I am an EU student studying at an international school and I will be applying to the UK. Upon graduation my school grants me a european high school diploma, which is perfectly sufficient qualification for even top tier UK universities. However I can also take Advanced Placement exams. Will AP exam give me an admission advantage even though I already have a diploma. Please do not answer this from an American perspective as UK universities have different views on AP exams.
There is no such thing as a “european high school diploma”. Are you doing IB? What is the testing system for the school/country you are in? Whether or not APs are useful to you will depend on what system you are in.
If the question is IB vs AP, then APs are IMO easier than getting top scores at HL, but you need to master the curriculum and complete any labs for sciences. It won’t be an advantage, you need to scores 5s. UK schools know HLs> APs. But the good UK schools want a good IBD score. If you are CYA because your IBD score is potentially low, I cannot see it as anything but a distraction from a European school applicant. Mix and match scores may not be acceptable for your target uni.
Maybe op means the EB?
Taking AP exams when you haven’t been following the AP course seems to me just to muddy the waters. Make sure you get the right grades in the right subects in your EB, and you should be fine.
What subject are you interested in studying?
@collegemom3717 yes there is, though you’ve probably just not heard of it. The EB.
you are right, @chzbrgr - forgot all about the EB! (can’t even think when I last knew a student taking it)
The answer to your core question @leo296, is that there is no extra admissions advantage to doing both. The only advantage to taking APs would be if you are more likely to get the scores you need on the AP than on the EB.
As @Sybylla noted, many students find it easier to get a 5 on an AP than a 6 or 7 on an IB, but I don’t know how true that is for the EB. However, APs are a different style of testing and of course have a somewhat different curriculum, so just b/c you hear that they are ‘easier’ does not mean that you will do better. Your school should be able to be helpful on this: how have other students done on APs in your subjects? how likely are you to get the marks required by the unis you are interested in? If you are likely to get what you need within the EB, imo stick with that.