Does MIT want IBDP students?

[Anonymous]

God I miss CS AB.

[Anonymous]

My kid’s friend did IB and was accepted to MIT and will be attending in the Fall. He was also top of the class.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

And yet we see questions on here all the time asking if you really need 4 years of foreign languages and the answer is often that you should try. And my DD is an IB DP program and does not need to take an art class. She has enough room in her schedule to take 2 science courses + her math class.

MIT recommends two years of foreign language in high school, so IB is at a disadvantage since it requires four years.

you are implying that taking four years of a language would be a disadvantage applying to MIT?

Check your middle schools, they may teach 1-2 years

I made it clear it’s two years of foreign language in high school.

It’s the opportunity cost, instead of two years of foreign language, one could take stem classes instead.

Plenty of students do both language and stem. What about Humanities at MIT?

Not plenty, a mere handful, as in 50 out of 11000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

And yet we see questions on here all the time asking if you really need 4 years of foreign languages and the answer is often that you should try. And my DD is an IB DP program and does not need to take an art class. She has enough room in her schedule to take 2 science courses + her math class.

MIT recommends two years of foreign language in high school, so IB is at a disadvantage since it requires four years.

you are implying that taking four years of a language would be a disadvantage applying to MIT?

Check your middle schools, they may teach 1-2 years

I made it clear it’s two years of foreign language in high school.

It’s the opportunity cost, instead of two years of foreign language, one could take stem classes instead.

Plenty of students do both language and stem. What about Humanities at MIT?

Not plenty, a mere handful, as in 50 out of 11000.

Are those 50 typically IBDP students or a mix of AP + dual enrollment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s friend did IB and was accepted to MIT and will be attending in the Fall. He was also top of the class.

I’m sure he was accepted, after all IB is so rigorous that MIT is easy by comparison.

Snark aside, sorry, couldn’t help, it may happen, but the odds are not that good and IB is not a good preparation for MIT, not enough stem classes. One math and one science at high level won’t cut it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

And yet we see questions on here all the time asking if you really need 4 years of foreign languages and the answer is often that you should try. And my DD is an IB DP program and does not need to take an art class. She has enough room in her schedule to take 2 science courses + her math class.

MIT recommends two years of foreign language in high school, so IB is at a disadvantage since it requires four years.

you are implying that taking four years of a language would be a disadvantage applying to MIT?

Check your middle schools, they may teach 1-2 years

I made it clear it’s two years of foreign language in high school.

It’s the opportunity cost, instead of two years of foreign language, one could take stem classes instead.

Plenty of students do both language and stem. What about Humanities at MIT?

Not plenty, a mere handful, as in 50 out of 11000.

Are those 50 typically IBDP students or a mix of AP + dual enrollment?

It’s a mix of everything heavily tilted towards AP because AP is the norm in US high schools.

IBDP is not that special. AP also offers the AP Capstone Diploma and nobody is making a huge deal about it even if they are comparable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB has been introduced in low-performing public schools where enrollment in AP courses was either low or nonexistent, at least in FCPS. To earn an IB diploma, a student only needs a C+ grade in six subjects, only two Ds are allowed. However, MIT may be looking for more than just an IB diploma.

If the school was low performing, introducing IB won’t do anything for anyone. In fact, it’s better for those students to take APs because it has a lower barrier of entry, and they might succeed in a few AP classes that match their strengths, but fail miserably in the diploma program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

And yet we see questions on here all the time asking if you really need 4 years of foreign languages and the answer is often that you should try. And my DD is an IB DP program and does not need to take an art class. She has enough room in her schedule to take 2 science courses + her math class.

MIT recommends two years of foreign language in high school, so IB is at a disadvantage since it requires four years.

you are implying that taking four years of a language would be a disadvantage applying to MIT?

Check your middle schools, they may teach 1-2 years

I made it clear it’s two years of foreign language in high school.

It’s the opportunity cost, instead of two years of foreign language, one could take stem classes instead.

Plenty of students do both language and stem. What about Humanities at MIT?

Not plenty, a mere handful, as in 50 out of 11000.

Are those 50 typically IBDP students or a mix of AP + dual enrollment?

IBDP is not that special. AP also offers the AP Capstone Diploma and nobody is making a huge deal about it even if they are comparable.

This. Never understood in what way IBDP is better than taking the equivalent AP classes.

It’s not, and you’re so limited on when and what classes you can take, it’s just not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

And yet we see questions on here all the time asking if you really need 4 years of foreign languages and the answer is often that you should try. And my DD is an IB DP program and does not need to take an art class. She has enough room in her schedule to take 2 science courses + her math class.

MIT recommends two years of foreign language in high school, so IB is at a disadvantage since it requires four years.

you are implying that taking four years of a language would be a disadvantage applying to MIT?

Check your middle schools, they may teach 1-2 years

I made it clear it’s two years of foreign language in high school.

It’s the opportunity cost, instead of two years of foreign language, one could take stem classes instead.

doesnt MIT say they want students to take the most rigorous courses available? If their school offers four years of a language or even AP, why Wouldn't MIT expect that even though their bare minimum is 2 years?

The importance of foreign languages and humanities is greatly diminished. In most careers there is little benefit in learning a foreign language.

The real innovation in language actually happens in the stem fields, think large language models, ChatGPT etc.

Humanities graduates numbers shrink by half every decade, and they output laughable PhD dissertations about racism in smell.

IB program was created in the 50s, revamped a few decades later, but doesn’t keep up with modern education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

And yet we see questions on here all the time asking if you really need 4 years of foreign languages and the answer is often that you should try. And my DD is an IB DP program and does not need to take an art class. She has enough room in her schedule to take 2 science courses + her math class.

MIT recommends two years of foreign language in high school, so IB is at a disadvantage since it requires four years.

you are implying that taking four years of a language would be a disadvantage applying to MIT?

Check your middle schools, they may teach 1-2 years

I made it clear it’s two years of foreign language in high school.

It’s the opportunity cost, instead of two years of foreign language, one could take stem classes instead.

Plenty of students do both language and stem. What about Humanities at MIT?

Not plenty, a mere handful, as in 50 out of 11000.

Are those 50 typically IBDP students or a mix of AP + dual enrollment?

IBDP is not that special. AP also offers the AP Capstone Diploma and nobody is making a huge deal about it even if they are comparable.

This. Never understood in what way IBDP is better than taking the equivalent AP classes.

It’s not, and you’re so limited on when and what classes you can take, it’s just not worth it.

IB HL sciences are two years, so its common for the first year to be taught together with AP. So the 2nd year of HL is material AP students wouldn't get.

So if a students schedule allows they could take IB Bio HL YR 1, IB Bio HL YR 2 instead of just AP Bio. And then also IB chem YR1 & YR2 INSTEAD of Ap chem. Ib physics is not calculus based so not useful to take that over Physics C

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

And yet we see questions on here all the time asking if you really need 4 years of foreign languages and the answer is often that you should try. And my DD is an IB DP program and does not need to take an art class. She has enough room in her schedule to take 2 science courses + her math class.

MIT recommends two years of foreign language in high school, so IB is at a disadvantage since it requires four years.

you are implying that taking four years of a language would be a disadvantage applying to MIT?

Check your middle schools, they may teach 1-2 years

I made it clear it’s two years of foreign language in high school.

It’s the opportunity cost, instead of two years of foreign language, one could take stem classes instead.

doesnt MIT say they want students to take the most rigorous courses available? If their school offers four years of a language or even AP, why Wouldn't MIT expect that even though their bare minimum is 2 years?

The importance of foreign languages and humanities is greatly diminished. In most careers there is little benefit in learning a foreign language.

okay... but college admissions still requires them...so....?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s friend did IB and was accepted to MIT and will be attending in the Fall. He was also top of the class.

I’m sure he was accepted, after all IB is so rigorous that MIT is easy by comparison.

Snark aside, sorry, couldn’t help, it may happen, but the odds are not that good and IB is not a good preparation for MIT, not enough stem classes. One math and one science at high level won’t cut it.

I don't know why there is so much debate when I'm an actual alum with this background...I became a scientist and in high school took 4 years of language, 4 years of math, 4 years of science but took online physics instead of in person because I was fitting in another elective that I won national awards with. MIT was hard, but I did very well. In fact, continued taking my language for 3 more years at MIT. IB didn't hold me back in any way. In fact, most of my accomplishments in science was from grant writing. Science is way more about writing skills than lab skills.

My child is in high school and went from an all-IB school to AP and he says he hasn't written an essay all year. Not even in English which is truly bizarre having come from the communication-heavy IB school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB has been introduced in low-performing public schools where enrollment in AP courses was either low or nonexistent, at least in FCPS. To earn an IB diploma, a student only needs a C+ grade in six subjects, only two Ds are allowed. However, MIT may be looking for more than just an IB diploma.

uh no. To get the IBDP, you have to score at least 24 on the IB exams (6).

IB Diploma Requirements:

Minimum Points: 24 out of 45.
Subjects: Six subjects, each graded on a 1-7 scale.
Core Components: Students must complete the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).
Additional Points: Up to 3 points can be earned from the Extended Essay and TOK.
Minimum Grade: Achieve a grade of at least 2 in all subjects.
HL Points: Get at least 12 points in Higher Level subjects.
SL Points: Get a minimum of 9 points in Standard Level subjects.
No E in TOK and EE: Ensure that you don't receive E in Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay.
No more than 3 grades of 2 and 3: Avoid a combination of more than three grades of 2 and 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

And yet we see questions on here all the time asking if you really need 4 years of foreign languages and the answer is often that you should try. And my DD is an IB DP program and does not need to take an art class. She has enough room in her schedule to take 2 science courses + her math class.

MIT recommends two years of foreign language in high school, so IB is at a disadvantage since it requires four years.

you are implying that taking four years of a language would be a disadvantage applying to MIT?

Check your middle schools, they may teach 1-2 years

I made it clear it’s two years of foreign language in high school.

It’s the opportunity cost, instead of two years of foreign language, one could take stem classes instead.

Plenty of students do both language and stem. What about Humanities at MIT?

Not plenty, a mere handful, as in 50 out of 11000.

Are those 50 typically IBDP students or a mix of AP + dual enrollment?

IBDP is not that special. AP also offers the AP Capstone Diploma and nobody is making a huge deal about it even if they are comparable.

This. Never understood in what way IBDP is better than taking the equivalent AP classes.

It’s not, and you’re so limited on when and what classes you can take, it’s just not worth it.

IB HL sciences are two years, so its common for the first year to be taught together with AP. So the 2nd year of HL is material AP students wouldn't get.

So if a students schedule allows they could take IB Bio HL YR 1, IB Bio HL YR 2 instead of just AP Bio. And then also IB chem YR1 & YR2 INSTEAD of Ap chem. Ib physics is not calculus based so not useful to take that over Physics C

AP Chem and Bio take one year, while IB HL classes take two years, but both AP and IB are equivalent to a two semester introductory course. There’s no extra material covered in IB classes, they just review more basic concepts and are slower paced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that MIT doesn’t want them, it’s they are not a great fit. IB is more centered on humanities.

If math and science are done at HL level in IB, that’s still only two stem classes. MIT applicants take AP calculus and statistics and often math dual enrollment classes, plus 3-4 AP science classes. Meanwhile IB students take Theory of knowledge, CAS stuff, and classes that don’t move the needle much at MIT: foreign language, art, social sciences etc.

It’s hard to be competitive from IBDP when AP students take 8-10 stem exams alone, and get their results early to add to the application. Probably the same for Caltech or other competitive stem colleges.

MIT does not give credit for a lot of AP exams. IBDP students are very competitive because they take the most rigorous classes provided in the school.