most universities around the world and yes, you still have to take the SAT (or ACT) if you want to apply to an US university. I know from personal experience that Cambridge is interested in seeing your SAT results if you have taken them as well.</p>

<p>2)How difficult IB is for students whose native language is not English?</p>

<p>Although I've never experienced it first hand, I've heard that IB can be very demanding on your English skills - so it might be difficult as first if you are not used to thinking or writing in English. It should get easier as the months go by though.</p>

<p>3)what are the advantages of taking IB Diploma? In comparison to others.</p>

<p>Your main alternative in Singapore would be to take the Singapore-GCE A-levels. In that case, you have no advantage from an US/UK admissions point-of-view. It is widely held that the S-GCE A-levels, along with the HKALE, are much harder than the UK equivalent and thus on par or even surpassing the IB programme. RJ and HC should have better reputations among the US/UK universities so you might get a <em>tiny</em> boost from there as well.</p>

<p>4)It is said that IB involves a lot of essays with thousands of words,is it true?</p>

<p>Yes. EE and TOK seems to be the main portions.</p>

<p>5)Is it extremely hard to graduate from it?</p>

<p>Probably not. If you can handle the O-levels well enough to get into ACSIB, you should have no problems graduating from it.</p>

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<p>Hermann: She's in a govt school presently (presumably just started an A Level program) and is thinking of transferring to an international school (so presumably not ACSI, not that it's really a govt school anyway...)</p>

<p>Sharyn: Everything that can be said about IB has probably been said here. I'd like to add though that if you're in JC arts, you won't do much less writing than an IB student (I know I wrote >20000 words for my A Levels alone) but if you're in JC science, then yes, IB will improve your writing skills significantly. Plus colleges will like the "well-rounded" factor that comes with IB.</p>

<p>Are you looking at ACSI, or international schools only? ACSI's school year has already started but their IB reputation is considerably stronger than that of the international schools that offer IB.</p>

<p>Edit: on the native language thing. How long have you been in Singapore? If you spent four years of secondary school here, you should be fine - I know one girl who came here from China when she was 13 and went on to do A Level English Lit and Theatre Studies fine. Most people I know who arrived in Sec 3 or later struggled quite a bit. It's not impossible, but it's not easy either.</p>

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<p>To Hermann:
ACS(Independent) does offer IB programme,but it is a school that only accepts male students which means I am definitely not applying to go to that school,though it has great reputation.</p>

<p>To phantompong:
I have been in S'pore for one and a half years since I was 15 years old.In another words,i didnt started my Secondary School in Sec 1 but Sec 2 here.Speaking of my English level,as you can probably tell,I am not quite good at my English.And I suppose that you are right,students who came to S'pore at around my age tend to find difficulties in learning English language.Since I found that I had dropped behind where I should have to be,I started to consider transferring to an International School to take IB programme.There is another main reason why I am considering about this is that,it is said English could be taken as a Second Language in IB,which seems to be easier for me to pass it.
As for ACS international school,yes,I will be applying for it as soon as I get my latest CA test result.Do you know anything about this school?In fact I dont really know about it.My friend said that many international schools were mostly at the same standards,ACS is one which was slightly better.Schools like American Singapore School or UWCSEA are absolutely great,but they both have such a long waitlist.</p>

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<p>i dont think that ACS IB only accepts guys only...I knew several girls that got into the IB programme...in fact, if im not wrong, the number of girls outnumbered the guys during the JAE process...
As for ACS, im not so sure, but i wouldnt really say that it would be better than the other international schools cause i had several students who didnt perform well at PSLE go there as an alternative to the neighbourhood schools? hope im not sterotyping the other students but this is the general perception of local international schools in various secondary schools...</p>

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<p>Wahey. Okay, that puts a new spin on things - that means you're only starting Sec 4 now? (which I presume would be why you can't apply to ACS (Indep) yet?) They definitely take girls after the O Levels - one of my classmates went there, but I don't know if they take in female students before that.</p>

<p>Hmm. I'm not sure if it would be that great an advantage to switch to IB in order to take English as a second language (if the fact it's easier to pass is what you're concerned about), because you would still have to do TOK and the EE. Seems like a lot of work to avoid GP. But if what you're concerned about is getting your English up to scratch for a US or UK university education, then IB might be the better option (baptism by fire...). Am I missing something here?</p>

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<p>There are girls in ACS Indep la!!! In fact the AC guys are quite sad coz there's not enough girls XD</p>

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<p>I didnt know that ACS(I) accepts girls for their IB programme,I thought that was totally a boys' school,just like ACS goverment school.
Anyway,what I am trying to say is that,I want to transfer to an international school to take IB because it seems like I should have been in High School instead of Secondary School at my age.Furthermore,IB is said to be well-recognized which also helps develope students' skill in a rounded way,even though it is quite challenging.BUT,the thing is,I am not sure of which school I am supposed to apply for,although I have been here for more than one year,there is limited information i can know about international schools.
Could anyone give me some suggestions on it?I will appreciate that a lot.
THANK YOU.</p>

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<p>I didnt know that ACS(I) accepts girls for their IB programme,I thought that was totally a boys' school,just like ACS goverment school.
Anyway,what I am trying to say is that,I want to transfer to an international school to take IB because it seems like I should have been in High School instead of Secondary School at my age.Furthermore,IB is said to be well-recognized which also helps develope students' skill in a rounded way,even though it is quite challenging.BUT,the thing is,I am not sure of which school I am supposed to apply for,although I have been here for more than one year,there is limited information i can know about international schools.
Could anyone give me some suggestions on it?I will appreciate that a lot.
THANK YOU.</p>

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<p>The thing about Singapore American School is that it offers AP as well. If you do more than 15 APs in the three remaining years, its the same credit as IB or say A levels. And so long as your grades are higher than the average of the school(very easy to achieve), you will be put at the very front section of the waitlist. one of my friend from RGS transfered to SAS this year since she only wanted to go US and APs are sufficient for her(not to mention, she want to skip GP). She got straight in after they saw her Sec 2 GPA, even though theres like hundred on the waiting list. So, as long as your grade cuts it, waiting list is not a problem.</p>

<p>However, if you are considering UK as well, you should look at ACS international or Hwas Chong international since they place more focus on IB lessons(SAS still place their emphasise on APs). My friend in Hwa Chong International told me that unless you are in the most competitive class, most of the people dont study. I would suggest that once you get in ACS or Hwa Chong, take the most challenging courses as possible. That way, you then can make your learning there the most efficient. English shouldnt be a problem at these international schools, since they are INTERNATIONAL schools, they actually have extra english courses that doesnt have grading that you can go to. SAS is slightly more demanding in english though.</p>

<p>Best choice for IB, nonetheless, is ACS(I)</p>

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<p>
[quote]
English shouldnt be a problem at these international schools, since they are INTERNATIONAL schools, they actually have extra english courses that doesnt have grading that you can go to.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This jumped out at me (hadn't thought of it this way - I'm not familiar with the international schools). It still depends on the OP's intentions though... what she's essentially saying is, she's turning 17 (or 18?) this year and is only in Sec 4, and feels she should be in a pre-U program by now, not in secondary school, am I right?</p>

<p>If English is the only subject holding you back from being ready for college (or ready for JC/IB, as the case may be) and the international schools will let you go straight to the two-year IB program (so essentially you're skipping Sec 4), then your plan to move to an international school makes a lot of sense. Otherwise, I don't necessarily see an advantage to doing so.</p>

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<p>To Wannadartmouth:
In fact,to go to one of colleges in US is my final goal,and apparently going to SAS will be the best way to achieve it.BUT just as you have said,it demands more in English language,and it is kind of the weakest subject of mine for the time being.Therefore,I supppose that applying for one international school to take IB is more appropriate and realistic.
As for your suggestion about how to be efficient in an international school,I will keep that in mind,thank you.
There's one more question I want to ask,as you seem to know about international schools well enough,which one do you recommend other than ACS(I)?</p>

<p>To Phantompong:
I am turning 17 this year,isnt it late for someone who is still in Secondary School?
I came to S'pore after my graduation in Middle High School in China,which means I am able to apply for High School or IB programme.But English has been a big problem for me.I am puzzled,because i am not sure that how to accomplish my objective.Either to carry on what I am doing now or to transfer to another school?</p>

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<p>^well, it is not exactly late to be around that age because i used to have alot of chinese students in my class who came to singapore either on their own or on scholarships that the school offered them...</p>

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<p>Right,so besides age,talking about the prospect in which going to US is the final goal and the weakness in English language,which one is better(IB/A LEVEL)?</p>