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There's really no such thing as partial IB. You do IB for the diploma. You can't take IB exams unless you're going for the full diploma. The "partial IB" you speak of would be no different than taking AP classes.
There's no inherent advantage to taking an IB class over an AP class (just for the class). They both count for college credit.
Some schools do have "partial IB" as it is seperated into 2 strands. You have to take all IB strands to be full. For example the math & sciences are one strand. My daughters school does have partial IB. If you drop the one strand you can still stay in the other half for IB. Your non IB classes would most likely be AP. Most of the kids at her school end up doing partial.
Some schools do have "partial IB" as it is seperated into 2 strands. You have to take all IB strands to be full. For example the math & sciences are one strand. My daughters school does have partial IB. If you drop the one strand you can still stay in the other half for IB. Your non IB classes would most likely be AP. Most of the kids at her school end up doing partial.
again, this isn't real IB. This is just a way to take IB classes, which are really no different than AP classes. The whole purpose of doing IB is to get the IB diploma. If you're not seeking the IB diploma, there's no point in taking the IB classes.
I took full IB at Garland, took some IB and some AP exams and got a ton of credits at UT going in. I'm not the biggest genius in the world and was able to do football and baseball, NHS, Beta Club, and AV club, and I had a newspaper route. It wasn't nearly as impossible as some here have made it out to be. Yes, you have to study. Yes, you have to spend some time. But its not like this was some surprise. It was just a natural continuation from Austin Academy's "Enriched" Honor program. I agree about the bond. I went to school with the same kids from 4th(when Garland started the program), 5th and 6th grade and on. Even throughout college.
There was no "strand" or any "real" IB. Basically there were AP classes and IB classes. Simply if you took all of the IB classes you were an IB diploma candidate. If you took some AP and some IB, the IB classes were simply being taken for the exam credit. I took AP classes that simply weren't available as IB classes. AP seemed more like an extension of the "honors" program and more analogous to "lower division" classes in college, while the IB stuff was more like the "upper division" or major oriented classes one takes in their later years of college.
It makes for a much more flexible schedule (which allowed me to dedicate more time toward the PSAT, helping me get National Merit).
Now THAT is something to shoot for! I was National Merit as well, and I'm about to graduate debt free. OU, Arizona State, an University of Florida give (almost) full rides for National Merit and treat you like gold. Other universities give substantial scholarships as well. A lot of people don't know about, and since your child seems to be pretty smart, look into it!
Sorry to get off topic!
As far as AP or IB goes, I will say one thing--don't go overboard. It's great to get as many credits as you can, and it has allowed me to double major without staying any extra time, but don't forget that college is a great place for getting college credit too! In fact, my GPA might have benefited from the easy A a lot of those courses would have provided.
I've seen too many of my own peers (and my younger siblings) get way too stressed out after taking 6-8 AP classes in one year. I would imagine the same goes for IB.
I think much of the conflict between IB and AP has to do with the school's attitude--
some schools OFFER IB but don't really work that hard to make IB that much different from AP--
some schools REALLY do take the extended essay to heart as well as the hours spent doing community service because they have bought into the philosophy behing IB
some schools bend over backwards to make sure that IB students have extra curricular classes like band, sports, music available to them--which sometimes means a zero hour class--not something that many teachers are willing to do (or students)...I know where I taught the IB students were high percentage of the band/choral groups, and athletics--
I taught regular English at Bell HS in HEB ISD--in Tarrant county--one of the first in north TX to offer an IB curriculum AND to have both high schools in the district offer full IB -- vs one as a magnet school...
Bell has one of the strongest records for students graduating with IB degree--many students wind up taking the AP exams and getting credit there in addition to their IB because frankly the district pays for the test so it does not cost the students anything but time...
most of the IB grads wind up entering college with all their freshman hours and many sophomore credits as well--BUT it does depend on the college you choose--
the AP and the IB curriculums do not mirror one another--much more emphasis on multi-national/ethnic selections and more "worldly" choices for IB curriculum in English--based on what I saw--and some parents/students are not comfortable with that--AND once the IB curriculum is approved it is pretty much set--not lot of room for parents to get "accomodations" to change a reading choice they don't like because it is to controversial/mature...
frankly the 4 yrs of language really denotes the cosmopolitan flavor of the IB curriculum--it is about being a "world" inhabitant but that might not work for all students...
My advice is to avoid IB at all costs. The IB Program(me) is called a program for a reason - it is designed to program children to adopt a "global" perspective and become "global citizens". This is not quality education, it is indoctrination.
I'm sure you've been told IB is "rigorous" while AP focuses on memorization and <gasp> facts. The truth be told, AP courses/exams are college-level while IB is college preparatory. AP has been vetted by the College Board with U.S. universities and its exams are normed against freshmen universitiy courses. IBO, in 40 years, has never bothered to do this sort of quantification of its product. IBO relies on hearsay and rhetoric to sell its product. The IBO is an NGO of UNESCO. Its philosophy is to diminish national pride and sovereignty and promote radical environmentalism, disarmament, and one world government. IB representatives will deny this at every turn, but all you need to do is go to the IBO website and type UNESCO into the search bar.
Furthermore, MOST universities in the U.S. do not award college credit for IB SL exams, while AP is recognized everywhere.
Most important, imho, is your child's development during the emotional and stressful teenage years. May I respectfully suggest that you read these letters on the IB authorization process and from IB parents and peruse the rest of the site for the truth about IB.
frankly that last poster obviously has some issues with the more broad-spectrum material that the IB program uses--and feels threatened by
the only posts made have been negative about the IB program--so would just consider that this person has an agenda for coming to this web site and tracking only IB threads---
IB courses receive college credit at colleges that accept them and the number of colleges accepting IB work is growing
the fact is that most students who take IB courses can and do also take the AP tests for certain courses and get credit for AP as well--I know that in the HS I taught at before retiring--the AP and the IB classes were housed in same room, taught by same teacher and shared part of same curricula--not that way in all schools--just depends on the availability of rooms/staff and scheduling needs...
PLUS IB is the ONLY program that is a world-wide education program and some families who move here from outside the US and anticipate returning to their home country or another foreign location find that IB is the ONLY program for them--admittedly that is a small number of families but in the DFW area there are many who are relocated here for job placement and anticipate moving back after 2-3 years...
Actually, I received an e-mail from City Data forums asking me to come back and post again, so I did. I'm sorry you have a problem with that. My area of expertise is having researched the IB programmes in the United States, in particular the outrageous expense and controversy and divisiveness it causes in districts where it is implemented. I act as a pro bono consultant for parents who, like me, got that feeling that "something isn't quite right" about the IB program.
The original question on this thread was "AP or IB, advice please". I am entitled to have an opinion on the value of both of these educational programs and to politely express it. You are free to agree or disagree. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation being sold about IB and frankly, I've made it my mission to counter-balance it with facts about the organization and its programmes that you won't find on the IBO website.
IB is NOT the only educational program recognized outside of the U.S. In fact, when you perform a search on top universities such as Oxford, (http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/international_students/international_qualifications/index.html - broken link) you will find that it lists AP and SAT/ACT scores for admissions. Your misperception is EXACTLY the sort of "sales pitch" parents seem to fall for when it comes to IB.
AP and IB CANNOT be taught as a "shared" curriculum. It is the IB curriculum which is taught. Students then have the option of taking the AP exam. However, the reverse is not true. IB is a secretive, proprietary curriculum. If you want to see what your children will be taught, you have to purchase the course guide book from the IB Store. All of the AP syllabi are available online for free.
Actually, I received an e-mail from City Data forums asking me to come back and post again, so I did. I'm sorry you have a problem with that. My area of expertise is having researched the IB programmes in the United States, in particular the outrageous expense and controversy and divisiveness it causes in districts where it is implemented. I act as a pro bono consultant for parents who, like me, got that feeling that "something isn't quite right" about the IB program.
The original question on this thread was "AP or IB, advice please". I am entitled to have an opinion on the value of both of these educational programs and to politely express it. You are free to agree or disagree. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation being sold about IB and frankly, I've made it my mission to counter-balance it with facts about the organization and its programmes that you won't find on the IBO website.
IB is NOT the only educational program recognized outside of the U.S. In fact, when you perform a search on top universities such as Oxford, (http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/international_students/international_qualifications/index.html - broken link) you will find that it lists AP and SAT/ACT scores for admissions. Your misperception is EXACTLY the sort of "sales pitch" parents seem to fall for when it comes to IB.
AP and IB CANNOT be taught as a "shared" curriculum. It is the IB curriculum which is taught. Students then have the option of taking the AP exam. However, the reverse is not true. IB is a secretive, proprietary curriculum. If you want to see what your children will be taught, you have to purchase the course guide book from the IB Store. All of the AP syllabi are available online for free.
I call hogwash.
My daughter is in the IB program and I did not have to buy any book whatsoever to see what she is being taught. The teachers, counselors and admin HAPPILY provided us with any and everything the parents have asked for.
The IB program was started so that the children of parents that frequently get transferred to different regions all over the globe could stay "on track" and not lose credits as they transfer from one school to another with each move. The IB program here is the same as the IB program in any other state or country. I could pick my child up and move to Timbucktoo next week and if I put her in a school with the IB program she would not miss a beat at all.
AP on the other hand varies even from school to school even in the same district. The AP program at my daughters school I have found out thru much research is far more advanced than the AP courses at other schools in our district. One of the reasons I have been told is because of the IB kids. Some IB kids "drop down" to partial or they simply do not even start in the IB program but due to the fact they came from a very rigorous middle school academic program they are further ahead than most students. My own daughter has said she wishes there was something in the middle. AP is way too easy and according to her "boring". She can do the IB but it takes more effort than she sometimes wants to put into it.
There are MANY kids out there that are put into AP classes but because they really are not up to it the courses tend to get "watered down". Many of these kids end up not even taking the AP tests and if they do they do not score high enough on them to get the credit for college. When AP gets STANDARDIZED to be the same from one school to the next then it can hold more weight with me, imho. That is my opinion and I am entitled to it. Until then, not all AP courses are equal.
As for your assumption that the IB program is "divisive" - BS! The students at my daughters high school are more open and accepting of others than most schools. They have friends from all walks of life and varied backgrounds. The representation of the kids in the IB program is across the board. Most of them are involved in other activities thru the school be it band, orchestra, athletics, theatre, etc. They are a very fun loving group of kids and the last word I would use to describe any of them is "divisive". There happens to be no controversy in our district either because of a school that provides the IB program.
So you are a "professional" in other words that goes around and bashes a very good academic program.
If you feel so led to really let us all know EXACTLY what is so wrong with the program then go ahead and post it. I'm sure many of us would LOVE to know exactly what is so wrong about it.
FYI, C-D does not email participants and ask them to come and post on threads concerning certain topics. So hogwash on that one as well.
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IB "issues"
