paradoxical

Daughter completed Full IB Diploma and took AP exams in the same subjects, plus AP European History. Except for IB Theory of Knowledge and IB History of the Americas the AP and IB classes are together. This is a very large public, non-selective H.S. with a large minority population. Several hundred students take AP tests, while 15-20 complete the IB Diploma program. Historically about 80% of the full Diploma candidates get the IB Diploma.

Because the IB Core (Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Action, Service) is taken very seriously, the Diploma Program is better preparation for college level work. The students get a one-on-one mentoring experience with the EE supervisor, they learn strategic learning--how to think and learn for themselves--in TOK, and they learn how to create and execute a project that solves a problem in CAS and document it. Most educated adults learn these skills in college, graduate school, and on-the-job.

The IB test scores are generally lower than the AP scores, but the IB kids get more acceptances at highly selective colleges. Through shared suffering and learning to respect each other's abilities--the kids who are great at art help the math whizzes and vice-versa--they become friends and stay in touch with each other. They aren't necessarily the strongest students academically, but they are strong in spirit and develop incredible esprit de corps.