Reply to IB - chance that schools will drop IB for AP

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Other than the theory of knowledge course which is unique, why is IB desirable if kids in general are not well rounded enough to get an IB diploma?[/quote]

I've always wondered what is so special about this class, other than the lofty sounding name? People I talked to in the program all hated this class and how much BS and a waste of time they thought it was. I hope this is not fully true and there is more to IB classes than forcibly having to produce essays about fluff.[/quote]

Sure, and there are also others who love the ToK class.  Like many classes, much depends upon the teacher.

More broadly with respect to IB, we knew kids who thought it was great college prep, and others who were forced by their parents to do the full IB program, thought many of the required essays were busy work, and were bitter about not having much free time in high school.  Another thing to keep in mind that being on the IB diploma track won't compensate for so-so grades or SAT/ACT scores.  [/quote]

I heard that IB isn't really recommended for those really into math and science, as much of the program focuses on a lot of writing and is time consuming from that point of view, but not really different and/or special in math and science.[/quote]

My senior is solidly obsessed with math and science, and in an IB school.
At graduation, he will have completed 2 years of biology, 2 years of chemistry, and 2 years of physics. In addition, he will also complete HL math, which goes beyond AP BC calc. The writing in science in math is really not as dramatic as people make it sound. He completed one paper for math, and outside of the paper that goes with the science fair project, I think he will only complete one paper in each science course as well. He took two undergraduate classes at a well regarded college this past summer, and the professor was impressed with his ability to write a thorough lab report. Most of the kids in his class had never written one before. In all honesty, he was a pretty terrible writer his freshman year, and I have to credit the IB program with his progress. [/quote]

HL Math does not go beyond Calculus BC.  --FCPS math teacher[/quote]

It does go more in depth than calculus BC[/quote]

Just stop.  OP DOES NOT WANT IB.

You know very well that most STEM-oriented families in NoVa prefer AP and that many AP schools in the area offer math courses that go beyond both AP Calculus BC and HL Math.

[/quote]

What is a stem-oriented family? Are the kids not free to pursue other interests or a well rounded education?

Can you explain why AP is preferable, when similar IB courses are available and arguably more in depth? IB courses are writing intense, but that is a very necessary skill for college, even in STEM fields. My child who is currently aiming for a computer science major when he gets to college, struggles with writing, so I think our IB school will be great for him to build that skill. I almost feel that if I let him opt for the AP school, I’d be doing it so it would be easier for him, which is silly when the goal is a challenging education. 
[/quote]

From what I've anecdotally read and heard, a sizable chunk of the writing in IB is mostly BS and/or filler. I've heard that kids hate having to deal with it, especially since they have lots of requirements for the diploma and little time to sleep and focus on any other interests during high school. From having to write a long essay for the diploma, to the TOK course, and to other stuff such as a writing projects in math (from what I've heard many kids coast on this one by choosing an easy math topic and lengthening it with fluff to make it seem like it's deep).

I agree that IB clearly is very focused on writing, which is a very good skill to develop early, but if any of the above things are true, I would not want my kids having to deal with all these hoops to get a diploma. They can develop as writers in different ways and/or environments, and do not necessarily need to be in IB. Also to your note about computer science, developing a strong mathematical base + programming experience and interest is much more important than anything that the IB program would specifically help with for computer science.[/quote]

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