S/o (VA public schools). IB and college preparedness

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:But AP lets you be great at some things and only OK at other things, right? Whereas IB you have to be great at everything?

IB is essentially like taking two full years of AP only courses. A student who could handle AP in every subject would be able to handle the full IB diploma. However, just like with AP, the student can pick and choose some IB courses without going for the full diploma.

Some of the IB diploma candidates I met definitely could not handle a schedule of AP-only courses. Some IB courses are not particularly rigorous.

I have heard the exact opposite. People seem to want their kids to do AP instead of Ib because it's easier and less work.

Not so. In any event, it's ridiculous to suggest that only kids who could handle AP in every subject would be able to handle the full IB diploma. The IB analog to a student taking all AP courses would be IB students taking all IB HL courses. That isn't required, and IB diploma students often take multiple SL courses as permitted under the IBO rules.

When I hear such nonsense, it makes me think IB exists only so that small groups of IB diploma candidates and their parents can try to mislead others into thinking their kids have been in some elite, academic "boot camp." It does nothing for most students at IB schools, and the amount of disinformation about IB is staggering. But as long as the IBO has marketing materials that suggest IB will help students to become "global citizens" who have learned "how to think" (presumably, this means how to approach an assignment, not what they should believe), some people who think their kids might not do well in AP-level math and science courses will jump on board.

Great. The FCPS crazies have discovered this thread.

+1000. Look, there is a whole thread over in VA public schools about how IB is destroying FCPS. Please don't hijack this one to bash IB unless you have a child who was or is in the program and can speak from actual experience and about an actual experience. This thread isn't for a discussion of IB policy or IB implementation in FCPS. It's for parents trying to learn about IB to get information from parents who have been there. There have been a lot of great, thoughtful responses and it seems like some experienced IB parents are following. I hope parents who are looking at IB will throw out questions, and the IB haters who have never seen IB in action will, please, go back to VA public schools so we can have a meaningful dialogue. Thanks!! -- OP

I'm genuinely curious as to why you would complain when someone corrects an obvious misrepresentation about IB, such as that being in the IB program is equivalent to taking all AP courses. You do know IB has SL and HL courses; that IB diploma students typically take a mix; and that academics comparing AP and IB course content typically compare AP courses and IB HL courses?

The irony is that very few students at IB high schools in FCPS pursue IB diplomas and that percentage would probably be even lower if parents and students thought it was the equivalent of taking only AP courses. It seems like only those who want to create a false image of IB to exaggerate the significance of an IB diploma would go down that route.

My dc has taken both AP and IB classes. The IB SL classes have been at least as rigorous, if not more rigorous than the AP classes.

Nice try but, uh, no.

[Anonymous]

From College Confidential postings by actual students, not IB shills:

"The actual content of AB calculus is vastly superior to that of SL math."

"SL Math is way easier than AP Calc AB."

"At our school SL was IB Math Studies SL, super easy, and we joked that the hardest thing in the course was learning how to tell time (which is an actual subject in the syllabus)."

"The calculus in IB SL is like other people have said, MUCH easier than the calculus covered in AP CALC AB."

"SL math is a joke in my school. It is precalc then a little bit of calc."

"IB SL does NOT equal AP. There's a reason why top colleges only accept IB HL exams and AP exams and not IB SL exams"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But AP lets you be great at some things and only OK at other things, right? Whereas IB you have to be great at everything?

IB is essentially like taking two full years of AP only courses. A student who could handle AP in every subject would be able to handle the full IB diploma. However, just like with AP, the student can pick and choose some IB courses without going for the full diploma.

Some of the IB diploma candidates I met definitely could not handle a schedule of AP-only courses. Some IB courses are not particularly rigorous.

I have heard the exact opposite. People seem to want their kids to do AP instead of Ib because it's easier and less work.

Not so. In any event, it's ridiculous to suggest that only kids who could handle AP in every subject would be able to handle the full IB diploma. The IB analog to a student taking all AP courses would be IB students taking all IB HL courses. That isn't required, and IB diploma students often take multiple SL courses as permitted under the IBO rules.

When I hear such nonsense, it makes me think IB exists only so that small groups of IB diploma candidates and their parents can try to mislead others into thinking their kids have been in some elite, academic "boot camp." It does nothing for most students at IB schools, and the amount of disinformation about IB is staggering. But as long as the IBO has marketing materials that suggest IB will help students to become "global citizens" who have learned "how to think" (presumably, this means how to approach an assignment, not what they should believe), some people who think their kids might not do well in AP-level math and science courses will jump on board.

Great. The FCPS crazies have discovered this thread.

+1000. Look, there is a whole thread over in VA public schools about how IB is destroying FCPS. Please don't hijack this one to bash IB unless you have a child who was or is in the program and can speak from actual experience and about an actual experience. This thread isn't for a discussion of IB policy or IB implementation in FCPS. It's for parents trying to learn about IB to get information from parents who have been there. There have been a lot of great, thoughtful responses and it seems like some experienced IB parents are following. I hope parents who are looking at IB will throw out questions, and the IB haters who have never seen IB in action will, please, go back to VA public schools so we can have a meaningful dialogue. Thanks!! -- OP

I'm genuinely curious as to why you would complain when someone corrects an obvious misrepresentation about IB, such as that being in the IB program is equivalent to taking all AP courses. You do know IB has SL and HL courses; that IB diploma students typically take a mix; and that academics comparing AP and IB course content typically compare AP courses and IB HL courses?

The irony is that very few students at IB high schools in FCPS pursue IB diplomas and that percentage would probably be even lower if parents and students thought it was the equivalent of taking only AP courses. It seems like only those who want to create a false image of IB to exaggerate the significance of an IB diploma would go down that route.

My dc has taken both AP and IB classes. The IB SL classes have been at least as rigorous, if not more rigorous than the AP classes.

Nice try but, uh, no.

Does your mommy know you're online without her permission?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From College Confidential postings by actual students, not IB shills:

"The actual content of AB calculus is vastly superior to that of SL math."

"SL Math is way easier than AP Calc AB."

"At our school SL was IB Math Studies SL, super easy, and we joked that the hardest thing in the course was learning how to tell time (which is an actual subject in the syllabus)."

"The calculus in IB SL is like other people have said, MUCH easier than the calculus covered in AP CALC AB."

"SL math is a joke in my school. It is precalc then a little bit of calc."

"IB SL does NOT equal AP. There's a reason why top colleges only accept IB HL exams and AP exams and not IB SL exams"

So skip SL and take HL math as my kid did and then college courses senior year. problem solved and at least the college courses are taught by actual professors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From College Confidential postings by actual students, not IB shills:

"The actual content of AB calculus is vastly superior to that of SL math."

"SL Math is way easier than AP Calc AB."

"At our school SL was IB Math Studies SL, super easy, and we joked that the hardest thing in the course was learning how to tell time (which is an actual subject in the syllabus)."

"The calculus in IB SL is like other people have said, MUCH easier than the calculus covered in AP CALC AB."

"SL math is a joke in my school. It is precalc then a little bit of calc."

"IB SL does NOT equal AP. There's a reason why top colleges only accept IB HL exams and AP exams and not IB SL exams"

If you honestly think that those who post on college confidential are more trustworthy than those who post here, you are seriously delusional. And it sounds as though you don't know much about IB. Some schools offer a SL course called "math studies" that is more like precalc. It is not the standard Math SL course and has been labeled as questionable in college admissions.

[Anonymous]

So hoW would math sequencing work for a kid who take Algebra in 7th/ would take AP calc in 11th? AlgebraII/ IB math / IB math? What's senior year?

[Anonymous]

Does tone have experience with a DC doing band or orchestra W/ IB? You can do music performance as your sixth class for a diploma?

[Anonymous]

Anyone, not tone . ^^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So hoW would math sequencing work for a kid who take Algebra in 7th/ would take AP calc in 11th? AlgebraII/ IB math / IB math? What's senior year?

Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9), Pre Calc (10) AP Calc AB or BC (11), IB HL (12) or MV (12) -- MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So hoW would math sequencing work for a kid who take Algebra in 7th/ would take AP calc in 11th? AlgebraII/ IB math / IB math? What's senior year?

Our school is IB
Dd is taking...

9th: Algebra 2/trig honors
10th: IB math SL I
11th: IB math HL I
12th: IB math HL II

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So hoW would math sequencing work for a kid who take Algebra in 7th/ would take AP calc in 11th? AlgebraII/ IB math / IB math? What's senior year?

Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9), Pre Calc (10) AP Calc AB or BC (11), IB HL (12) or MV (12) -- MCPS

When will the student take the final IB math exam? Are juniors allowed to sit for it?
Our sequence:
Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9)
Our FCPS school suggests:
IB Math SL 1 (10), IB Math HL 1 (11), IB Math HL 2 (12)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So hoW would math sequencing work for a kid who take Algebra in 7th/ would take AP calc in 11th? AlgebraII/ IB math / IB math? What's senior year?

Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9), Pre Calc (10) AP Calc AB or BC (11), IB HL (12) or MV (12) -- MCPS

When will the student take the final IB math exam? Are juniors allowed to sit for it?
Our sequence:
Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9)
Our FCPS school suggests:
IB Math SL 1 (10), IB Math HL 1 (11), IB Math HL 2 (12)

Interesting. So IB HL2 covers post-calc BC topics, like MV Calculus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So hoW would math sequencing work for a kid who take Algebra in 7th/ would take AP calc in 11th? AlgebraII/ IB math / IB math? What's senior year?

Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9), Pre Calc (10) AP Calc AB or BC (11), IB HL (12) or MV (12) -- MCPS

When will the student take the final IB math exam? Are juniors allowed to sit for it?
Our sequence:
Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9)
Our FCPS school suggests:
IB Math SL 1 (10), IB Math HL 1 (11), IB Math HL 2 (12)

Interesting. So IB HL2 covers post-calc BC topics, like MV Calculus?

AP schools allow students to take AP Calc BC and then a full year of matrix amd MV Calculus. But the original point was that other IB Math sequences allowed for an IB diploma aren't as demanding as IB HL or AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So hoW would math sequencing work for a kid who take Algebra in 7th/ would take AP calc in 11th? AlgebraII/ IB math / IB math? What's senior year?

Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9), Pre Calc (10) AP Calc AB or BC (11), IB HL (12) or MV (12) -- MCPS

When will the student take the final IB math exam? Are juniors allowed to sit for it?
Our sequence:
Alg I (7), Geo (8), Alg II (9)
Our FCPS school suggests:
IB Math SL 1 (10), IB Math HL 1 (11), IB Math HL 2 (12)

Juniors are allowed to take SL exam but not HL. Only seniors are allowed to take HL. After AP Calc AB/BC, kids can take either MV or HL. MV may be taken in preparation for, or concurrently with, IB HL.

[Anonymous]

I found some FCPS data on IB math exams for 2012-13 year. Over twice as many FCPS IB students took Mathematics - SL as Mathematics-HL (the course more analogous to an AP course), and about three times as many took Math Studies - SL. The average score on the IB HL exam in FCPS was 3.2 on a scale of 1-7, which is considered a failing grade. In the same year, eight times as many students took the AP Calculus BC exam, and the average score was 4.0 on a scale of 1.5, which is well over what is considered a passing grade (3.0).

So IB attracts relatively few students at IB schools, most opt for the easier math options, and most of the few who attempt the more rigorous math sequence don't pass the exam. I'd have to say it's not a very strong case for IB, at least as implemented in FCPS.