Value of ib program

We are always delighted by the number of Old Boys who tell us how well prepared they are for university studies as a result of completing the IB diploma program.

This anecdotal evidence has been validated by a recent study released by the University of British Columbia. It is such studies that convince top Canadian universities such as UBC and University of Toronto to set very reasonable IB point total cut-offs for admission.

Since other countries have different academic systems and pathways to a university education, it can be difficult for students from the US to gain entrance. The international recognition of the IB diploma can help to bridge this gap. Additionally, some universities offer scholarships specifically for IB diploma holders. Finally, aside from college admissions concerns, getting your IB diploma can simply be a very satisfying intellectual experience in its own right.

The IB program is designed not only to provide you with rigorous course content, but also to help you learn how to think, analyze, and critically consider materials in the way that your college will eventually expect.

The independent projects that are part of the IB curriculum can be enjoyable as well. Studying a topic that really moves you can bring out your intellectual best in a way that your daily classwork may not. If you have access to this option, however, it can be a strong addition to your college application profile as well as an aid to your intellectual development.

You can find more advice on whether IB is right for you and handling your IB coursework in these posts from the CollegeVine blog :. You can also visit the official International Baccalaureate website at www. Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free.

Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey. Get Started Now. An introduction to the International Baccalaureate program International Baccalaureate is an overarching organization that administers a number of different educational programs for students ages 3 to In most cases, if you earn a high passing score—for example, a 7 on IB or a 5 on AP—you will get course credit.

But one thing to keep in mind is that while IB higher-level courses are usually accepted by colleges, standard-level IB courses aren't always taken.

In contrast, AP is offered at one level. So if you take three higher-level IB courses and three standard-level IB courses as part of the diploma, you might end up with less credit than you would for the same six AP courses. Furthermore, many colleges have slight variances in credit hours between AP and IB , which could affect your decision between the two programs.

For example, at Stanford, the IB and AP credit lists are mostly the same, with language and math getting the same credit. Some colleges tend to give AP more credit. Meanwhile, other colleges give more credit for IB. The University of Michigan, for instance, generally gives more credit hours for IB classes. The point here is that although AP and IB credit are both widely accepted, there are lots of slight differences in credit policies.

We suggest looking up policies at your target schools since the credit policies can differ. How do you get this info? The university's web page with credit information will often be the first or second result. If a school you're really interested in seems to vastly favor one program over the other, you should take that into consideration when weighing the IB and AP programs.

But odds are that if you look up more than two or three schools, it will end up being a wash, with some schools slightly favoring IB and others favoring AP. Also, keep in mind you only get credit in most cases if you have a 5 or higher on IB exams or a 4 or higher on AP exams. So regardless of whether you opt for AP or IB, remember to focus on doing well and passing your exams! We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service.

We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools , from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Would doing the IB diploma prevent you from a certain extracurricular, such as yearbook, debate, or band?

Are APs and IBs offered as the same class at your school? Are you ready to commit to an IB diploma, or would you prefer the flexibility of AP classes?

These are questions you should consider before signing up for either AP or IB classes. Ask your high school if they have suggested four-year plans for advanced students. This will give you an idea of what your schedule might look like and how it could conflict with any extracurriculars you want to participate in. Does your school have the same or different teachers for AP and IB courses? What are their reputations? The quality of a teacher can make or break your experience in a class. You can ask upperclassmen about their experience in certain classes, or see if there is a way you can look at syllabi from current and past years for AP and IB classes.

You can also ask your guidance counselor about the exam pass rates for different teachers. This can give you a sense of a class's reputation and how many students are successful. We've talked about deciding between AP and IB at the same school. But what if your local high school doesn't offer IB and you're considering switching to a school that does? I had to make this decision myself. My district had three high schools, but only one offered the IB program.

That high school was pretty far away from my neighborhood, but it drew tons of students specifically for the IB program, and a lot of my friends were going there because they wanted to get into good colleges.

I strongly considered going to that high school just so I could do the IB program. I eventually decided to go to my neighborhood high school that offered only APs. Going to the other high school would have involved at least an hour of commuting each day, and it would have strained my family's schedule.

Since I saved time by not commuting, it was actually easier to get involved in after-school extracurriculars like debate and Model United Nations. I was also able to keep taking piano lessons and doing service work—activities I had done since I was little—because my schedule wasn't squeezed by commuting. Furthermore, I was able to take a rigorous schedule of AP classes. I earned leadership positions in my extracurriculars by junior year.

All of this helped me put together competitive college applications. I likely could have done as well at the other high school, but the point is that even without IB, I was able to pursue a rigorous and challenging high school program.

Because I took the most challenging program available at my high school, I didn't hurt my admission chances. In fact, I might have improved them by having more time for extracurriculars.