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Which program is better IB or AP...(IB is two years and AP is only one).
For you to be able to get the IB diploma you need 3 HL courses and 3 SL courses.

By fe on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 01:31 pm: Edit

its hard to say...
just take ib classes so you can have tok

By IB on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 02:23 pm: Edit

This has been asked so many times already. They're both seen as of the same difficulty level (even though they're not) by colleges in USA. The IB is considered more challenging everywhere else. AP has a better name in USA since it's more widespread, IB is almost unknown.

It also depends on where you want to go, if you want to go to a university outside of USA then take IB (it's more internationally accepted than AP is) and if you want to stay or go to USA then take AP (it's easier thus you'll get a higher mark, and in USA it's seen as the same so you'll be chosen ahead of a few people who are actually smarter than you).

IB: Goes more into depth and into a wider area of knowledge.

AP: Goes more into depth when compared with most regular school curriculums, but still fails to challenge the indepthness of IB.

IB exams are much more difficult to get high marks on than AP exams are. This is known to me because a school that has both programs is actually adjacent to my home.

Here's a site that i found on another thread talking about ib and ap... http://jp.epsb.net/academics/academics.htm

If you look in the description of the courses, you'll see that IB is described as much more into depth and into more areas, while AP is just into depth and just similar to the normal program. Also you need a 75% average in a normal course to get into AP while you need an 80% average in a special course to move on to IB.

You can see the differences.

IB is more challenging, more thinking (in the way that you need to beable to apply your knowledge, analyze and reason both on exams and on lab experiments). AP is just fact based and less hands on, while IB is hands on and fact based.

I would take the IB then take the AP exams when i'm done IB. The curriculums are different so study for both.

You can't take the IB exams without the courses, but i'm pretty sure you can take the AP exams without the courses.

By aa on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 03:35 pm: Edit

what is TOK?
and thanks IB (the user) for all this advices I think I'll lean to the IB program because according to your post I'll have more knowledge and this will help me for the future.
One thing if you get a good grade in the IB do the college revalidates the course so you don't take it in freshmen year?

By fe on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 11:35 pm: Edit

theory of knowledge
good class

By aa on Sunday, February 09, 2003 - 09:21 am: Edit

what is TOK about...philosphy?

By 1 on Sunday, February 09, 2003 - 10:45 am: Edit

It's more than just philosophy, but it does travel into that area a bit. It talks more about the problems with knowledge and how we should not always believe, how the different courses are connected to eachother and such. It talks about how we know what we know, and how we can trust it or not, how to avoid coming off as ignorant in essays, seeing both sides of the spectrum kind of thing. There's more, so just take the course if you're curious.

By Reptile517 (Reptile517) on Saturday, March 01, 2003 - 03:59 pm: Edit

I can't wait for TOK. I take it next year. I agree with the advice of "IB." Generally, taking an AP exam with just the IB course is difficult because the curricula are so different and an AP teacher versus an IB teacher has to teach "towards" very different things. IB is a more wholesome knowledge experience, while AP is just learning/memorizing a couple things and then taking a test. However, AP is more beneficial for applying to schools in the USA.

By Incognito (Incognito) on Saturday, March 01, 2003 - 04:20 pm: Edit

IB = administered by the College Board?...

By Tuannguyen (Tuannguyen) on Saturday, March 01, 2003 - 06:39 pm: Edit

IB is based in Switzerland. It is a non-profit organization originally created for the sons and daughters of diplomats and businessmen who travels the world. The curriculum was designed to be accepted worldwide; and is accepted in universities in more than 110 countries. The curriculum itself hold elements of many of the best academic systems, yet not moulding itself exactly to any; creating a curriculum accepted by even the toughest national standards. This was all done so that the sons and daughters of travellers would not miss out on the "school experience" if they were to travel with their parent.

So no, IB is not part of College Board's grand design.

By Abracadabra (Abracadabra) on Sunday, March 02, 2003 - 03:18 am: Edit

should i believe the IB Coodinator that the IB Dip gives you a better edge at US colleges than the AP courses?

By Tuannguyen (Tuannguyen) on Sunday, March 02, 2003 - 02:20 pm: Edit

I don't think you should believe the IB Coordinator. His views could be biased, just because he's responsible for IB. You should check with the AP Coordinator; you will see that they are also biased. The only way you'll know for sure what a college prefers is to ask the college! Even though IB is generally accepted, it isn't as widespread as AP (some colleges don't even know how to spell International Baccalaureate) and this could create a suspicion towards IB credits.

To make sure, ask the specific colleges you want to get into. In Canada for example, most of the top schools don't recognize AP credit over IB credit, they would choose an IB diploma kid over a student with 10 APs (an example would be Queens and McGill).

By Ljames0209 (Ljames0209) on Friday, April 04, 2003 - 12:33 pm: Edit

I am an IB student in Louisville, Kentucky, preparing to graduate with a full diploma. IB is great: it teaches you how to think "outside the box," how to reason, how to create and develop arguments, and most importantly, it gives you a broad perspective. To say that IB compares to AP is a erroneous misconception. IB will give you the tools to compete with juniors at the university level. If you have the chance, take IB classes. It's more about the experience than anything else.

By Anngold (Anngold) on Wednesday, April 09, 2003 - 09:44 am: Edit

I'm a parent of an IB student, a junior now. We just visited several selective colleges and 3 out of 4 said while both are challenging, they have more respect for the IB diploma then a handful of AP classes. The other college said they value them equally.

By Rowan (Rowan) on Wednesday, April 09, 2003 - 01:46 pm: Edit

So what about the rest of us who can't afford to move somewhere/attend a private school that has the IB option? My school offers only AP. I know that IB diploma candidates could study for the AP tests and end up with both. I'm fairly certain that's impossible to do if you're an AP student looking for IB. Am I wrong?

By Tuannguyen (Tuannguyen) on Wednesday, April 09, 2003 - 07:21 pm: Edit

Anngold, what were those 3 selective schools?

Rowan, you are not wrong. It's impossible to take the IB exams without taking the courses. They simply don't allow you to. For a few reasons actually, IB is hands on work, meaning you will have TONS of lab work, you will have TONS of tests based purely on understanding/reasoning/application of the concepts taught in class, meaning even if you memorize things word by word, you will fail miserably if you don't understand the concept and know how to apply or reason with the concepts. They also send your labs to Switzerland for analysis to see if you're up to the IB standard or not (meaning they will know if your teacher is good or not, and know if you're a good scholar or not; THEY mark it all over again, they don't even consider your teachers marks, except for verification to see if the teacher is marking correctly). You don't get this experience when you self teach, and who's going to mark those labs for you? The teachers have to be examined and be qualified to teach IB for them to be allowed to mark IB. AP is more fact based, i know a whole bunch of people who just read through a few prep books and get a 5 on the exam (easily).

But this is no loss. If you take over 8 AP exams, it should be seen, in the eyes of most colleges, as the same as an IB diploma.

If you like to feel equal to an IB Diploma student take these AP exams (since i know for sure IB diploma students cover them):

AP Statistics
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP Physics C
AP Physics B
AP Biology
AP World History/European History (Choose one)
AP Economics Macro and Micro
AP English Language & Composition
AP English Literature & Composition

*Also have a second language too.

*Do some volunteer work as well (around 180 hours of volunteering, since this is required in the IB diploma, to be seen as equal to IB kids, you should atleast have some volunteer work; plus it's important for college admission these days)

*You can decide not to take one of the sciences, since you "officially" can't take more than 3 HL, since the IB organization is afraid you might get overwhelmed (i know a school that does it anyways, and have a few kids with 5 HL; and they're right, these kids probably sleeps 2 hours every 24 hours, you can so tell they're tired; a lot of these kids end up in Harvard, and it's like a vacation compared to HS).

*I know it seems a lot, but that's why the IB diploma is so advanced, because it covers all this stuff. And that's why it's a two year program, cause it covers all this stuff.

This is the stuff i know for sure the IB kids at my school HAVE TO take to get the diploma, missing even one can mean you don't get the diploma.

Some REALLY smart kids actually squeeze in IB music and arts, or computers or something; i envy those kids, i don't have the time for that stuff, my schedule is FILLED (and i mean it).

Just take a few APs a year and soon you'll finish off what is required to challenge an IB diploma kid. Just take 4 APs every year for 3 years. Or 3 APs for 4 years. I have a few friends who live too far away from an IB school, and does this.

By Tuannguyen (Tuannguyen) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 01:17 am: Edit

Just in case you've been wondering:

IB MATH would cover everything that is covered in:

AP Statistics
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC


IB PHYSICS would cover everything that is covered in:

AP Physics C
AP Physics B


IB ENGLISH would cover everything that is covered in:

AP English Language & Composition
AP English Literature & Composition


IB Social Studies(could be called something else at your school i guess) would cover everything that is covered in:

AP World History/European History (Choose one)
AP Economics Macro and Micro


Most simple of them all:

AP BIO = IB BIO
AP CHEM = IB CHEM

By Anngold (Anngold) on Thursday, April 10, 2003 - 10:44 am: Edit

Tuan - The three selective schools area: Bowdoin College, Boston College, and Middlebury College.

In Oregon IB is offerred at the PUBLIC high schools.

By Freshman911 (Freshman911) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 06:21 pm: Edit

What does IB stand for? =(

By Freshman911 (Freshman911) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 08:27 pm: Edit

< deleted - multiple post -Admin >

By Bachstrad (Bachstrad) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 03:34 pm: Edit

IB stands for International Baccalaureate. You can look forward to challenge this program if you are aiming for academic excellence and in-depth education. Check out this site; www.ibo.org

By Ca10 (Ca10) on Thursday, April 17, 2003 - 02:24 am: Edit

aa -

In 8th grade, my teacher told us that IB in highschool could get you into almost any college in the country (assuming you do well) - I've heard this from many teachers ... but this teacher was an OLD person so I don't know how much she really knew...

At the high school i was gonna go to, i think they combined AP with IB in the classes... so you took both tests at the end of the year (but im not 100% sure)... sucks that I moved and didnt get to go to the IB school... oh well

By Aatherealone (Aatherealone) on Thursday, May 01, 2003 - 02:24 am: Edit

tanks a lot

By Billy14_007 (Billy14_007) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 08:30 pm: Edit

i got accepted into IB but I am moving before I start. Do I automatically get accepted to the closest one or just to bad?.

By Divingin (Divingin) on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 07:17 am: Edit

umm, just doing IB doesn't guarantee you in anywhere, just like doing AP doesn't guarantee anything either. it's just another course of study- albeit it's much more difficult and indepth than AP is, but it will not push you in or out of a college. i've seen ppl do IB and get into great colleges, i've also seen ppl do IB and get into not so great colleges. it had more to do w/ how the ppl did in IB though for sure (lots of ppl do the IB curric and don't care about the class anyway)