4 HLs?

[Guest Myriah]

Hi, I'm a sophomore going into the IB DP program next year and I'm still deciding what classes I want to take. I've been thinking about taking two HL sciences because I really enjoy science and because I have the room. I'm also seriously considering becoming a doctor.

The HLs I'm thinking about are:

English HL (required at my school)

Visual Arts HL

Biology HL

Chemistry HL

My SLs will be French and Math.

I was wondering if I would be able to handle this, and still receive high IB examination grades. I have very good grades right now, and I'm two years ahead in math (I'm not taking math HL because I don't want to). Many of my teachers say I can handle it, but I wanted feed back from experienced IB-ers.

[freezy19]

Hi, I'm a sophomore going into the IB DP program next year and I'm still deciding what classes I want to take. I've been thinking about taking two HL sciences because I really enjoy science and because I have the room. I'm also seriously considering becoming a doctor.

The HLs I'm thinking about are:

English HL (required at my school)

Visual Arts HL

Biology HL

Chemistry HL

My SLs will be French and Math.

I was wondering if I would be able to handle this, and still receive high IB examination grades. I have very good grades right now, and I'm two years ahead in math (I'm not taking math HL because I don't want to). Many of my teachers say I can handle it, but I wanted feed back from experienced IB-ers.

I'm doing the same thing you are, with my exams coming up in May. For me its Physics, Math, English, History, at HL, then French and Anthropology at SL.

To answer your question, the HL exams are more difficult, and it will be harder to get the same points as with 3/3, but it is definitely not impossible. You might have a lot more studying and work to do, but nothing that is completely overwhelming (if you don't let it, unlike me sometimes ).

If these are subjects you like, and you want to take at HL, go ahead, your scores should not suffer horribly because of it. Also, if you are applying overseas, check IB requirements, as they sometimes even require certain scores at certain levels for programs (at least in the UK).

Hope this helps, cheers.

[Babydolleyes]

Hi, I'm a sophomore going into the IB DP program next year and I'm still deciding what classes I want to take. I've been thinking about taking two HL sciences because I really enjoy science and because I have the room. I'm also seriously considering becoming a doctor.

The HLs I'm thinking about are:

English HL (required at my school)

Visual Arts HL

Biology HL

Chemistry HL

My SLs will be French and Math.

I was wondering if I would be able to handle this, and still receive high IB examination grades. I have very good grades right now, and I'm two years ahead in math (I'm not taking math HL because I don't want to). Many of my teachers say I can handle it, but I wanted feed back from experienced IB-ers.

Generally speaking, I think taking 4 HL's is a great idea and very impressive. I feel it gives me more opportunities (as I don't know exactly what I wish to do in the future) and I can't imagine having any of my HL's as a SL subject.

However, I think you should consider dropping Visual Arts to SL. From what I have heard the workload is absolute insanity, and you can still build an amazing portfolio doing SL Visual Art. Also, the grading is way too subjective in my opinion and I don't think it's the best idea attempting to deal with that, plus having the two sciences which you need to focus on to be able to get into good medical schools.

Also, aren't you missing a humanities subject? How can you take Visual Art and two sciences?

I think you should just go for the 4 HL's and be prepared to quickly drop one to SL if the workload is too much. Unless you are guaranteed a 7 in the sciences I would seriously consider dropping Art to SL.

[HelenaJade]

I don't suggest that you take both HL chem and bio. I'm in HL chemistry and while I'm really good at it, I wouldn't want ot do that and HL biology, they offer both at my school. And with the amount of memorization required in both I don't think that it would be smart. I also take IB visual arts SLA and I like to think that I do really well in there. But, you have to write. A lot. For each artwork, you need a minimum of 20 IWB pages. Not to mention, you may not be very inspired for a while and it's hard to do a good CONCEPTUAL artwork on something you don't feel; it's also really hard to write as much as you need to. In SLA, we have to submit 12 artworks ( you can submit at least 8 but they grade you really hard) and 30 pages from our IWB. I'm findin it difficult to choose because I have so much and you'd have a lot more in HL. I recommend that you just do 3 HL's.

[freezy19]

Hi, I'm a sophomore going into the IB DP program next year and I'm still deciding what classes I want to take. I've been thinking about taking two HL sciences because I really enjoy science and because I have the room. I'm also seriously considering becoming a doctor.

The HLs I'm thinking about are:

English HL (required at my school)

Visual Arts HL

Biology HL

Chemistry HL

My SLs will be French and Math.

I was wondering if I would be able to handle this, and still receive high IB examination grades. I have very good grades right now, and I'm two years ahead in math (I'm not taking math HL because I don't want to). Many of my teachers say I can handle it, but I wanted feed back from experienced IB-ers.

Generally speaking, I think taking 4 HL's is a great idea and very impressive. I feel it gives me more opportunities (as I don't know exactly what I wish to do in the future) and I can't imagine having any of my HL's as a SL subject.

However, I think you should consider dropping Visual Arts to SL. From what I have heard the workload is absolute insanity, and you can still build an amazing portfolio doing SL Visual Art. Also, the grading is way too subjective in my opinion and I don't think it's the best idea attempting to deal with that, plus having the two sciences which you need to focus on to be able to get into good medical schools.

Also, aren't you missing a humanities subject? How can you take Visual Art and two sciences?

I think you should just go for the 4 HL's and be prepared to quickly drop one to SL if the workload is too much. Unless you are guaranteed a 7 in the sciences I would seriously consider dropping Art to SL.

I don't suggest that you take both HL chem and bio. I'm in HL chemistry and while I'm really good at it, I wouldn't want ot do that and HL biology, they offer both at my school. And with the amount of memorization required in both I don't think that it would be smart. I also take IB visual arts SLA and I like to think that I do really well in there. But, you have to write. A lot. For each artwork, you need a minimum of 20 IWB pages. Not to mention, you may not be very inspired for a while and it's hard to do a good CONCEPTUAL artwork on something you don't feel; it's also really hard to write as much as you need to. In SLA, we have to submit 12 artworks ( you can submit at least 8 but they grade you really hard) and 30 pages from our IWB. I'm findin it difficult to choose because I have so much and you'd have a lot more in HL. I recommend that you just do 3 HL's.

Gonna chime in one more time real quick, just texted my girlfriend, who's in Visual Arts, at HL, and she's saying the same thing. The workload is CRRAAAAZY, more than anything that I do, for HL Math n Physics. I really wasn't that sure before, that's why I asked her, but in retrospect, I'd say the same thing now. Drop arts to SL, or one of the two sciences. But, since you are planning to go into medicine, I think it would be a better choice to keep the sciences, and drop Arts to SL.

Besides, you don't need to decide fully if you are doing HL or SL until, what, november before the exam, iirc? So, yea, see how it goes, but it might be less stressful to take 3 HLs with those subjects.

Also, off topic, babydolleyes, those are some impressive pred. scores

[unicornication]

I have a friend who takes VA @ SL, she gets something like 4-6 hours of homework every lesson! Which is... A lot (to clarify that statement: she's very hardworking, and so it's 4 hours of actual work, LOL (I can spend 4 hours procrastinating away on like 5 math questions aha!)) . I wouldn't take it at HL, it doesn't help in terms of like, a university combo unless you take Math HL or Physics HL as well as Visual Arts HL (for something like architecture.) Bio+Chem HL is manageable, and that's probably all it takes for a doctor (mainly Chem!) IMO, you should probably knock down VA to SL.

Our school actually discourages 4 HL's. I wanted to do 4 HL's, but the process of doing that involved getting my parents to sign and write a letter to the school stating that they are aware of the consequences of not taking the school's advice, and it is highly likely that the student will attain much lower marks on average, and that is not the school's responsibility to explain/account for those lower average grades.

...That sounded pretty intimidating.

So I stuck to 3 HL's, LOL. Now that I'm actually in the IB. I don't think I'd have enough time to take a fourth HL subject, it would simply take up too much time. Then again, certain subjects (like business) at HL aren't that much different from SL, so in those cases I guess it wouldn't be too bad taking 4 HL's.

Mandatory English HL? That's sounds scary.

Edited January 27, 2013 by unicornication

[freezy19]

I have a friend who takes VA @ SL, she gets something like 4-6 hours of homework every lesson! Which is... A lot (to clarify that statement: she's very hardworking, and so it's 4 hours of actual work, LOL (I can spend 4 hours procrastinating away on like 5 math questions aha!)) . I wouldn't take it at HL, it doesn't help in terms of like, a university combo unless you take Math HL or Physics HL as well as Visual Arts HL (for something like architecture.) Bio+Chem HL is manageable, and that's probably all it takes for a doctor (mainly Chem!) IMO, you should probably knock down VA to SL.

Our school actually discourages 4 HL's. I wanted to do 4 HL's, but the process of doing that involved getting my parents to sign and write a letter to the school stating that they are aware of the consequences of not taking the school's advice, and it is highly likely that the student will attain much lower marks on average, and that is not the school's responsibility to explain/account for those lower average grades.

...That sounded pretty intimidating.

So I stuck to 3 HL's, LOL. Now that I'm actually in the IB. I don't think I'd have enough time to take a fourth HL subject, it would simply take up too much time. Then again, certain subjects (like business) at HL aren't that much different from SL, so in those cases I guess it wouldn't be too bad taking 4 HL's.

Mandatory English HL? That's sounds scary.

Waitwhat! You got to choose all your HLs??!!! I had 2 already mandatory ones given by the school (History and English) which is why I took 2 more (Math and Physics)... If I hadn't had the two mandatory ones, I probably would've taken 3/3 as well ... >_<

4 HLs is far from impossible, as long as they aren't all high workload ones... History is extremely low workload, so is English really. Math and Physics aren't bad, definitely still better than Bio and Chem, and the most workload, actually, I've found are VA, Film, Theater... All my friends who are doing those are CONSTANTLY busy with projects, reports, etc...

So, just pick your HLs and SLs wisely, but don't shy away from 4/2, would be my final opinion.

(Btw, that is a pretty legit resume man.. I'm applied for a CS & SE major at all my schools, and I'm a bit jealous of those credentials Cheers to you tho!)

[susanne]

while it's allowed to take 4HLs, I think that it's not a good idea unless you're 100% sure that you can handle this;

I would probably say drop visual art HL to a SL to take pressure off you, but if you really want to do it at HL for whatever reason, think through your decision and make sure that you're not regretting it