I'm planning to take full IB courses next year but the workload seems unrealistic to me. At my school, IB is significantly more difficult than AP and PSEO yet the payoff is potentially the same as the above listed. I'm thinking of switching to AP or PSEO. I'd rather get as much college credit as possible than be overwhelmingly prepared for college. What do you fellow forumers think I should do?

Yeah, IB is hard but the broad education might come in handy in the end. Knowledge is never wasted. But if you are not willing to put in the extra work, then I would recommend against it.

To be honest, I'm planning on going to college in the United States. And since IB isn't favored over AP, I really don't see the point other than overpreparing.

AP all the way. Everyone I know in IB programs say that all they do is study and do homework. Meanwhile I took AP classes, had less work and stress, and got into the same caliber colleges they did.

I'm pretty convinced that IB isn't worth it and am planning on switching out. But whether to AP or PSEO, I'm unsure.

AICE?

My school doesn't offer that program.

I'm thinking of taking PSEO which is literally going to a college and taking college courses alongside college students. But it might be too late for me to sign up.

I would recommend AP over PSEO.

Mainly because AP classes are offered at your school, you would take it with your fellow classmates, and I think it would be a better learning environment.

But, PSEO would be good for getting the feel of college.

I don't have a problem leaving my social life behind for my future. The main reason why I'm leaning towards PSEO is because you'd get college credit for your grades instead of passing an exam.

Do AP. Classes don't have overwhelming amounts of homework and the payoff is the same.

So is PSEO just going to a local community college and taking certain classes? From what I've heard, it's a joke compared to ap.

I'd go for AP. Take all the tests you can, too. The more classes you can get out of the way in high school, for next to nothing money wise, is just the more classes you won't have to pay an arm and a leg for at university.

I actually have multiple college choices, but since I'm late in registering, my options are severely limited. I actually wanted to go to a university but it's already past the deadline so I don't think I'll be accepted. Ideally, you could enter college as a sophomore in either programs.

I did the IB myself, went to a school offering both IB and AP, and I have to say all the work was quite worth it - more than simply receiving a grade, I feel I got a lot more out of the IB program than I would have from separate AP classes alone (the theory of knowledge course was particularly enlightening.) Of course, I ended up attending a British university instead of an American one, so it depends on what you're looking for: the IB has a broad curriculum with quite an intense workload, including several lengthy essays and projects that need to meet strict requirements, and this certainly made the transition to university-level assignments much easier for me. But if you're looking more for college credit, then maybe one of the other programs is the way to go. Just my two cents, but looking back on it the IB was the best choice I could have made not just for getting into college but also for expanding my horizons.

Funny, one of my IB friends told me the exact same thing today. I originally took IB because my teacher gave me the strong impression I could get a full scholarship. After researching, that seems pretty unrealistic for me. It just irks me that IB students aren't rewarded any more than AP or PSEO students.

I'm doing AP and it's all good. So yeah, I can recommend AP though my friend who takes IB seems much happier. :shrug:

It's different in Canada (my school only offered AP, but a different one offered IB) but I would go with AP. It was literally the same course load as regular courses but with on project for bonus percentage. I don't know how much that matters in the States but it wouldn't have mattered if I took regular or AP courses because I got into university fine.

In IB at my school, you could take AP and IB exams for the chance of getting college credit. In AP, you can only take AP exams. But if I'm doing full IB, I'd be required to join a couple school clubs/sports, volunteer, and write an extended essay. All of that sounds overwhelming and unnecessary. It sounds like they're trying to forcefully mold you into the perfect student. But for now I'm going to try and get into PSEO. If that's not possible, I'll probably stick with IB mainly because I would able to take AP exams as well albeit at the cost of doing much more and harder work.

Who knew class decision would be so difficult. :confused:

You won't regret the extra stuff. In fact, its the extra-curricular stuff that makes the whole experience worth its while, in my opinion. With the exception of the extended essay, I tried to tailor my high school experience along the same lines as the IB programme - I thought it gave me the best grounding and broadest education possible as well as the LIFE EXPERIENCE that comes with it. You learn how to get along with people and interact as a group in club/sports, you learn how to deal with situations right out of your comfort zone doing volunteer work and it is these experiences that will stick with you your entire life. High school will be one of the happiest times in your life. Once you finish, that's it. Your diverse group of peers no long congregate, you are no longer a part of a whole. From there on in, you are a lone wolf. You go to college/uni, you go to work, you have kids (or not) and then you die.

Think of it this way, everyone can do AP classes but not everyone can boast that they've done an IB. You will be one of the select few, you will stand out and it will look spectacular on your resume. Personally, I think the extra work is worth it. Getting to college is just the end of the journey - its how you get there that counts.

Realistically, I would say go for whichever program gives you the best possible start in university: if you get the same amount of credit regardless if it's IB or AP, then it may be harder to justify the time commitment, even though the IB could be a more fulfilling course overall. It also depends on your school and the teachers offering the classes - so take the one which suits your style. If you can get better grades from the AP with a lighter workload, why not? University is where your real learning begins anyway, at least as far as your career is concerned (which is the whole reason to go to university in the first place.)

The IB requirements are pretty steep, but not impossible, and like I said it really does prepare you for the stuff you'll eventually have to do in university (and later in life.) The extended essay is a fair bit of work and easily the most demanding thing you've written at high school level, but writing it will certainly make you a better essayist (along with all the shorter papers you'll have to do.) The volunteer/extra-curricular stuff was easy, but then again my school was very adamant about students getting involved with sports, charity work, and so on, so it was just a matter of logging what I was already doing. What I most got out of the course, and which remains with me today, is the theory of knowledge stuff - really opened my eyes to the importance of finding reliable sources, finding my own information, and using as many perspectives as possible to interpret the world. That's not something you'll get from an AP course, and of all the things I took from the IB, it's the lesson I cherish the most.

For the record, I only got average grades but even now it still seems very worth it.

Also, it felt very satisfying to complete the program since my headmaster kept trying to convince me that I would never complete it and was just wasting my time... He was very wrong.


I agree with this 100%. It all comes down to what you want your high school experience to be - it only comes around once.

This.

I did IB, although just for certificates, not the full programme. I think IB did the best out of all my high school classes in preparing me for college. Yes, even at an American university. (Although I also spent a semester abroad in England, and yes, IB was fantastic prep for that too.) It's not really all about the college credits and the time commitment--my IB classes taught me to be a much better academic writer, a much better debater, and incredibly useful things like being able to examine a source (for an essay) for its bias and what exactly makes it a good or poor source.

By the way, I certainly didn't get a full scholarship thanks to IB (and I don't know anyone who has, so I'm honestly not sure why your teachers would tell you that), but when I was doing the college interview circuit the moment I mentioned IB, most of the admissions people just about rolled out the red carpet. I certainly didn't get a full scholarship, but the scholarships they were offering suddenly increased in value. So even American universities "value" the IB program in terms of cold hard cash and credits (and yes, I did get college credit for the IB courses I did--but I wound up not taking them up on the offer; preferred to just take the classes), although I'm sure some do more than others.

Still, I can't help but thinking that looking at in cold, tangible terms is a disservice. Yes, IB is quite a lot of work. Yes, it can be difficult, and it will probably kick your butt more than once. But for me, the less tangible, obvious benefits (IE, things other than college credits) it offered were some of the best moments of my education, and I still treasure and use those lessons today.

tl;dr: I firmly believe that I wouldn't be the person I am now without IB. Period.

NEVER overload yourself. i have had a roommate that was a full time student and also had a full time job, and he got too stressed and dropped school all together. my girlfriend also took a lot of classes that are very hard and she has been very stressed (also very grumpy) this whole semester. it's not a good thing to do to yourself. living in stress is never a good idea. it wears out your body and can actually lead to an unhealthy life. I learned that in my personal development class.

Went to see my counselor today and she gave the "each program is different and has it's own merits" speech. So I basically learned nothing. She did tell me that IB will definitely overprepare you for college. But I don't see how that's an effective argument against literally attending an actual university through PSEO. I do like how in IB, there's a much more deeper thought process than memorizing everything.

Hearing how IB has greatly affected some of your lives has really been inspiring. Oddly, all of my friends who took IB said it was extremely difficult yet they don't regret taking it.