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And a degree from UVA is totally worthless when the person who obtained it is bitter about life. Best of luck to you, you're going to need it.
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<p>I give this statement a "D-" on an "A-" curve.</p>
<p>"And a degree from UVA is totally worthless when the person who obtained it is bitter about life. Best of luck to you, you're going to need it."</p>
<p>How am I bitter about life? I just pointed out how the IB diploma isn't really worth anything substantial. There is no tangible benefit you derive from it, and feeling warm and fuzzy inside about your personal achievements doesn't go very far at all in the real world. </p>
<p><a href="mailto:lol@cav">lol@cav</a>. Speaking of Ds, I do remember getting a 'D' on my extended essay. I guess I should go kill myself now.</p>
<p>The extended essay was evil.</p>
<p>I am comparing my 7 years experience in the MYP/IB programme to sv3a's 2-year IB Diploma programme. So, yes -- deciding in the 5th grade to complete the entire 7 year programme and sticking with it, is an accomplishment to me. Tangible benefit? Does it really matter? We all do many things in life for personal fulfillment.</p>
<p>The elementary, middle years, and Pre IB high school years aren't anything special, at least no more than doing honors or attending a private school. The curriculum just differs based on the IB viewpoint of teaching as opposed to other means of getting an advanced education. The real and complicated stuff happens when the IB Diploma preparation rolls around. I also did Pre-IB, so I guess I could count for four years? </p>
<p>Doing 7 years of work just for personal fulfillment, and making that decision as a child in 5th grade, is a questionable motive. I'm not disputing the benefits of doing the program itself- IB became the hardest core course load my school had to offer, and it has helped me get into UVA as an Echols, which is something I personally consider an achievement, as opposed to simply getting my IB Diploma with a score higher than what most people get. The 'pinnacle' of the IB Programme, the IB Exams and Diploma, as I have said mean very little in terms of actual benefit you get from them.</p>
<p>I would question the amount of fulfillment that can be derived from an academic achievement offered at the baccalaureate level...</p>
<p>"pre-IB" is not part of the IB programme.</p>
<p>You really like to pick and choose don't you?</p>
<p>I think being an Echols Scholar is a honor/award, not an achievement. They choose you to be an Echols based on your h.s. achievements which included your IB Diploma and I'm sure many other things (SAT scores, etc.). You didn't apply, they awarded you and you earned it. I think that is a little different from an achievement. </p>
<p>By the way, why did you not want to apply to a more selective school? Since you are an Echols, you were obviously qualified.</p>
<p>Other schools cost a hell of a lot more and offer just a glimmer of the social life that UVA offers. That about summed up my reasoning.</p>
<p>No, they did not choose me to be an Echols Scholar because of my diploma. I didn't even have the diploma until July, well after I was selected as an Echols scholar and even further after I had applied to UVA ED. The IB Program was simply the more difficult core curriculum in our school, because most of the funding went to that, and then on top of that I took AP and Governor's School courses, both of them other ways to make a course load more challenging. </p>
<p>I would say being in the top 7% of students admitted into UVA (as admissions sees it) is an achievement. Maybe it depends on how you interpret it. And cav sums it up well. Why spend 40K a year wherever when you can get a comparable education at UVA for a much lower cost and a higher quality lifestyle?</p>