Swinter

At my school honors, AP, and IB are all given the same GPA boost. :/

I'm in MYP right now, as are a lot of other freshmen who probably will not be in IB by second semester of junior year. At my school they really try to push us into MYP/IB but I feel they don't explain to us what we're getting ourselves into.

Kaeroze

Wow then I'm sorry. My school, AP gets 10 points as we dont have honors. Whats MYP? And the reason why is because they don't want to scare you off. Plus they are focused on the committed people in the program, the juniors and definitely the seniors. And what freshman/sophomore wants to hear about a 4,000 word essay(Extended essay), 6-7 AP and higher like classes(TOK doesn't really count except for the essay) for two years, 150 CAS hours, 3-5 hours of hw every night about, and any extraneous EC's. It's sounds and is a daunting experience. You have one more year to decide to get into IB. It's all or nothing.

Swinter

MYP is the Middle Years Program, the program that leads into the Diploma Program. It's for freshmen and sophomores. In any case, it's all IB.

Yeah, when I found out about IB I did all kinds of research and reading about the extended essay, theory of knowledge class, and CAS hours really made me apprehensive about joining IB. I'm starting to think it'd be less daunting to just take a bunch of AP classes. Of course, I'd still get a lot of homework but I wouldn't have to worry about the extra stuff. Plus, at my school a lot of kids do the whole half and half thing. Because we have both IB and AP, our classes are called IB/AP Chemistry. They put the kids in the same class.

Kaeroze

See at my school MYP=IS or International Scholar. And I can bderstand with the sciences going either AP or IB, they're ALMOST the same. But the humanities are way better. I don't understand why you would go half way? It looks like to me you just don't want to commit(I'm not judging, is just how I would see it.) but I can understand not wanting to go IB too. IB is worth it, but it's worth so much of yourself. And the CAS hours are fun! And the EE, I'm starting it kinda, is really interesting. Go to IBSurvival.com for IB students and their discussions over IB. I thinking of doing a Spanish EE in category 1 which is language. So I think, IB makes you think at a different level and experience more.

IceQube

It's not all or nothing. You can opt to take certain IB courses without going for the whole diploma.

Kaeroze

Yes, I understand at some schools, they allow that. But at others, they don't do that, so it is "all or nothing."

Swinter

@Kaeroze You're right, I don't want to commit. I'm so confused on what to do and I feel like I've no idea what I'm getting myself into and I don't want to be in so deep that I can't get out.

Kaeroze

Well, you have another year to decide. I got into IB without really knowing what it required except it was hard and required a lot of time. Now I'm so glad I'm in it. IB students become like a family since you follow each other to different classes and you know each other so well. We complain about the same things and try to encourage each other. We are all going through the same thing and as much as most of us want it easy with AP(lol AP is considered easy), and we all have thought about getting out. And many will who want an easier Senoir year. I can't tell you what to do since you know what is best for yourself. If you manage to catch an IB Student(Running joke) and ask about whether to get in or not the following replies will happen, "NO! DO NOT DO IT! Its really hard and you have no life." or "Do it, it's worth it in the end." So definitely opposites. I don't think you can be ready for either AP and definitely IB because you won't have to experience or classes to prepare you, not really. So just think about, talk to other people and decide what you want to do. You are free to ask me any questions. And you can always get out, but I guess it doesn't look good. :|

rokr32

@Kaeroze, i'm a junior also... still a lot of things to go through in the IB :P

And i'm amazed that your school gives 15 points for IB Classes. My schools gives 5 points for only HL classes.... Yep, i know, my school sucks.

Kaeroze

Lol we can get through this together!! I'm going through the process of discussing EE's and I wanted to do a Group 2(Spanish) and my teacher basically told me I couldn't because I wasn't a native speaker. I'm going to try again though and yeah IB gets 15 and AP/Dual-Credit get 10. They really want you in IB, plus of how hard the GPA gets hit in IB.

rokr32

you're so lucky that you get +15 points.

I was in the process of trying to do a math EE but my teacher said I shouldn't because what I wanted to do had Calculus as the hardest math and so I wouldn't do really well in it... So, i had to go to History

And yea, we can get through this together! the journey will be long and hard but i'm hoping it'll be worth it in the end.

Kaeroze

That's nice. At our school you can do it over any subject as long as youre taking the class and it is a class at the school. And that really sucks, I am trying to talk to my Spanish teacher again about Group 2 EE, since you aren't supposed to be super fluent. It's about the journey of learning it and stuff. And why coukdnt you do a Math EE? What's your History EE over? I haven't even started.

mapletree7

Here's the breakdown between AP and IB science/math courses:

1. The combination of AP BC Calculus and AP Statistics covers more than IB Math HL. IB Further Math covers more than the combination, though.
2. AP Physics C is a much harder course (and is more focused) than IB Physics HL. The IB course doesn't go into very much depth and doesn't use calculus.
3. IB Biology covers far more than AP Biology.
4. AP Chemistry covers slightly less than IB Chemistry HL.

As many of you have said, in general the IB humanities are vastly superior to the AP ones. A lot of this has to do with the fact that AP courses last one year whereas IB courses last two.

Jphu8414

At my school the AP Math and Science are better, but IB History, Literature, and Language are better
But you can't really go wrong with either in my opinion

superstarlala

I disagree. I'm in 4 IB classes and sorta hate them all