International parent here. Part way through the process with some acceptances and waiting to hear from others.
We have been focused on learning about the very complex process of applications for some time but now moving to the actual reality of ‘most likely’ going ‘somewhere’.
My son will have the full IB Diploma and with that I understand varying amount of uni credits depending on the uni … BUT what does this really mean??? Do those students use credits and finish early - can you finish in 3 or 3.5 v 4 yrs? Is this common - Does this make things challenging or mixed up socially and is it better to just take the 4 years? This forum seems to indicate many students have some credit already - so what are they all doing with this… and who helps make those decisions?
Applicability of IB credit to major requirements will depend on the university your son attends, and the major your son chooses there. It will also depend on whether he chooses to use this credit to skip ahead (many students choose to retake the material in college for better understanding, or because they feel that it will help their GPA).
As far as finishing his degree sooner, that may be possible too, but it really depends. He could also stay for the 4 years and use the credit to free up some space in his schedule so that he could take more elective classes (either further depth in his major, or other classes he’s interested in).
Thank you. I will read the link below.
Major: Bio / Bio Chem / Data Science combo … so maybe taking the 4 years will allow more time across both disciplines.
Universities: Very varied and not narrowed down yet. Accepted at: FSU, CSU (loves Colorado), Michigan State and outliers like Lake Forest College and Hofstra. Plus waiting to hear form others.
We swung a very wide net as wasn’t sure what would come back. Mostly RD due to Nov dates clashing with IB final exams in Southern Hemisphere.
So I can see that a score of 5-7 on IB Chemistry gives credit for CHM 1045 and its lab, and I can match that up with the biochem major’s requirements to see that your son could skip ahead to General Chemistry II, for example.
It might be a lot of work if you are comparing a lot of schools, but when your son is down to comparing a few schools and programs at the end of the process, he (or you) can go through all the requirements and make a spreadsheet comparing the different programs… that’s what we did
Then if you’re REALLY down to just the first choice or the top 2 choices, your son (and/or you) can do some more investigation to see if students typically take the credit for these classes and skip ahead, or if they typically retake. You can ask the department for their recommendations, you can look at reddit (a lot of students post about these things there), you can ask students if you attend an admitted students day, etc.
Thank so much. OK we can do that in the future, when the list is more certain.
The final point is interesting to read. Retake or not. I wasn’t sure if retake was possible or it this was a forced credit. Retaking may have a positive influence on GPA which seems very important.
I didn’t even know what GPA was 2 years ago - it’s a not a thing here.
Or if you can get the old final exams of courses that the IB or AP credit allows skipping, try those to check knowledge of the material by the university’s standards. That can allow a more informed decision about whether to retake or move on to the next course.
For IB or AP credit allowed for something that is not an important prerequisite to something else, but is a requirement of some sort, using the credit can allow for extra elective space even if not graduating early.
Retaking can be a personal decision. Taking calculus as an example,
My son chose to use his AP credits to skip ahead as much as possible, and it’s working out for him (good grades, good pace).
He has one friend who chose to retake Calc II, found it boring and tedious, and didn’t get the best grade. (Some also struggle in these classes more than they did with the same material in high school, because at some universities, a lower level “weed out” class can be designed to be tough…)
He has another friend who chose to retake, and it worked out great for that friend (felt he got a better understanding of the material, got a good grade).
The advice from @ucbalumnus is great; often it’s possible to find lots of old exams.
Depends on the context. Often, a student needs to earn only a 2.0 (equivalent to all C grades) to avoid academic probation or dismissal.
But if a major is oversubscribed, there may be a higher minimum to declare or change into the major, or a competitive admission process. Additionally, having at least a 3.0 (equivalent to all B grades) tends to be helpful for applying to jobs at graduation (many employers use a 3.0 GPA screen). For some types of graduate and professional school, a much higher GPA (as close to 4.0, equivalent to all A grades) is necessary to be competitive.
Note that a D grade (barely passing) may earn credit, but not qualify for moving on to the next course. An F grade (fail) earns no credit.
Great advice. As it does feel a it of a gamble to take the credit and hope you’re ready for the next course up and can recall all of the material needed. IB is global of course … but hoping you have covered the relevant material from a classroom on the other side of world feels risky and could backfire…
Also, just thinking about these majors… is there any possibility your son is considering going to medical school? If so, medical schools might not recognize the IB credit as fulfilling requirements. That could add another complication to the decision making.
Sure, but it’s not JUST about getting into college… I would hope that most students taking IB / AP classes are also getting the benefit of a good high school education, preparing them well for college. That’s important too
State schools tend to be more generous than elite private schools in accepting those credits. Getting them allows for a lighter load per year, early graduation, or the completion of a masters degree within the undergraduate timeline, for example.
One distinct advantage on many campuses IMO is that housing and class registration depends on seniority and this has to do with how many completed credits you have, not your enrollment/graduation year.
I had one graduate a year early, one get a 5 year masters in 4 1/2, and I believe my current junior could’ve graduated a year early but is taking extra classes for her intended career (to prep for exams needed). Another had two classes second semester senior year, one was PE.
Be selective with what you choose to transfer. For example, Econ, APUSH or Spanish would not have fulfilled any requirements for S23s major and he felt it was better to cover the gen ed requirements through the interdisciplinary honors classes. Whereas CALC and CHEM clear up 2 classes required in his major. This would allow him to add two electives needed toward his minor. I’m not sure how it would have worked if he was not in Honors. You can look up the course map for his major and figure out how you can best apply his credits. He can also talk to his advisor when signing up for classes at orientation. You have to be strategic, as once you reach 60 credits your tuition goes up (differential tuition).
If you are going to be part of the honors program and transfer in 30+ credits, make sure to look at the Track 2 option.
If an AP counts towards a major and the major is selective, then sometime the AP/IB credit will be taken as an A in the GPA calculation, so this can work to your benefit. Some schools (usually state ones where getting as many people through as possible is a priority) won’t allow retaking. And if APs get you out of general ed reqts, some students will consider that a good thing if they are clear about their major and want to spend more time on those courses (or on research or a second major).
Generally speaking retaking tends to be something you hear about at tippy top competitive schools where people fear they might not be as good as other students. It’s not something my kids at state schools (whether highly competitive or less so) ever considered.
And coming from the Southern Hemisphere, you might well find that graduating at Christmas after 3.5 years is good for starting a job in your home country.
In at least one situation of this type (NCSU engineering secondary admission), a grade is assigned to AP or IB credit based on the AP or IB score (i.e. not necessarily an A).
For some of the more competitive engineering majors, taking the non-A grade from an AP score other than 5 could be detrimental in secondary admission.
I was thinking of UCSC where a 5 in Physics C is needed to count for S23’s Astrophysics major, but then it is treated as an A. Otherwise you need to retake the college course.
Does NCSU allow retakes? If you submit AP scores for credit (eg Calc AB/BC), UCSC doesn’t allow retakes of the equivalent course.
