Is IB worth it at BCC if my kids have EU citizenship?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My kids are dual citizens (US, European country). They prefer APs. We're not fans of the IB - it's too restrictive. We're also targeting universities that accept APs (UK, Canada and US). You need to research universities to see whether there is one where having an IB is an advantage over having APs.

Yes, this year there are more drugs at BCC than at WJ and WW (the other two schools we know about). It does not mean there will more drugs there by the time your kids enroll, because we know some of the, er, kids involved, and some of them are about to graduate. Drug culture is very local and fluid. In a few years, it could another MCPS school.

Advantages of BCC over WJ and WW: it has fewer advanced classes available than WJ and WW. American universities judge students partly on whether they've pushed themselves to take the most advanced courses at their school. They actually receive a one-pager from school counselors of courses offered, as well as demographic data. Therefore the bar to stand out is slightly higher at WJ and WW. Big fish in little pond scenario. Also, it's in a real downtown, which is nicer in my opinion than either being encircled by multi-lane highways + Wildwood shopping center, or dead Whitman suburbia. There is slightly more socio-economic diversity.

Disavantages to BCC over WJ and WW: it seems some core and AP teachers at BCC aren't that great. On the other hand, I've never heard similar criticism from parents at WJ and WW.
Currently, there is that BCC drug issue. And there are fewer advanced options, particularly in post-AP math (works both as pro and con). The student body is a little less focused on academics than the other two (which again, can be a pro or a con).

Conclusion: I don't think you can go wrong with any of these schools, OP. Pick the neighborhood you FIND A HOUSE IN. That can be quite difficult!

Speaking to the "most rigorous course load" point above on college applications, can you get that check mark at BCC without doing IB?

You could take as many APs and individual IB classes as possible. However the writing styles and exams are very different, so the student will have to adjust accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That a parent can come on here and claim with any real authority or knowledge that there are more drugs at one suburban high school than another is laughable. Absolutely laughable. You have absolutely no way of knowing that.

It's my opinion, and it's well-founded, because we know lots of families at these three schools - the ones at WJ and WW have never stepped into a drug exchange or seen anyone behaving suspiciously in any bathroom, whereas the one at BCC have. It's all anecdotal, but after nearly a entire school year of this... the anecdotes are piling up. Since this drug thing at BCC came to light, DCUM posters have insisted that drugs are everywhere equally. Not quite. What you should say is that a small coterie of dealers and users could suddenly proliferate at any school, in any period. Right now, it's BCC.

This is why drugs at BCC don't bother me that much.

But I do think data is important.

When I was at a W it was well known that Whitman had the most drugs. BCC however was never known for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My kids are dual citizens (US, European country). They prefer APs. We're not fans of the IB - it's too restrictive. We're also targeting universities that accept APs (UK, Canada and US). You need to research universities to see whether there is one where having an IB is an advantage over having APs.

Yes, this year there are more drugs at BCC than at WJ and WW (the other two schools we know about). It does not mean there will more drugs there by the time your kids enroll, because we know some of the, er, kids involved, and some of them are about to graduate. Drug culture is very local and fluid. In a few years, it could another MCPS school.

Advantages of BCC over WJ and WW: it has fewer advanced classes available than WJ and WW. American universities judge students partly on whether they've pushed themselves to take the most advanced courses at their school. They actually receive a one-pager from school counselors of courses offered, as well as demographic data. Therefore the bar to stand out is slightly higher at WJ and WW. Big fish in little pond scenario. Also, it's in a real downtown, which is nicer in my opinion than either being encircled by multi-lane highways + Wildwood shopping center, or dead Whitman suburbia. There is slightly more socio-economic diversity.

Disavantages to BCC over WJ and WW: it seems some core and AP teachers at BCC aren't that great. On the other hand, I've never heard similar criticism from parents at WJ and WW.
Currently, there is that BCC drug issue. And there are fewer advanced options, particularly in post-AP math (works both as pro and con). The student body is a little less focused on academics than the other two (which again, can be a pro or a con).

Conclusion: I don't think you can go wrong with any of these schools, OP. Pick the neighborhood you FIND A HOUSE IN. That can be quite difficult!

Speaking to the "most rigorous course load" point above on college applications, can you get that check mark at BCC without doing IB?

DP.. if BCC allows a student to take an IB class without being in the IB diploma program, then yes, on the college app, there is a place to mark AP or IB designation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BCC parent here: your kids don't need to do the IB program to be eligible for schools in Europe, although I'm sure it can help. Most kids who do the program aren't doing it for that reason. IB is academically rigorous and very well-regarded, but it emphasizes a specific model of learning and is not a great fit for all kids across the board. So be prepared that if you choose BCC, it's possible that your kids won't necessarily want to go the IB route.

BCC is a terrific school, so is Whitman. There's a trope that Pyle is somehow 'better' than Westland (or Silver Creek, which is the second feeder MS for BCC.) I've never heard anyone articulate how or why. My kids have had very good educational and social experiences, with widely diverse friend groups by every measure and (for the older one) very successful college outcome. I don't know how much of this would be different if they had gone to a different MS or HS.

Can you say more about what type of student the IB model is good for? -NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you. So, have an IB diploma is not necessary for American HS students to apply to EU colleges?

Also, I read in the article that many BCC students are scared to go to the bathroom all day, due to all the drug use at school...I have not heard that about Whitman.

I heard that Pyle is super organized and very strong academically.

Pyle is enormous and overcrowded. I would choose Westland or Silver Creek over it for that reason alone.

[Anonymous]

UK universities, at least, have set equivalencies for A-level scores, equating them to AP or IB exam scores.

So the full IB diploma wouldn’t be necessary, as long as you could piece together the required AP/IB exam scores to apply for a specific program of study. But the diploma would certainly help demonstrate the student’s depth of knowledge and their writing capabilities. Depending on the program, that could be important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UK universities, at least, have set equivalencies for A-level scores, equating them to AP or IB exam scores.

So the full IB diploma wouldn’t be necessary, as long as you could piece together the required AP/IB exam scores to apply for a specific program of study. But the diploma would certainly help demonstrate the student’s depth of knowledge and their writing capabilities. Depending on the program, that could be important.

You say this with such authority and yet you are wrong. The UK universities do expect an IB diploma if you're taking IB classes. There is no where in Europe that teaches IB that would expect anything less than the diploma being achieved. It is a major factor.

However, you can take AP classes and exams. Cambridge would expect 5 grade 5 AP exams for entry plus SAT / ACT testing and a high GPA, other universities might accept 3 AP exams at grade 5 and others even lower, I know York St. John's college expect 3 AP grades at 3 or better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you. So, have an IB diploma is not necessary for American HS students to apply to EU colleges?

Also, I read in the article that many BCC students are scared to go to the bathroom all day, due to all the drug use at school...I have not heard that about Whitman.

I heard that Pyle is super organized and very strong academically.

This got to be a troll post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pyle and Whitman have a large percentage of European kids. Not sure if that is the case at Westland/BCC. Not sure if it matters. My kids go to Whitman and I don’t get the sense drug culture is as pervasive as BCC.

Huh??
You must be a new transplant to the county .
No one beats Churchill and Whitman in that category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UK universities, at least, have set equivalencies for A-level scores, equating them to AP or IB exam scores.

So the full IB diploma wouldn’t be necessary, as long as you could piece together the required AP/IB exam scores to apply for a specific program of study. But the diploma would certainly help demonstrate the student’s depth of knowledge and their writing capabilities. Depending on the program, that could be important.

You say this with such authority and yet you are wrong. The UK universities do expect an IB diploma if you're taking IB classes. There is no where in Europe that teaches IB that would expect anything less than the diploma being achieved. It is a major factor.

However, you can take AP classes and exams. Cambridge would expect 5 grade 5 AP exams for entry plus SAT / ACT testing and a high GPA, other universities might accept 3 AP exams at grade 5 and others even lower, I know York St. John's college expect 3 AP grades at 3 or better.

DC is a dual citizen with US/UK, and an IB diploma grad. We looked into Cambridge, and they require 42 points, I think, for the IB diploma. Max score is 45.

Also, DC may be a dual citizen but they've never lived in the UK, so they'd have to pay foreign tuition costs.

Don't know about EU unis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That a parent can come on here and claim with any real authority or knowledge that there are more drugs at one suburban high school than another is laughable. Absolutely laughable. You have absolutely no way of knowing that.

It's my opinion, and it's well-founded, because we know lots of families at these three schools - the ones at WJ and WW have never stepped into a drug exchange or seen anyone behaving suspiciously in any bathroom, whereas the one at BCC have. It's all anecdotal, but after nearly a entire school year of this... the anecdotes are piling up. Since this drug thing at BCC came to light, DCUM posters have insisted that drugs are everywhere equally. Not quite. What you should say is that a small coterie of dealers and users could suddenly proliferate at any school, in any period. Right now, it's BCC.

This is why drugs at BCC don't bother me that much.

But I do think data is important.

I don't think you have kids in MCPS .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you. So, have an IB diploma is not necessary for American HS students to apply to EU colleges?

Also, I read in the article that many BCC students are scared to go to the bathroom all day, due to all the drug use at school...I have not heard that about Whitman.

I heard that Pyle is super organized and very strong academically.

This got to be a troll post

OP here - no, I am not a troll, why do you say that?

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks everyone for the feedback. So it seems, we need to look into the College we want our kid to go to, to get the necessary requirements. We have no clue yet though, he is just entering MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure EU citizenship is relevant to completing the IB. I believe EU citizenship means your child can study at any public university in an EU country for the same tuition cost as their own citizens. I don’t know whether most good universities are public or private. It may well vary from country to country.

They would obviously have to meet the admission requirements which would vary from place to place. The IB should be accepted anywhere. However, many universities accept other qualifications like the SAT or ACT or APs. In fact, they may even require certain APs to be completed for particular courses. Eg. If child is applying for an undergraduate engineering degree. They probably have to have completed certain math and physics APs. You need to establish what the admission requirements are.

I know someone whose child went to another EU country to study. They applied as an international student, despite the EU citizenship, as it was a hard university to get into and the likelihood of being admitted as a (high fee paying) international students was higher.

Nope, that’s not correct, like in the US, herring resident tuition depends on your residency, not your citizenship. You we’ll be paying the expensive overseas tuition rate if you live in the US regardless of your nationality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UK universities, at least, have set equivalencies for A-level scores, equating them to AP or IB exam scores.

So the full IB diploma wouldn’t be necessary, as long as you could piece together the required AP/IB exam scores to apply for a specific program of study. But the diploma would certainly help demonstrate the student’s depth of knowledge and their writing capabilities. Depending on the program, that could be important.

You say this with such authority and yet you are wrong. The UK universities do expect an IB diploma if you're taking IB classes. There is no where in Europe that teaches IB that would expect anything less than the diploma being achieved. It is a major factor.

However, you can take AP classes and exams. Cambridge would expect 5 grade 5 AP exams for entry plus SAT / ACT testing and a high GPA, other universities might accept 3 AP exams at grade 5 and others even lower, I know York St. John's college expect 3 AP grades at 3 or better.

I didn’t see anything in the requirements I looked at, but we’re at the beginning of this process, so thanks for the authoritative correction. Would be useful to know where the info on this might be found. Mine plans to get the diploma no matter what, but if you’re so certain about this, there must be more information we’re missing.