The IB & US universities.

[baecusman]

Ok, so I'm kind of a noob here, so if I mess up, please dont ban me or anything. (cause there are forums where if you make 1 mistake, you're out) Anyways, I just wanted to know how the IB is seen by schools in the states, especially compared to the AP. My school offers both, and before I joined the IB, I fired off some emails asking the age-old IB vs AP question. All of my replies were ambiguous and not very helpful. However, I recently attended a presentation by stanford where the woman talking about Stanford said that if the IB is offered at your school, it is expected that you take it. Why didn't they just come out and say that from the start, and more importantly, if they like the IB, why are top schools so "harsh" when it comes to dolling out IB credit; many top level universities will only accept a 6 or a 7 from a higher level course, if that. Thanks.

[Caitlin]

Hey, sorry nobody's replied to this thread yet. And don't worry; we're not gonna kick you out just for asking a question.

It's a tough one, because only the universities themselves can really provide answers. As far as I know, IB doesn't give you any particular advantage when applying to US universities. I think it makes it slightly easier to get in if you're coming from overseas, but otherwise they don't really care which system you came through. As far as getting good marks goes, it's probably to be expected that top universities want you to get a near perfect score. They get thousands and thousands of kids applying every year, so their selection process has to be pretty strict.

The only answer I can really give is that nobody knows for sure. They can't really come out and say that they prefer the IB, because that could cause some backlash from other systems. Sorry for providing more ambiguous answers.

[spaceisland]

Hey there. I was looking for answers on the same topic before, and in Canada, AP and IB are generally put in the same category. We heard the same message about being expected to take IB if the school offers it, we were told that if you went to a school with the program and didn't take advantage of it, they may not even look at your application. There are different ways they sort through applications, and often they'll separate "most demanding course load" piles, which you'd generally want to be in-IB or AP will place you there. Hopefully that was a bit helpful? I'm not an expert on the matter, but good luck!

[icecoldstar]

i cant say for sure for other schools, but in Florida, IB is a big thing. basically if you are in IB and you successfully complete it, it's a 80% guarantee ticket to any Florida unis

[Shorty]

Hey there. I was looking for answers on the same topic before, and in Canada, AP and IB are generally put in the same category. We heard the same message about being expected to take IB if the school offers it, we were told that if you went to a school with the program and didn't take advantage of it, they may not even look at your application. There are different ways they sort through applications, and often they'll separate "most demanding course load" piles, which you'd generally want to be in-IB or AP will place you there. Hopefully that was a bit helpful? I'm not an expert on the matter, but good luck!

I heard something similar to that as well. The universities look at your applications before the other ones if you have 2 or more IB courses.

This is according to my IB coordinator.

[Guest erinederbo]

That's really good to know about Flordia. I am currently a senior in IL and in the IB program and I am looking at schools based on the major I want to go into, creative writing, primarily on the east coast and it seems like many only offer credit if you score from a 6-7. I am looking into what schools that meet my major criteria offer the most IB credit (ibo.org?) but I was wondering (regardless if it has my "major" or not) what you all think, other then Flordia Unviesitys, are good universities in offering IB credit. Answering the IB vs. AP question, I think IB prepares you more for college just by the amount of papers and oral presentations we have to do, however when it comes to less stress and more US options for college credit, I'd go with AP.

[Guest kathrin18000]

I heard something similar to that as well. The universities look at your applications before the other ones if you have 2 or more IB courses.

This is according to my IB coordinator.

Dear all,

I have heard that to get the attention of universities of your choice in the USA, it is really helpful if you take one or more courses of interest to you the summer before applying. By really spending time on the campus of the university and getting to know professors and students at the university, they at the same time get to know you. The more you make yourself known and your interest for a particular school, the more likely they will recognize you in your application six months later.

hope this helps

k18

[Guest mar029]

most US universities' dateline are in the early of the year, while we will know whether we re accepted or not around march until may. i am actually taking the 08 may test, it means that my test will not have any effect to my application. Is it right? I have been doing on my application and ready to submit it in count of days.

[Argiyama]

Okay, as Caitlin said earlier, it really depends on the university and type of program you are attending. However, the majority of the university really like IB. IB doesn't gauranteed you a seat in university but it qualify you and "may" give you extra credit, again depending on universities. They take it as an equal foot to AP in most of them. You have to check each university individually but as you say, top university really grant you a university-credit if you get at least a 6 in "HL" subjects. Again, only in HL subjects. And when your school offer it, they want you to take it because this means you want to challenge yourself. IF you are not taking the chance you are offer, then they think you either don't care or don't want to study further than other students. Then they can easily turn your admission down. Remember, they want to pick 100 people out of a big crowd like 100,000 students around the world. You have to stand out by taking your chance and getting a high score (7)

Hope this clear thing up a bit.

[Guest iber2468]

A lot of institutions look at IB kids with a bit of wonder because they know we've been through so much.

If given the choice back in grade ten, I would have taken the AP instead of the IB program, but I think IB pays off in the long run, it just has loads of extra baggages.

[Guest whatever]

It actually depends on the university you are applying to . But generally universities might consider your IB results to give you some credits for university subjects. and they mainly focus on your SAT results and GPA.

I have read this in the IBO website : http://www.ibo.org/country/universities_re...rent_country=US

United States

There is no national ministry or centralized bureaucracy in the USA that controls university admission or placement. Instead' date=' each college or university is responsible for setting its own policies. Therefore, a student interested in post-secondary study in the USA must make direct contact with the college or university he or she would like to attend. One good way to begin is to use this web site. As you examine the IB recognition policies of American colleges and universities, make special note of those institutions that interest you. Using the links available in each policy, explore the college's web site to find information on exactly what the college requires. It is your responsibility to meet all the requirements and deadlines of the specific college or university. In general terms, American colleges and universities require you to submit a written application for admission. You will be required to provide a transcript from your school with your secondary school grades. In addition, you will need to have taken either the Scholastic Aptitude Test or the American College Test . Students whose first language is other than English are often required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language . Advanced Placement and IB exams, while not mandatory, will increase a students chance for securing admission to selective universities. Other web sites may be helpful in answering general and specific questions about the college admissions process in the U.S.A. Consult The National Association of College Admissions Counseling; The College Board and the Higher Ed section of the web site of the European Council of International Schools. For information on financial aid, a good place to begin is FastWeb[/quote']

[Ib_slave]

What are the usual grades for people who get in Ivy League universities? And how about universities like NYU or UCLA?

[deissi]

I know that Law for NYU is 7-7-7 or 7-7-6 at HL. So it's pretty tough... For Ivies I think it's not even about your score (obviously it'll have to be very good, we're talking 40++ here) but about your extracurriculars...

[IBSQUARED]

What's AP?

[CodeRed15]

What's AP?

Michael, AP means Advanced Placement courses. It's similar to IB and prepares you for college.

[Ib_slave]

I know that Law for NYU is 7-7-7 or 7-7-6 at HL. So it's pretty tough... For Ivies I think it's not even about your score (obviously it'll have to be very good, we're talking 40++ here) but about your extracurriculars...

How high should my grades me if I'm aiming for Stern business school at NYU? And what kind of extra-curriculars do US universities look for exactly?

[ezex]

Ok here's something most people don't know:

If you're in IB you don't have space for AP, and if you're in AP you don't have space for IB. So taking both rarely happens. But since our school offers both and gives us more than enough space to take them, I might as well tell you some things about UNITED STATES colleges and IB. I speak from experience when I say that IB teaches about 70% of the material that should be covered in a college class. Now if you were working for admissions at an important Ivy, lets say Hopkins, and you KNOW that even though IB classes are recognized as college classes, they're not covering enough material to match a Hopkins class, do you think it would be fine to take the Chemistry credit if you merely passed with a 5? It's true what they say that colleges like IB students because of the workload that we can take, but they definately don't prefer IB over AP. An AP class will teach you the class as if you were in college, while the IB class will prepare you to retake the class when you get to college. So when colleges look at an IB student they might say "Oh look, this guy can definately survive in our school, but of course he's just prepared to start and we'll let him come and retake the classes he already took so that he can learn them the right way", whereas an towards an AP student they might say something like "He got a 5 in the AP Chem test...we should probably send him a couple of scholarships and a free invitation to see the campus so that he'll consider coming to our school as a sophmore, man let's hope he likes our college".

But of course, if you didnt notice, in both cases the chances of getting into college are big and it's always better to have gone through either one if you're aiming for an Ivy school. In the end one program prepares you for the workload and the other for the material. Some people might be able to manage their time at college because of IB but fail every test because the material is harder. And some might get 100% in all the tests but fail the class because they couldn't finish some papers on time. In the end what matters is that you accept the fact that there's not a perfect WAY to get to college, you just have to try your hardest...and IB is definately a way to start.

As far as the extra currics go, what Ivys wanna see is that you're human. Will you come out and go iceskating on the river when it freezes over in winter? Or will you just be one of those bookworms who stays inside his dorm 24/7? Can you contribute to our comunity by being a leader, or playing us a song on your guitar, or organizing a BBQ? Can you do all that AND have the brains to pass the classes? If so then welcome to Harvard.

[IBStuck]

Ezex said a lot of stuff that is true, but i do want to point out that you can take IB and AP courses at the sqme time. if you high schol is set up on a strict block schedualing then you can take both courses. almost everyone in the high school that i went to in FL took an AP and IB in every coutrse (unlike the IB school that i went to in missouri), but you have to take the APs on the alternitive day that it is offered coz they usually conflict with IB. you need to show leadership in clubs as well. it is better to have a leadership position (i.e. prez or secratery) in 2 clubs than to be a member of 10 clubs. they unis just wnat to see that you can manage you tme, and are well rounded. but that doesn't secure you a spot in the school. you have to score well on your ACT/SAT I & 2, and have a good GPA. if you don't have a GPA then you need to contact the uni and expalin thta situation. http://www.ibsurvival.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1508 this explain the GPA situation more.

UF has a very high respect for IB. everyone in IB that i know down in FL applies to that school.

good luck to all.

[ezex]

Ezex said a lot of stuff that is true, but i do want to point out that you can take IB and AP courses at the sqme time. if you high schol is set up on a strict block schedualing then you can take both courses. almost everyone in the high school that i went to in FL took an AP and IB in every coutrse (unlike the IB school that i went to in missouri), but you have to take the APs on the alternitive day that it is offered coz they usually conflict with IB. you need to show leadership in clubs as well. it is better to have a leadership position (i.e. prez or secratery) in 2 clubs than to be a member of 10 clubs. they unis just wnat to see that you can manage you tme, and are well rounded. but that doesn't secure you a spot in the school. you have to score well on your ACT/SAT I & 2, and have a good GPA. if you don't have a GPA then you need to contact the uni and expalin thta situation. http://www.ibsurvival.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1508 this explain the GPA situation more.

UF has a very high respect for IB. everyone in IB that i know down in FL applies to that school.

good luck to all.

Of course you can take both at the same time! But that doesn't happen in too many IB schools around the world, only in the ones around here in Florida (I don't understand why it's always in Florida). In our school most juniors took the basic classes, IB english HL, IB history HL, IB math (SL and studies), IB Chem, physics, or bio (all SL except for bio), IB language, and their IB electives. But that only covers 6 classes, and our schedules have 8 classes seperated into 4 a day. Those 2 others were for us to freely do what we wanted. I took AP Calc BC and instead of IB language I took AP Spanish. But a lot of other kids took other APs. So ya of course its possible to take both, but unfortunately not many schools have such a big schedule, or sometimes no money for both programs (our school is only 4 years old and it's the biggest school in the state so the gov. gave it enough money to buy anything that was needed).

[IBStuck]

Of course you can take both at the same time! But that doesn't happen in too many IB schools around the world, only in the ones around here in Florida (I don't understand why it's always in Florida). In our school most juniors took the basic classes, IB english HL, IB history HL, IB math (SL and studies), IB Chem, physics, or bio (all SL except for bio), IB language, and their IB electives. But that only covers 6 classes, and our schedules have 8 classes seperated into 4 a day. Those 2 others were for us to freely do what we wanted. I took AP Calc BC and instead of IB language I took AP Spanish. But a lot of other kids took other APs. So ya of course its possible to take both, but unfortunately not many schools have such a big schedule, or sometimes no money for both programs (our school is only 4 years old and it's the biggest school in the state so the gov. gave it enough money to buy anything that was needed).

ok i thought that you were saying that t wasn't possible. coz i went to DBHS for just over 2 years and all my classes were IB/AP classes. it was expected that you took them, but when i moved to MO it wasn't possible... in the end i was happy wth that.. i din't have to worry about the APs