How helpful is IB for college?

[nagemnoodle]

I'm beginning to wonder how helpful is IB when it comes into getting into college. I'm so worried right now that my gpa is going to drop tremendously because of the bad grades i'm accumulating and I wonder if IB is really worth it. Do college even take the rigorous IB program into account anymore? There's just so much competition nowadays I feel like i'm not gonna make it.

[Nicole]

I guess that really depends on where you're planning to go to university. Going to the UK or Australia, IB can be vital to getting you into university. With a good IB score you don't need the SATs, and it can be easier to score sufficiently well on the IB than the SATs. But if you're going to a US school (which I guess is more likely for you), then it's not so important. You need your SATs to get in and the IB has no bearing on that. But it[i] can[/i] give you college credit so you could skip certain required classes in uni.

At the same time, IB isn't just about the grades. Apparently (I'm still in the IB so I don't know yet) it prepares you for university a lot better than a 'normal' education does. Everyone says that the first year of uni is a breeze after the IB, because you've already learnt time management, independent study etc. So maybe that makes up for all the stress we go through?

It sucks that your grades are falling, but doesn't your school give IB classes higher weighting? In my school, IB Honors courses (first year HL and second year SL) are given one 'group' higher (equivalent of roughly .33 I think), and Advanced courses (second year HL) are given two 'groups' higher (=.66). If so, that should negate some of the drop in GPA, right? And universities don't only work off grades, but your essays and recommendations and everything. So maybe a really good application could help offset the fall as well?

[IBStuck]

it really does depend on where you go to uni. i graduated from IB last year and i am done with my first semester at uni, and IB has helped me a lot. it helped me a little to get into my uni, but my ACTs, GPA, ECs, and such had more effect than IB did. IB did help me skip some some gen ed courses that i now don't have to take, so i am actually a semster ahead at my university. it also helped me for getting scholarships with my uni.

my GPA wasn't effected to bad coz they weighted IB courses at my hight school. they were weighted by one point. so if i had a B in a class in my GPA it looked like i had an A, for example.

once you start uni IB has helped too. you know how to study already and how to manage your time. you don't have to learn these things your first semester or year at college like some students have too. college life will not be a schock to you, which helps a lot with adjusting to a new lifestyle.

IB has really helped me in my opinion. like with getting into a uni in the US IB really didn't do too much for me, but now that i am here eveyrthign i have learned has really payed off.

where were you interested in going to?

[The Economist]

At my country IB is extremely helpful if you want to get into a university at another country. Almost 80% of the students her,e prefer the Greek universities (even though they are not really good). The only you can get out of the country is if either you find your way all alone(ask people, search the internet etc.) or if you go to the IB. Otherwise you are stuck here.
So at the end of the day , IB is our ONLY way out, if we are interested in getting a higher level of education

[godofib]

In canada, IB is quite useful and you can get into almost any university with IB except for a few selected programs as long as you do fine in IB. Also, CAS will help a lot since you will be forced to be involved in extra-curricular activities which look good on your uni application.

[DeStijl]

Right now, as I'm registering for my first-year university courses, I'm kind of bowing down to IB. Something I thought I'd [i]never[/i] do.

In Canada, you can use your IB marks as equivalencies to some first-year courses. Because I'm applying for both pharmacy and business school next spring, I have an enormous courseload without sufficient time to fit in all of my electives or even first-semester chemistry. So, I sent in a request for my English HL and Chemistry SL marks to be used. This way, I don't have to take English, and I can skip right ahead to second-semester chem in the winter. Plus, my respective 6 and 5 has already given me a 3.83 GPA. Not too shabby!

On a different note, I feel extremely prepared for university because of IB. The workload in high school was so heavy, so I almost feel like first-year university courses might even be easier.

[IBS09]

Since you're also from the US, I assume you're thinking about IB vs. AP when getting into American universities. In terms of getting into college, AP does the same thing as IB in terms of college recognition as long as you take about 3-4 per year in junior and senior year, despite AP not having the extra requirements (IAs, EE, CAS). However, IMO IB classes are a lot more like college classes in terms of workload and structure (more discussions). It's like a liberal arts college in high school. So, to sum it up: AP helps you get in college. IB helps you IN college.

If you're considering going international, though: take IB. It is the INTERNATIONAL Bacclaureate, after all.

[Sandwich]

[quote name='IBS09' date='Jul 26, 2009 - 03:43' timestamp='1248576208' post='53317']If you're considering going international, though: take IB. It is the INTERNATIONAL Bacclaureate, after all.
[/quote]

Although the IB is no more useful than any other random qualification when it comes to going to certain countries. For instance, if you want to study in the US, the IB doesn't mean squat and you still have to sit your SATs and other random additional exams. IMO this undermines the internationality of the IB, because in some countries you still have to take their exams anyway!

Pet peeve *kicks the IB*

[sweetnsimple786]

[quote name='Sandwich' date='Jul 26, 2009 - 05:17' timestamp='1248603471' post='53359']
[quote name='IBS09' date='Jul 26, 2009 - 03:43' timestamp='1248576208' post='53317']If you're considering going international, though: take IB. It is the INTERNATIONAL Bacclaureate, after all.
[/quote]

Although the IB is no more useful than any other random qualification when it comes to going to certain countries. For instance, if you want to study in the US, the IB doesn't mean squat and you still have to sit your SATs and other random additional exams. IMO this undermines the internationality of the IB, because in some countries you still have to take their exams anyway!

Pet peeve *kicks the IB*
[/quote]


Yeah, that does suck. I hadn't considered that this aspect, this kind of power, was in the hands of admissions officers. o.0
But then if IB or any one factor was IT, then that would be a bit too much pressure, right? Like having a singular test at the end of the year determine if you're going to pass the class. There's no perfect formula for admissions, which keeps me very humble. If I ever get into the school of my choice, I'll know at least some part of it had to do with luck.