Anonymous wrote:Our IB number is dropping rapidly. My kid is getting excited about the classes and friends at Yorktown since we had to turn in the course request. I'm wondering if it's worth it to switch if we get a spot. My kid has a good work ethic, loves to write and will be in all intensified classes (where offered). My kid also has a busy schedule and I'm worried about burn out. Is it really a lot more work that AP?

No, it's not worth it - especially if he's excited and happy about where he is/is planning to go.

If it turns out he doesn't like IB or finds the full-IB caseload too much, as a transfer, he'd have to go back to Yorktown if he isn't full-time IB.
He's excited about the classes and friends he'll have at Yorktown.
He's planning to take the most challenging courses at yorktown - which are as challenging as the courses at thousands of other schools across the country.
Your son already loves to write; so presuming he's good at it, he doesn't need the IB program to emphasize the writing that tends to be minimized in the regular classes or to teach him to write well. Writing is the only reason I encourage my kids to take IB classes.
IME, W-L is such a pressure-cooker and the parents think W-L is the end all and be all. It's not. The students are pressured by parents as well as counselors to do more, more, more. Unless your son is in love with the idea of IB and it's his personal top interest, just let him be happy and successful with his friends at Yorktown. If his number does come up and he's torn, lay out the pros and cons and let him go with his gut. His life is not going to be ruined by not getting an IB diploma. If he intends to attend college abroad, then IB is worth considering because IB is more common elsewhere in the world and would be a positive on his application. But many students lacking an IB diploma study abroad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’ve heard IB does a great job of prep for college esp for liberal arts. In my opinion the AP curriculum is stronger for tech/math/science. So it might be a question of best fit rather than increasing college admission chances.

What's that opinion based on? (I ask because the only APS kid I know of who got into MIT did IB, but I realize that "getting into MIT" is not a reasonable standard for assessing a program's merit)

This is a comment based on the different levels available for math/tech. This is not a comment that the quality of teaching is better. But rather a comment that
the "build your own adventure" flexibility of AP is better for tech. For example, calc AB, BC, the two different physics AP courses (mechanics and E&M). Or that you can take AP Bio,
but that's a bit independent from the other. It's this ability to specialize the tech versus taking a generalized "science" courses that makes AP a bit stronger prep, in my opinion.

I graduated from Stanford (engineering). Came in with full load of AP courses.

What science options does IB offer - or should I say not offer?

From the W-L site:
Biology HL
Biology SL (one year)
Chemistry HL
Computer Science HL
Design Technology SL
Environmental Systems SL (one year; block course)
Physics SL
Sports, Exercise & Health Science SL

So for example, Stanford will accept 10 AP courses (math/sci, CS) as course substitutions. But from IB program will accept 5 courses. For languages, it's about the same.

Again--not all these are offered at a given school. And not all high schools have the competent teachers for the subjects. But comparing the programs as designed serve as the basis for my comment about AP being a better STEM fit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’ve heard IB does a great job of prep for college esp for liberal arts. In my opinion the AP curriculum is stronger for tech/math/science. So it might be a question of best fit rather than increasing college admission chances.

What's that opinion based on? (I ask because the only APS kid I know of who got into MIT did IB, but I realize that "getting into MIT" is not a reasonable standard for assessing a program's merit)

This is a comment based on the different levels available for math/tech. This is not a comment that the quality of teaching is better. But rather a comment that
the "build your own adventure" flexibility of AP is better for tech. For example, calc AB, BC, the two different physics AP courses (mechanics and E&M). Or that you can take AP Bio,
but that's a bit independent from the other. It's this ability to specialize the tech versus taking a generalized "science" courses that makes AP a bit stronger prep, in my opinion.

I graduated from Stanford (engineering). Came in with full load of AP courses.

What science options does IB offer - or should I say not offer?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our number came up, too. We are really not sure what to do. Here's a concern we just had. The YHS electives fill up quickly. If someone switches to IB now, will they be put in whatever elective is left over?

My kid is at W-L and I haven't signed a course request form yet, so I don't see how anything can be full.

Isnt it all online now? I did see my W&L student course selections about a month ago

+1 PP - you should check with your kid's counselor, we had an academic planning/course selection meeting in January or February.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’ve heard IB does a great job of prep for college esp for liberal arts. In my opinion the AP curriculum is stronger for tech/math/science. So it might be a question of best fit rather than increasing college admission chances.

What's that opinion based on? (I ask because the only APS kid I know of who got into MIT did IB, but I realize that "getting into MIT" is not a reasonable standard for assessing a program's merit)

This is a comment based on the different levels available for math/tech. This is not a comment that the quality of teaching is better. But rather a comment that
the "build your own adventure" flexibility of AP is better for tech. For example, calc AB, BC, the two different physics AP courses (mechanics and E&M). Or that you can take AP Bio,
but that's a bit independent from the other. It's this ability to specialize the tech versus taking a generalized "science" courses that makes AP a bit stronger prep, in my opinion.

I graduated from Stanford (engineering). Came in with full load of AP courses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our number came up, too. We are really not sure what to do. Here's a concern we just had. The YHS electives fill up quickly. If someone switches to IB now, will they be put in whatever elective is left over?

My kid is at W-L and I haven't signed a course request form yet, so I don't see how anything can be full.

Isnt it all online now? I did see my W&L student course selections about a month ago

Anonymous wrote:Our number came up, too. We are really not sure what to do. Here's a concern we just had. The YHS electives fill up quickly. If someone switches to IB now, will they be put in whatever elective is left over?

My kid is at W-L and I haven't signed a course request form yet, so I don't see how anything can be full.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, our number just came up. DC was bummed they had such a low IB number but got to a happy place with going to YHS. I know IB is great, but kids don't hit IB really until junior year. Are there fun electives at W-L for freshmen, for example? DC was so excited about Computer Graphics at YHS for their elective... DC is having a hard time deciding!

W-L has great electives. If you contact the counseling dept, they should be able to send you a copy of the CRF (course recommendation form) for 9th grade that lists all the electives available.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any chance any one had one kid who did AP at Yorktown and one who did IB @WL? I got the impression that which program you choose is less important than choosing the most rigorous program at your school. There are certainly pros and cons of each.

I have one at each, but they are very different kids. The YHS kid will not take any rigorous classes, through very little fault of her own. The YHS kid is the sportier kid, but she won't play sports at YHS because, despite the fact that YHS is smaller, sports are more competitive and the sports cliques are set in grade school. If you have the chance to ditch YHS for W-L, take it.

If your YHS kid was taking all intensified or AP and didn't want to play a HS sport, would you still say to get out?

Our number came up, too. We are really not sure what to do. Here's a concern we just had. The YHS electives fill up quickly. If someone switches to IB now, will they be put in whatever elective is left over?

Anonymous wrote:Any chance any one had one kid who did AP at Yorktown and one who did IB @WL? I got the impression that which program you choose is less important than choosing the most rigorous program at your school. There are certainly pros and cons of each.

I have one at each, but they are very different kids. The YHS kid will not take any rigorous classes, through very little fault of her own. The YHS kid is the sportier kid, but she won't play sports at YHS because, despite the fact that YHS is smaller, sports are more competitive and the sports cliques are set in grade school. If you have the chance to ditch YHS for W-L, take it.

Any chance any one had one kid who did AP at Yorktown and one who did IB @WL? I got the impression that which program you choose is less important than choosing the most rigorous program at your school. There are certainly pros and cons of each.

Ok, our number just came up. DC was bummed they had such a low IB number but got to a happy place with going to YHS. I know IB is great, but kids don't hit IB really until junior year. Are there fun electives at W-L for freshmen, for example? DC was so excited about Computer Graphics at YHS for their elective... DC is having a hard time deciding!

I know plenty of WL full IB grads who are NOT at UVA.

IB is great and I'd say better than AP. One of my kids did IB and the other did AP. IB was more rigorous, took a deeper look into the subject matter and made him a better writer. AP just seems, in many ways, that it's prepping for the exam.

Anonymous wrote:Our IB number is dropping rapidly. My kid is getting excited about the classes and friends at Yorktown since we had to turn in the course request. I'm wondering if it's worth it to switch if we get a spot. My kid has a good work ethic, loves to write and will be in all intensified classes (where offered). My kid also has a busy schedule and I'm worried about burn out. Is it really a lot more work that AP?

I have one did who did IB and one who did a STEM-heavy AP plus some IB classes and I'd say full IB more work, but either is a LOT of work. If your kid is excited about going to Yorktown, I'd think that would be helpful to prevent burnout. I wouldn't push a kid who wants to stay at their neighborhood school to go to another program -- it's hard enough if they're where they want to be. And I don't know of kids whose parents made them who had a good experience.

(That said, if your kid can get as excited about IB, it really is a great program)