IB Certificate/Course

[BookHerondale]

I'm honestly terrified knowing that 3/4 universities require the diploma and I'm a certificate/course student. 

My subjects are: Biology HL, Chemistry HL, Math SL, English B HL, World Religions SL, and Arabic B HL 

I want to study pharmacology, medicine or anything health related. Can anyone recommend me universities that accept certificate/course students or you know of anyone that went to universities with the same ambitions as me and was a certificate/course student?

[kw0573]

Well can you do something like English language/lit SL then you'd be a diploma student?

[BookHerondale]

I tried Diploma, but I kept getting 4 on my school report from the beginning of the year and the school recommended that I change to certificate.

[IBPRO]

Hi, what year/grade are you?  A 4 is an acceptable grade for a class; not great but average.  Certainly enough to get you into a university.  

I worked as a university counselor and principal for IB schools for many years: there are literally thousands of schools that will accept certificate/courses students. 

 

Thanks and good luck! 

-Rob

[BookHerondale]

On 5/24/2019 at 5:16 PM, IBPRO said:

Hi, what year/grade are you?  A 4 is an acceptable grade for a class; not great but average.  Certainly enough to get you into a university.  

I worked as a university counselor and principal for IB schools for many years: there are literally thousands of schools that will accept certificate/courses students.  I'm happy to provide a free consultation any time.  My website: IBPRO.CO. 

 

Thanks and good luck! 

-Rob

I'm in going on to my last year, but as you can see I'm a science stream student and would like to study medicine or pharmacology and would want a MINIMUM of 36/42 :

My university counselors told me to do my research and I am trying as hard as I can! I simply can't find universities, I'd appreciate it if you can send me a list of universities I can look at

[kw0573]

Do you get a diploma in addition to IB? You will usually apply through that route and clearly mention your IB certificates. There isn't really a category for IB certificates ONLY. This is why the diploma so valuable, because you are treated separately when you have the IB diploma, but you are just the average applicant when you don't.

[Sandwich]

Unfortunately it may be your school has given you somewhat crappy advice to switch to certificates, instead of helping you improve but stay doing the diploma. Certainly my classmates who were struggling were basically advised to stick with the diploma because it's better to get a worse score in the diploma than to not have one (in the UK). It depends where you want to study at Uni as to whether the certificates will be of much value. I only really know the UK, for which every medical school and more or less most Universities I know of would require the diploma plus XYZ scores at HL for all those kinds of courses. If you look up the UCAS point scoring system you'll see that individual certificates are worth very little in comparison with the full diploma.

So you may be better off looking at the US and Canada where the system is a bit more forgiving.

It's very rare (at least in the UK!) for people to do just certificates and not the full diploma - you're in an unusual situation. My suggestion would be that if you've got specific Universities in mind and you're really keen to go, that you should start off by emailing their admissions departments directly and explaining your situation to see what they say. I mean there's no harm in asking.

Personally I would also try to go back to the diploma if you can. To be honest under the IB's own rules you shouldn't be doing a B level language if you're competent enough to do the rest of your diploma in that language! B is for people acquiring that language with very little experience.

[BookHerondale]

6 hours ago, Sandwich said:

Unfortunately it may be your school has given you somewhat crappy advice to switch to certificates, instead of helping you improve but stay doing the diploma. Certainly my classmates who were struggling were basically advised to stick with the diploma because it's better to get a worse score in the diploma than to not have one (in the UK). It depends where you want to study at Uni as to whether the certificates will be of much value. I only really know the UK, for which every medical school and more or less most Universities I know of would require the diploma plus XYZ scores at HL for all those kinds of courses. If you look up the UCAS point scoring system you'll see that individual certificates are worth very little in comparison with the full diploma.

So you may be better off looking at the US and Canada where the system is a bit more forgiving.

It's very rare (at least in the UK!) for people to do just certificates and not the full diploma - you're in an unusual situation. My suggestion would be that if you've got specific Universities in mind and you're really keen to go, that you should start off by emailing their admissions departments directly and explaining your situation to see what they say. I mean there's no harm in asking.

Personally I would also try to go back to the diploma if you can. To be honest under the IB's own rules you shouldn't be doing a B level language if you're competent enough to do the rest of your diploma in that language! B is for people acquiring that language with very little experience.

Thank you. Right now I'm asking the universities if they will accept my case and I was English A SL and was recommended to change because my predicted grade was going to be a 4 and I couldn't risk that.

[Sandwich]

2 hours ago, BookHerondale said:

Thank you. Right now I'm asking the universities if they will accept my case and I was English A SL and was recommended to change because my predicted grade was going to be a 4 and I couldn't risk that.

Yep I read above, but getting a 4 in one subject isn't so bad in the grand scheme of things (which is: you want to get into a decent University), whereas having no diploma at all is! IMO the balance of badness is definitely the other way. That's part of the 'value' of the IB that it forces you to do certain combinations of subjects and often at least one of those things will not be a strength, that's why getting 45/45 is actually a rare achievement. Anyway, it's up to you! See what the Universities say.

[IBPRO]

On 5/25/2019 at 11:47 AM, BookHerondale said:

I'm in going on to my last year, but as you can see I'm a science stream student and would like to study medicine or pharmacology and would want a MINIMUM of 36/42 :

My university counselors told me to do my research and I am trying as hard as I can! I simply can't find universities, I'd appreciate it if you can send me a list of universities I can look at

Hi, I'd be happy to help out.  If you don't mind, go to my website and book a free consultation with your details, and we can speak this week.  I can give you some support with unis.  I've helped students get into schools around the world, including the UK. 

[fjooiks]

Well can you do something like English language/lit SL then you'd be a diploma student?