IB's not very helpful??

jackwang · March 1, 2008, 7:11am

Since quite a long time ago, some one told me:

[quote]
Since the IB grades don't come in until around July, colleges have no real way of knowing what they will be until they actual arrive. Your predicted IB grades have little to no standing with colleges.

IB really isn't as helpful as you may think it is. What it does show is that you are taking a rigorous and accelerated curriculum that is internationally well-known. Good grades in many HL classes are what helps the most.[\quote]

Do you think it's true?

My concern is, for example, at the beginning of my senior year, my school economics teacher has been changed. The new one is really a joke who doesn't know what IB economics is about, and I'm consistently earning worse grade from her (in junior, I got either a 6 or 7, but now only a 5)....... which is shown on my senior report card (despite minor improvement in other core HL subject areas like physics, for example)...

I feel I wanna contact/fax MIT about this issue, but again, I don't know make myself look paranoid and complaining. All I hope to do is simply "retaliate" by scoring really high on my official May exam, and have it sent to MIT when the diploma result comes in June/July...

However, it all depends on whether or not I'm accepted in the first place..

Can some one help???

al6200 · March 1, 2008, 9:17am

Well, yeah, they can't see AP or IB scores from your senior year. But they will probably be impressed by the fact that you took the classes and did well anyway.

So just try to get the best grades possible, and I wouldn't call MIT to tell them that your teachers are bad (I can't see anything good coming from that).

Wait or you a junior or a senior? If you're a junior, then your IB results will definitly get there in time for review, and if you have a high score on the test and a low score in the class, they'll probably assume that you learned the material but lacked the diligence to bear with HS.

I think a low grade the exam or the class would look bad, but exam would probably be worse.

jackwang · March 1, 2008, 11:12am

thanks for the reply al6200

well, actually, exam grades and class grades are very different in standing. Exam grades are regarded as final and official, which go into my diploma, whereas class grades are simply indicative.

Any way, my point is, since there's no A, B or C in my school system, as my school only has IB, how does MIT rate it? I mean, I am sure MIT knows that the official grades come out like in June or July, but I don't know how much emphasis does MIT place upon my class grades, since I am very sure from my gut feelings that I am going to score better on my finals than some indicative scores I've received from my class.....

BUT, I hope I dont get rejected, in March, simply because of some dips on my "indicative" class report, and then score much better for my final IB diploma in May. That would be really too unfortunate......

Yeah, I am a high school senior, and I've applied already. From what my teacher has predicted, 7s in Maths/Physics HL, 6s in ChemHL, ChineseSL, 5s in EcoSL, EngSL.

But from my latest report (which is too late now to be considered), I have 7s in Maths/Phys/Chem HL, 6s in Chinese SL, and 5s in EcoSL, EngSL.

And from what I can see, I will very likely receive also a 6 or maybe a 7 for my eco in May.....

BTW, Is there such thing as "predicted grades" in American system for college application? I mean, for those AP stuff, do you guys simply take exams earlier than IB students, which allow you people to have official grades in early enough for college application?

jackwang · March 1, 2008, 11:23am

besides my questions in my message above,

my other question would be:
Do american universities also ask for the final IB grades after the exams are taken or they simply take your predicted ones for granted?
I mean, after you have been accepted......(IB exams are in May, but decision comes out in March)

J_adoube · March 1, 2008, 11:33am

I think the last grades they see for admissions are in your mid-year report. Admissions may be granted but all the schools say that it depends on your final high school transcript. AP grades you get quickly but final IB grades take longer.
As long as you pass I wouldn't think they'll rescind your admissions.

Mgccl · March 1, 2008, 2:12pm

I'm preparing for 5 AP tests right now, I'm only taking one AP course, the other ones I can handel without a course.
The reason I'm taking them is because this can show up on college admission(I'm in my junior year).
Then, I will take those AP courses next year and do good on them.
It will make me kinda stand out in the admission(maybe not for MIT..) because most people complete most APs at their senior year.
In your situation, you are with most people, college can predict what you can get on the IB or AP tests with your grades on those courses.

jackwang · March 1, 2008, 2:48pm

thanks for the responses...

However, I don't see that people can actually finish IB program in their junior. Since, IB program is designed to be a two year program, from junior to senior.

Unless you are just taking IB courses but enrolled to become an IB diploma candidate, you are officially not able to take the official exam in May in Junior year.......

templar132 · March 4, 2008, 6:07am

All IB schools have predicted exam scores, or so I figure with the extensive information I've gathered from friends around the world.

And it's true. The IB exam scores won't be sent or notified to the colleges of your choice until after you've been accepted, but the fact that you're taking the IB in itself is (probably?) a great advantage in the applications process. Sure, you're not reeling in 5s and 4s on multiple AP exams, but you're being tested and evaluated in methods most students wouldn't.

Extended Essays. TOK. Internal Assessments. Group IV Project. Oral exams.

All of those are a few of the "advantages" cough of the IB.

...something like that.

jackwang · March 4, 2008, 6:40am

well, templar132,

What I am talking about in this thread is admissions wise though. According to what I heard, IB isn't that much of an advantage compared to AP.

Nevertheless, different schools predict grades differently, some are better, and some are worse. So, I was kind of asking how MIT would treat predicted grades.... Would it take that maybe the applicant may get very upward trend for the final result at the end into account?

oryZa · March 5, 2008, 1:23am

well, last year at my school one of the seniors was a valedictorian, 4.0 uw gpa, full IB, 7s on all SL exams, diploma candidate, would get 7s on all HL exams and would recieve the diploma, and had hella ECs/community service. She did NOT get into mit.

oryZa · March 5, 2008, 1:24am

i think the reason is that colleges like mit know that ib is all about literature and social studies.

if you compare any SL or HL math/science curriculum, the AP "equivalent" is always alot harder and more challenging. in IB all we get is an ubertedious group 4 proj.

t151848p · March 15, 2008, 1:42am

"if you compare any SL or HL math/science curriculum, the AP "equivalent" is always alot harder and more challenging. in IB all we get is an ubertedious group 4 proj."
um i don't really agree oryZa.
I know that the AP Physics C exams are both much more mathematically oriented than the IB Physics HL exams but take a look at Mathematics.
For instance, I'm taking IB Mathematics Further Level right now.
It is by far, one of the hardest mathematics courses to have ever been offered to a high schooler.
We really should give credit to IB for this program.
It entails Number Theory, Graph Theory, Group Theory, Statistics (much more difficult than the AP Stats), Differential Equations, Geometry (Euclidean: Euler's 9 pt circle, Appolonious, Steward's, Ptolemy's theorems...), Series/Sequences, Probability (Bayes theorem, dependent, poisson distribution, etc),etc...
Also the IB Math HL exams are WAY more complex than the AP Calculus exams.
Also one plus point for IB students, is that they can take IB and AP tests while the AP ppl can only do AP.
For instance, though I'm in IB.
I've taken AP Physics C: Mech&E/M, Comp Sci AB, Calc AB&BC with all 5s.
And this is just self-studied material, since my high school doesn't offer any Calculus-based Physics courses or Comp Sci courses. The Calc can be done with IB HL Math knowledge.
Just to say that IB is not all about literature and humanities.
It is only that if you make it that way.

jackwang · March 15, 2008, 4:53am

I agree with t151848,

IB physics HL is not that mathematically oriented, because it lets people who don't take HL or even SL maths, but maths studies, to take it.

Atomicbomb22 · March 15, 2008, 6:02am

Check this out before you make any decision:

<a href="http://phs.provo.edu/%7Elorir/IB/American%20Schools%20IB%20Acceptances.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://phs.provo.edu/~lorir/IB/American%20Schools%20IB%20Acceptances.pdf</a>

I know its a bit old, but it gives some insight on the usefulness of the IB program.

I'm in IB and I think its helped so far in the admissions process, we'll see how it goes later today when I get my MIT decision...

J_adoube · March 15, 2008, 8:32am

Even some of the exclusive private schools in our area have started to implement the IB program. I've seen those statistics that Atomicbomb22 posted and I don't see why they should not be even better 5 years later. By the same token that the SAT/ACT, in a sense, level the playing field all over the country, IB provides sort of a rigorous standard curriculum (core) that universities can count on to compare students when they apply.

system · April 17, 2021, 6:30am

IB's not very helpful??

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