<p>I am currently in my 7th year of IB and this year along with my required IB courses, am taking one AP course (since I have met my IB diploma requirements). </p>
<p>I feel that IB is extremely challenging due to it being an entire programme and not just one class. Even the work we are required to complete over Christmas break AND every summer is way out of hand. </p>
<p>Since I am taking my first AP class, I have no personal experience comparing AP with IB courses. </p>
<p>Opinions on both AP and IB would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>One thing I've noticed (from reading these boards and talking with friends), is that the quality of the IB program seems to be more consistent from school to school, whereas the quality of the AP program can range from university level courses, to slightly above "regular" classes.</p>
<p>My school only offers AP classes, so I can't really compare the two, but my perception is that students who graduate with an IB diploma are better prepared for college than just about anyone else in the country.</p>
<p>Yeah. Some IB classes are like the same thing as the AP equivalent. Its hard because the IB classes all have to tie together and you have to do some outsidework.</p>
<p>The reason for the consistency is that there are guidelines that must be followed. Go into any IB school anywhere in the world and they are doing the exact same thing you're doing. Its a must.</p>
<p>Worldshopper, did you skip my "diary of an IB student" post in this forum??!! Go to it right now!!</p>
<p>I was in AP Comp. Sci once. I spent half the class (and sometimes the whole class) playing games, watching movies and setting up LAN parties. Next year I'll do AP Calculus. I'll be able to better compare.</p>
<p>AP ENglish = IB English
AP USHistory = IB USHistory</p>
<p>Thanks quitejaded and yes, I did finally find your previous post, "diary of an IB student". </p>
<p>I agree, IB is a lot of work and it is important to have good time management skills. I too stay up until 1 AM doing homework. Between my 1 hour daily communte, my part-time job, my EC activities and my training I do for my non-school related sport; leaves little time for much else. During the summer, we had 11 books to read, some short but still 11 books AND had to do research for my extended study AND had to attend school 5 hours a day for 6 weeks (my choice, not required) AND did some volunteer work. I am certainly not a geek or book worm and sincerely hope that the admissions people see how difficult it was to do all of these things. My recommendation to anyone considering IB is to begin in 11th grade, not 6th grade like I did because you get burned-out. Unfortunately, my SAT scores are so-so but I do hope that my my IB diploma (among other things) compensates. I have read that for certain colleges, the admission rate for IB students is sometimes twice as high than that of regular students. I would sincerely hope (but probably not the case at very selective schools) that colleges see you have demonstrated the ability to complete a very challenging program and will be able to succeed at their school versus having a high SAT score. But, they probably want it ALL ! Perhaps they will see that my better than average SAT scores (but "low" on the IVY League scale) will demonstrate that the grades I received in school had to be worked for and that it did not come easy for me. What's more important - 4 years of very hard work with success OR one day taking an SAT test with better than average but not high success? I have been reading the boards and there are so many talented, bright people with many EC activities, national recognition, etc. I see what I am up against and it is discouraging.</p>
<p>Thanks. Do you believe that having an IB diploma offers any merit over having taken AP classes? In other words, does having an IB diploma make you more attractive as a candidate versus AP (assuming you have all the other elements).</p>
<p>that... i do not know. What are the requirements for an IB diploma? My school only offers AP, and I only learned of IB when I registered on Collegeboard</p>
<p>AP and IB is basically the same ive even been told that a lot of Ap classes are harder than IB..... but unlike AP, IB is more standardized so i would recommend IB if you really want to do the advanced thing</p>
<p>Well, I'm sure AP precalc is harder than IB math studies, but I'm sure IB math methods HL is harder than AP.</p>
<p>I think IB Langauge B ( a second langauge) is harder than AP.</p>
<p>It depends on which college, hopper, but for the most part IB and AP are looked at as the same thing. If the school you apply to gives scholarships for having an IB diploma, then believe they will choose your IB behind over someone else's.</p>
<p>My school has AP and IB. They tell us that we can just go ahead and take AP if we're not "creatively inclined", lol. I think that's in reference to the multiple choice focus of AP. The general perception at my school is that IB is way harder than AP, especially if you do the diploma program. Our CG won't mark you as having taken the hardest course load unless you're full IB. If your school offers AP AND IB, I think that IB will usually be the tougher and more impressive route, but if your school doesn't have IB, it can't hurt you anyway.</p>
<p>I was an IB Diploma student as well as taking several APs, so...
IB and AP classes are very, very similar. Occasionally one is harder than the other. For example, AP Physics C is harder than IB Physics HL because it uses calculus. Alternately, IB Math HL is more difficult than AP maths. Overall, however, the difficulty of the classes is very similar. </p>
<p>The difference between the programs comes with the extra stuff IB students do: community service, Extended Essay, math portfolios, personal project, Group 4 projects (which can be a ***** if you take more than one IB science), internal assessments, oral presentations, etc. These "extra" requirements are what make IB a more rigorous program than AP. AP is a program of tough classes, IB is more of a "way of life," so to speak. </p>
<p>Both programs prepare you equally well as far as knowledge goes, but I think IB has a slight advantage in terms of time management, rigor, well-roundedness, etc.</p>
<p>Just a small note-IB language B is not harder than AP, at least for SL. AP languages are very difficult.</p>
<p>I do know that the states of Florida and Texas favor IB grads and I believe (don't quote me on this one) that the state of Florida gives their residents who obtain an IB diploma either automatic admission and/or free tuition for their state schools. I don't live in Florida so I am not quite sure about the details.</p>
<p>IB, I do know, is a VERY expensive program with having to send the exams, personal projects and extended essays all over the world to be graded in addition to the IB exams costing something like a couple of hundred dollars each. On top of that the teachers have to have specialized training, most of them having to go to Canada to get trained. </p>
<p>Whether IB or AP is the better choice; I am sure AP is more widely available due to the high cost of the IB program. </p>
<p>Luckily, when I apply to colleges; I am not going to play the community service card at all because the colleges to which I apply will already know that I am an IB diploma candidate and had to have served "x" amount of hours of cs. The IB cs requirements are different too because you have to have so many hours of cs from different areas. Some of the bios posted on this board have like a zillion hours a year devoted to one or two causes. As an IB student, your cs hours have to be diversified. In other words, only so many hours would count towards your requirements for volunteering at your church. And you have to have so many hours devoted each year to participating in community events such as plays, etc. I guess this encourages people to be more diversified and active in their entire community (as compared to really active within your own church or one or two causes).</p>
<p>I heard the IB HL Language is exam is very difficult as part of it is oral and the AP exam is all written. I have not taken either, but this is what I have heard.</p>
<p>In foreign languages you have to do record a tape as part of your exam, but you have plenty of time in advance to come up with stuff, so it's not that bad if you actually learned some things.</p>
<p>In IB english you do some oral commentaries. I hate oral commentaries. I'm only a junior so we just do "practice" ones, but you get an excerpt or a poem and need to come up with a commentary in so and so many minutes, I can't even remember how many you get. >_> At any rate, ickity ick.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. and your experiences. If you were an IB diploma candidate, how were you able to take several AP courses? I am taking one and that is AP Stats because I went to summer school for 2 years and have met my IB math requirements. As you know, being an IB student, you have to take the required classes, not leaving room for much else (in my case, I could not even take Drivers Ed.). This year, my only options were to take AP Stats or IB Biology. Also, being in the IB program; you have to continue your foreign language studies all the way through your senior year, no matter how many years you have or how well you speak the language. My point is that with all the required IB courses; I have not had much opportunity to take anything else until this year.</p>
<p>It wasn't that hard, actually. I took AP Environmental Science as a sophomore when IB wasn't as difficult. I took IB Methods I as a sophomore and IB Methods II as a junior, so I took AP Calc BC senior year. My physics class was a mix of IB Physics HL and AP Physics C people, so the class was basically a AP Phy C class with the IB'ers self-studying the Options.</p>
<p>toasty, you get 20 minutes to prepare and 10 min to present.</p>