Does MIT want IBDP students?

[Anonymous]

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.

meanwhile AP students can take 4 sciences

[Anonymous]

Not really. My kid did 10 APs and got in. Her friend did IBOP (that was too cute, lol) and did not.

Also another kid from our school had 4 APs and got in. Lied on her app, as seen on LinkedIn.

[Anonymous]

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.

meanwhile AP students can take 4 sciences

But we’re told by IB cheerleaders that one science, 4 years of foreign language, and theory of knowledge is seen equally well if not better than 4 AP sciences. And that MIT puts a big thumb on the scale for IBDP students.