<p>I feel kinda dumb to post this but what is IB? and is it good for college?</p>
<p>What is IB? What is IB? What is IB! That is a Long long long post coming towards your way. Do not listen to someone in AP say it’s like 6 AP classes, it’s most definitely not! Do not listen to someone say that it’s easy, it isn’t! DON NOT listen to someone say it’s a waste of time, it does actually help. I will attempt to explain what IB is, but it’s a long long post!</p>
<p>What is IB?:</p>
<p>IB is a international programme, hence the name, that is made of a set of classes based on a world POV. You take a total of 7 required classes: Group 1, your Language A(Native language basically or English class), Group 2, your Language B (Foreign language), Group 3, History basically, Group 4, Experimental Sciences(Physics, Biology, Chemistry, there are some others I think), Group 5, Mathematics, Group 6, Arts and Electives(Mine are of the following: Visual Arts, Film, Music Theory, Psychology, 2nd Science, 2nd Language). Then there is a TOK, Theory of Knowledge, basically a philosophy class almost. Then you have to the degree requirements: CAS(Creativity, Action, Service), it is 150 hours of volunteer work kind of and an Extended Essay which is a 4000 word paper. Your classes have two groups: Higher Level and Standard Level(HL and SL). In HL classes, you have to do an Internal Assesment, 2000 word research essay for each HL class. Your tests are longer in HL and you go more in-depth in certain topics. SL is easer compared to your HL classes, but they are still difficult. What makes IB hard, it’s not really the work is that difficult, but the punt you receive, plus having to do CAS hours on the side, do research for you papers, and any extracurriculars you have. You’re busy all the time and IB is a commitment lasting from your junior to the the end of senior year. The Humanities classes are way more in depth then AP I’ve heard and the Sciences are about the same, but you do a lot of labs because they send in your lab reports. Math, you have a choice in HL, SL, and Math Studies, some schools offer Further Maths, but is ridiculous. You do learn to be very organized and you have to lose your procrastination tendencies if you want to go to sleep before 12. You will write tons of essays and have to think critically, and analyze a lot. I think I answered your question. </p>
<p>Colleges:</p>
<p>So colleges don’t recognize IB as well as they should. You have to score a 6-7 on you IB tests to receive credit usually which really sucks. But, past graduates at school are doing very successfully in college because IB prepared them very well for it. And that’s what IB is supposed to do, prepare you for college.</p>
<p>Why don’t you just read the wikipedia page?</p>
<p>One thing to note is IB is not very friendly to very advance students. My son took chemistry honors as a freshman. He was not allow to take IB chemistry HL as a sophomore. He needs to wait until his junior year.</p>
<p>Also he wanted to take IB French SL as a sophomore but he could not, He has to wait until his junior year. So my son is taking AP French as a sophomore instead.</p>
<p>You could just skip a grade. >.></p>
<p>Also I know people who take AP exams in the 8th and 9th grade. The most popular exam is calculus. </p>
<p>For IB everything must be done in the 11th and 12th grade. </p>
<p>For AP its by ability regardless of age. This is not true for IB.</p>
<p>You can just skip to 11th and 12th grade. >.></p>
<p>Many IB schools teach IB courses to their 9th and 10th graders. They just don’t count for the diploma.</p>
<p>Do they teach HL classes in the 9th or 10th grade? If yes are they allowed to take the corresponding HL tests in the 9th or 10th grade?</p>
<p>Pre-DP no.</p>
<p>MrQWERTY ^^ no! IB is specifically for juniors and seniors to prepare them for college and the tests basically determine whether or not you receive the diploma. You kid could possibly talk to the counselor or whoever helps with schedules and see if during freshman/sophomore year they can do dual credit or AP because with taking the tests I would rather have what I learned fresh on my mind versus 2 years ago or something like that. I have a friend who is probably like your son with math. She just does the assignments really fast or tests and then does some other homework until we start on something else. They make IB for people that are well rounded, you can be excellent in say history, but if you science skills are absolutely terrible, then you will suffer (grade-wise). Oops! IB is getting to me, I can’t write a short post.</p>
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<p>Please remember here that Google and Wikipedia are your friends.</p>
<p>[International</a> Baccalaureate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Baccalaureate]International”>International Baccalaureate - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Kaeroze,</p>
<p>As shown by my other posts I like flexibility. With AP students can take an AP class when its appropriate for them. With the IB diploma student they must do the more advance HL classes during their senior year. IB Diploma students can only take the HL exams during their senior year. My issue with this is that all students are not created equal. There are many students ready to do advance work earlier than the senior year. I have seen students do AP work from the 8th grade to the 12th grade.</p>
<p>One obvious example of the advantage of doing things earlier is calculus and physics because physics is calculus. Because my son finish Calculus AB in the 9th grade he is doing very well in his honor physics class. My son’s physics teacher noted in my son’s grade report that my son is doing very well because of his excellent math abilities.</p>
<p>AP students can also be very well rounded. My son will finish 8 AP exams by his junior year. The exams he will finish by his junior year are</p>
<p>Calculus AB
Calculus BC
The two Physics C exams
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
computer Science
French</p>
<p>Also finishing advance course work by the junior year is important for apply to college. While AP/IB exams are not required for most colleges it is important for highly selective schools like the Ivy league schools. The highly selective schools will take AP/IB exams into consideration. The problem with IB Diploma students is that their advance course work and exams is done in the senior year. The highly selective schools will be unable to see the students performance on the IB HL exams.</p>
<p>If my son gets at least all 4s on his 8 AP exams he will be consider an AP national scholar. Less than 1% of all AP students are AP national scholars. AP national scholar is considered an academic honor in college common application.</p>
<p>@MrQWERTY I understand for your sons case that doing all those advanced courses at his age is fantastic, it really is. But when I look at your sons schedule, I see many math based classes and a language, maybe it required or he actually enjoys it. When I sad well rounded, I meant IB is best for students that do well in all four core plus a foreign language. It’s really hard to do well in IB if you are terrible in English, because IB emphasizes essays and critical thinking. I’m sure ap does that too but in IB, you depended on how well you do in every subject with the required IA’s, CAS hours, 3/4 HL and 2/3 SL classes and making a 4+, and your EE. AP doesn’t require that, it sometimes doesn’t even require a class to pass the AP test. <em>I went off topic kind of, sorry</em> And yes IB does require you to take advanced classes even if you aren’t ready, but nothing actually prepares you for IB, it’s very different. It’s taken at a world view verses a western POV. And you do have some flexibility in IB, you can choose your classes, but you’re suck with those classes for two years which does suck in a way. But on the other hand, if you’re truely interested inthe subjects, then you have the ability to go way more in-depth then AP. Both AP and IB have there pros and cons, and it also depends on the type of person you are. I am more of a well rounded person, I do better in English and Math but science and history are right behind them and my foreign language is catching up, so IB is a better fit for me. Your son is a math whiz, so him taking many math based classes are more ideal for him seeing that those are his obvious strengths and wants to show them off to colleges. <em>thumbs up</em> Me doing activities and programs that show I’m pretty good at all subjects is what I want to show off. (UIL in Literary Criticism and maybe Biology/science? And IB, and music awards<em>all-region and solo and ensemble</em> etc.) and you are right about the HL exams and colleges not seeing what I will receive, so I am planning on taking some subject tests and maybe an AP exam or two for corresponding IB classes if I think it’s doable. And then there is always placement testing in college(Spanish Definitely!)</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/252205-ib-vs-ap-one-would-win-admission-officer-heart-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/252205-ib-vs-ap-one-would-win-admission-officer-heart-2.html</a></p>
<p>Read post #28 by Marian.</p>
<p>It talks about some disadvantages with IB.</p>
<p>I actually knew about all those disadvantages, but some of the ones named aren’t present for majority of the people at my school. And the way my school is set up, all my electives fit in during the school day, I’m just limited to two electives. And I will admit, I am having difficulty in finding Creativity. But in my state, if I graduate with the IB diploma, I automatically receive 24 hours of credit. For advanced students, yes IB doesn’t help you.</p>