SIM3ON Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 Hello, the subjects listed the below are what I am planning to take for my first year in IB (2019): (The highlighted subjects means I have strongly locked into these subjects) Maths HL Physics HL Economics HL Business & Management HL English Lit SL Mandarin ab-initio I am planning on pursuing a career in engineering/business/computer science (My school doesn't offer CS), and I am also planning on going to a top university but many sources state that B&M is considered a soft subject and will lower my chances of getting accepted. Would I be better off switching my 4HLs to 3 with the addition of chemistry HL instead of Economics HL and B&M HL? Or would English Lit HL benefit me for a business degree? I'm really lost as of now and I have one week to pick my options (But I can still change it in the first 2 weeks of the IB education). I am open to any new suggestions for my subject combinations. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomenclature Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 I'm not sure how Aussie universities do it, but UK and Canadian universities are very forthright in terms of required scores and subjects to gain entrance. Your best bet it to check that. For U.S. schools, it's harder to tell but I don't think it's as big of a deal. In Europe kids typically take a gap year and the expectation is that they know what they want to study, in the U.S. even students in uni sometimes don't know what they want to do. English HL may earn you credit towards your uni degree (but so might other subjects). Who cares if business is a slightly less difficult course? You're already taking 4 HL's, two of which are guaranteed to be a huge amount of work. I really don't think universities look at candidates and say this one took Business and Management, better not admit her. No, they might do that if you haven't taken a specific course that they want, but otherwise no. And your school doesn't offer comp. sci. so don't worry, that's not your fault and something that you can't control. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kw0573 Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 I feel that taking 4 HLs is unnecessary. Economics does not have to be HL because it is not typically a required course to graduate. Similar for computer science. If you are taking econ or comp sci at all then you may be ahead of other applicants. It is a lot different for the math and sciences because almost everyone needs to take a couple of those courses to graduate high school. Therefore there exists a need to take them at HL to differentiate oneself. But from a purely admission cutoff standpoint, Math HL + 2 sciences both at HL is also completely unnecessary, and I am not implying that those are the hardest courses. If B/M is indeed viewed as a soft subject, then there is more pressure on you to do well. Remember just because it is viewed as easy does not mean it is easy for you. ESS is also viewed as easy but barely anyone gets 7s. I mentioned taking Lit HL in a previous response. Literature HL is just a universally useful subject for any major. Even a 5 or 6 shows very strong capabilities in writing and analysis. Although it is somewhat redundant to do both Econ and Literature at HL as there is a lot of writing in both. Over this summer you should look up admission requirements of your universities of choice and ensure that you have met all the prerequisites. An engineering program typically requires two sciences (not necessarily at HL). In summary, if Econ HL is set, I recommend chemistry SL instead of B/M. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIM3ON Posted October 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 Sorry for the late reply So now I am considering taking English HL, but from what I heard, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference between SL and HL, only in quantity of novels to analyze. However, having my HLs consisting of Maths, Physics and English would go to show I am capable of many skills. And for standard levels should I take Chemistry and Economics? I am still thinking about taking two sciences, even though I know it is not necessary, it would give me the upper hand compared to other students (And sleep deprivation). Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kw0573 Posted October 10, 2018 Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 26 minutes ago, SIM3ON said: I am still thinking about taking two sciences, even though I know it is not necessary, It is necessary for some engineering schools, especially competitive ones. Check school's admission page for details. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIM3ON Posted October 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 21 hours ago, kw0573 said: It is necessary for some engineering schools, especially competitive ones. Check school's admission page for details. I have researched on the domestic university I will most likely go to, and the subject requirements for engineering are Maths HL and Physics HL. But also I am not convinced on taking English Lit A HL, as apparently, sources have led me to believe that the difference between Standard and High is mostly to do with the number of novels. Next year changes are coming to the program so I'm not sure if the gap will be significant or not. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kw0573 Posted October 10, 2018 Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 13 minutes ago, SIM3ON said: I have researched on the domestic university I will most likely go to, and the subject requirements for engineering are Maths HL and Physics HL. But also I am not convinced on taking English Lit A HL, as apparently, sources have led me to believe that the difference between Standard and High is mostly to do with the number of novels. Next year changes are coming to the program so I'm not sure if the gap will be significant or not. Unlike Group 4 IAs, the markbands are slightly different at Literature HL and SL. Certainly, the HL student is expect to give better-justified analysis in her work. It probably doesn't make much difference whether you choose Econ or Literature at HL. Just go with whichever you like more. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIM3ON Posted October 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2018 On 10/11/2018 at 11:35 AM, kw0573 said: Unlike Group 4 IAs, the markbands are slightly different at Literature HL and SL. Certainly, the HL student is expect to give better-justified analysis in her work. It probably doesn't make much difference whether you choose Econ or Literature at HL. Just go with whichever you like more. By the way, if I am not confident with my subjects chosen at course selection, I can always change them in the first 2 weeks of the ib program, right? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kw0573 Posted October 12, 2018 Report Share Posted October 12, 2018 10 hours ago, SIM3ON said: By the way, if I am not confident with my subjects chosen at course selection, I can always change them in the first 2 weeks of the ib program, right? The sound about right, but it depends entirely upon how IB is structured at your school. Also the first two weeks may be inaccurate gauge on general difficulty of the courses. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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