which to take: IB or AP

<p>international baccalaureate or advanced placement which will look betteron a university application?</p>

<p>IMO, IB does... but I do AP/CC because that's all thats offered.</p>

<p>I'm taking both - my school calls many of the classes "IB/AP", meaning that the students are in either program (or both programs). Even for the courses that are "only" IB, however, I'm going to take the AP test, too.</p>

<p>IB Diploma if you're doing IB. If you're not getting the diploma, I would say APs.</p>

<p>Woohoo the most infamous question for a student that goes to a school with IB/AP.</p>

<p>I have to decide that for next year also.</p>

<p>Let's see... I would say IB if you want to go to a university.
First, in IB you can still sit for AP exams if your school allows you too.
Next, Universities like to see well-roundedness in subjects according to my counselor.
IB shows you can handle a variety of subjects well because you have to take pretty much all IB courses for two years, while AP you don't have to.
In AP, you can take courses that interest you or that you are strong in.
It shows that you already know what you want to go into for the future, so specific colleges prefer that over IB.</p>

<p>So, do you know what you want to do yet or are you looking for well-roundedness and want a University.
It's up to you.</p>

<p>I'd say IB is better.</p>

<p>make sure you test well then, because AP you can rack up a lot more college credit.</p>

<p>thanks for your answers. im leaning towards ib now</p>

<p>wow your school must be pretty rich or extremely well funded to be able to offer both programs, you are lucky you have that option</p>

<p>I would say AP if you're starting now. IB is a little dumb (or at least in my area) in that you absolutely have to take the classes your junior and senior years. There are many many freshman and sophomores who are ready to take Calc BC or AP level sciences, but in their IB school can't. It's a little restrictive. And you can only take the six (or so?) IB classes that they let you. With AP you can take all 34 if you really wanted to. So if you're going to be a junior, do IB.</p>

<p>Also, somewhere (probably somewhere on CC) I read that IB is for hard workers while AP is for people who are naturally smart. Now I don't completely agree with this, but I think I know what the author of the statement meant. IB assigns tons of work throughout the year, and I don't particularly agree with this kind of teaching. AP is a lot more like real college, where you just have a midterm, final, and maybe a term paper making your entire grade. Now, granted, you still have to study and work hard, but you don't have to go through as much crap in AP.</p>

<p>So if you like the college atmosphere, go AP. As far as what looks good on a college application, if you're in IB, you will spend a lot of time working on school, but if you take AP (and you are pretty smart) you can devote an equal amount of time to a research project or something like that and together those will look better. Basically, colleges want to see that you have worked, so if you can put in your all without having someone (like school) tell you, then you can go AP. I guess my response has been ambiguous. Oh well.</p>

<p>IB irritates me, in all honesty. I take it in high school simply because my school is pushing it - since it offers another lab credit, it is nearly impossible to be valedictorian unless you're in IB. That was my sole motivation.</p>

<p>I took an IB/AP class last year, as a sophomore, and I wasn't even allowed to take the IB exam.</p>

<p>My schedule didn't work out and I couldn't take history this year - and because I'm in IB, I have to fulfill the humanities requirement. On top of the state law requirements, this is going to be a struggle - I will probably end up going to summer school (or an approved "correspondence course", as my school calls it) - all because of the IB requirement for humanities.</p>

<p>Also, I hate how the IB won't let you take the higher level test unless you study for both years in junior/senior year. I feel fully capable of taking the Higher Level math this year, but I cannot because I am a junior. Since I am not planning on taking math next year (in order to fit the humanities into my schedule), I have to take Standard Level this year. Bleh.</p>

<p>I dislike IB with a passion. AP is my type of program ... thank goodness I can do both.</p>

<p>zogota, u have freshman and sophmore ready to take calc bc?!?! our school only has calc ab, and you can only take it as a senior... dont talk to me about restrictive lol</p>

<p>My school only offers AP but our rivals which are only a couple miles away offer both. Had I known that I could have transferred just for IB, I would have, but it's too late now.</p>

<p>There was a group of students last year who dropped out of the IB program and they made shirts that said, "I Be and IB drop out." I think if you are committed, then you should take IB because it promotes everything that many colleges look for. But it is hard to get out of the program once you're in it.</p>

<p>Yes, we have some freshman and many sophomores takign calc bc in my school-I was one of them. Lavenderdream's post basically sums up what I think about IB. If you are able to take the tests and do the work before your senior year, you should be able to take the tests, but IB doesn't let you.</p>

<p>I am a IB Diploma student..since my school only offers IB. However, before I moved, my old school was a AP school...I agree with the idea that IB is for hard workers and that you don't have to be particularly smart to do it. But isn't this the same as AP? Even though the test may be the determining factor for your marks, you still have to work hard FOR the test...lol</p>

<p>I think IB is way harder than AP in that there really is too much work. My IB school is WAY more competitive than my AP school. I have to work lots harder in IB than in AP...I dunno, i feel i have made the wrong decision to move since my marks are now all under 90%, whereas in the AP program, they were all 95+%...dunno, if i had the chance to pick again, I would definitely pick AP! Hope that helped! =)</p>

<p>Most schools don't have that choice. It's just AP here. If you can get IB diploma, go for IB, if not, I don't really see the point</p>

<p>my sister went to a different school and got her IB diploma, but she really didnt get many classes exempted and ended up going to a state school(UGA). In all honesty I felt she worked wayy too hard for what she got out of it. Meanwhile, I go to a better school, an AP school at that, and our passing rate on AP tests(4-5) is incredible so more kids get better rewards in college. Ive always felt IB kids are spoiled brats anyway. The T-Shirts they make get to me.</p>

<p>If you have the diploma program, do IB. You can always take the AP tests anyway; much of the material overlaps (for some subjects). Also, some schools offer classes that are both AP and IB in nature.</p>