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Perhaps English is your second language and the IB Diploma met your personal needs in your desire to attend a European U. What score did you earn, may I ask? Because, as you must know, just receiving an IB Diploma with a score of 24 or 25 will not get you into Oxford.
IB exam scores are also not given much credit in Colleges and Universities here in the U.S., mostly because IB is not college-level and is only college prep.
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The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is different from other pre-university courses or assessments in that it is a comprehensive, integrated programme that emphasizes international perspectives and fosters the development of skills and attributes to prepare students for university and life.
Colleges and Universities in the U.S. look much more favorably on AP classes and exam scores.
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Another consideration to keep in mind is that the more selective colleges often give college credit only for IB classes taken at the “Higher Level” (“HL” in IB lingo). IB students take three classes at that level and the rest at the Standard Level (“SL”). Some colleges give credit only for IB exam scores of 7 (the top); some for lower scores. Thus, even the most outstanding students may only get college credit in three areas, while AP students could end up with credit in many more subjects, depending on how many AP classes the student takes, how he fares on the exams, and what the college’s credit policy is.
From what I personally know about IB, which is only internet stuff I've read and forums I've visited over the last 8 years or so, AP is still the standard and IB is pretty limited.
Exactly so. I just posted a college dean's perspective. Colleges do not award much credit for IB classes/exams. AP is the way to go for both academic challenge and college credit.
Please explain exactly what part of an outrageously expensive, controversial, divisive, tyrannical, scam of an educational programme "sounds great".
Having been in the program, all of it. The entire experience was great.
The only negative of the program was the extremely heavy backpack on my 5-foot, 100-lb self.
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Originally Posted by InformedConsent
Exactly so. I just posted a college dean's perspective. Colleges do not award much credit for IB classes/exams. AP is the way to go for both academic challenge and college credit.
Which is why (at least in my IB program) we were taking AP classes and AP exams alongside the IB stuff. For stuff like Calculus, we'd take the one class and then take both the AP and IB exams.
I was the kid who could sit in a "normal" class, not pay attention (aka, sew or draw during lectures and such) and maintain straight A's without fail. I didn't even need to try. Having the IB program to challenge me? It was amazing.
Which is why (at least in my IB program) we were taking AP classes and AP exams alongside the IB stuff. For stuff like Calculus, we'd take the one class and then take both the AP and IB exams.
Calculus and what else? The college dean said IB offers only 3 college-level classes. AP offers many more.
Having been in the program, all of it. The entire experience was great.
The only negative of the program was the extremely heavy backpack on my 5-foot, 100-lb self.
Question: Do you think the IB program indoctrinated you politically? Between this thread, and the one in Education that the OP started a few days ago, it's clear the anti-IB crowd believes it does.
I'd love your personal perspective on that if you feel like sharing.
Calculus and what else? The college dean said IB offers only 3 college-level classes. AP offers many more.
My high school was one of the magnet schools for the IB program. I didn't partake in the program myself as I did not qualify, but many of my friends including my wife who I've been in a relationship now for almost 10 years did.
They all took pretty much every AP program they could. Government, calculus, art, chemistry, biology, you name it. If it existed, they took it.
*edit*
And it wasn't because of the lack of stuff for IB program, it was to challenge themselves even further. Well, the ones who were there on their own merit anyways.
Question: Do you think the IB program indoctrinated you politically? Between this thread, and the one in Education that the OP started a few days ago, it's clear the anti-IB crowd believes it does.
I'd love your personal perspective on that.
I don't see how an education track can indoctrinate a person politically.
As far as the material goes, the teachers gave the students room to grow and expand. My favorite English teacher facilitated amazing debates regarding literate like Brave New World, Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men, Dante's Inferno, etc. I can still remember the day that I first walked into her class, a burned wooden sign above the door warned "Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enters Here".
In classes where debates were common (especially our Current Events and Politics/Government classes), all opinions were welcomed and not chastised. However, when it came to classroom debate, opinions had to be backed with facts and figures. The teachers were far from biased in enforcing proper source materials and analysis of statistical data. Heck, my PolGov teacher leaned more towards being conservative (in the true sense).
I'm not sure how things are in other IB schools or tracks, but the version I was in was literally the best learning environment I had ever experienced.
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Originally Posted by InformedConsent
Calculus and what else? The college dean said IB offers only 3 college-level classes. AP offers many more.
Spanish
Japanese
European History
Politics and Government
Statistics
English
Physics
Chemistry
Just to name a few IB classes I took and took the AP exam for.
My high school was one of the magnet schools for the IB program. I didn't partake in the program myself as I did not qualify, but many of my friends including my wife who I've been in a relationship now for almost 10 years did.
They all took pretty much every AP program they could. Government, calculus, art, chemistry, biology, you name it. If it existed, they took it.
*edit*
And it wasn't because of the lack of stuff for IB program, it was to challenge themselves even further. Well, the ones who were there on their own merit anyways.
That's what the college dean said, too. IB isn't recognized as enough of a challenge. Colleges recognize AP classes and exams as more challenging and they award more credit for AP.
I don't see how an education track can indoctrinate a person politically.
As far as the material goes, the teachers gave the students room to grow and expand. My favorite English teacher facilitated amazing debates regarding literate like Brave New World, Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men, Dante's Inferno, etc. I can still remember the day that I first walked into her class, a burned wooden sign above the door warned "Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enters Here".
In classes where debates were common (especially our Current Events and Politics/Government classes), all opinions were welcomed and not chastised. However, when it came to classroom debate, opinions had to be backed with facts and figures. The teachers were far from biased in enforcing proper source materials and analysis of statistical data. Heck, my PolGov teacher leaned more towards being conservative (in the true sense).
Thanks for sharing that. (I'd have LOVED to have been in your English class. My kind of teacher. ) I expressed the opinion that that's exactly the education we should give our children over on the Education IB thread.
I got called a few choice names (I think Commie was tossed into the mix), and my patriotism was questioned. (Which just exposed the ignorance of some posters since I've made my love for my country clear on more than one thread.)
Good to hear you had such a positive experience. Sounds like a GREAT education to me. Lucky you!!
I don't see how an education track can indoctrinate a person politically.
An emphasis on social and global justice is a political position.
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As far as the material goes, the teachers gave the students room to grow and expand. My favorite English teacher facilitated amazing debates regarding literate like Brave New World, Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men, Dante's Inferno,
Hmmm... My kids read those in Junior High, 7th and 8th grades.
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Spanish
Japanese
European History
Politics and Government
Statistics
English
Physics
Chemistry
Just to name a few IB classes I took and took the AP exam for.
You'd have to take the AP exams in those subjects if you want any college credit. Colleges don't award credit for that many IB classes (only 3 IB classes, according to the college dean).
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) I expressed the opinion that that's exactly the education we should give our children over on the Education IB thread.