IB vs AP - How To Pick The Right Program

Some Ground Rules

Middle school flies by quickly. It’s natural to start thinking about high school. Especially because high school is the last stretch of your schooling years. The grades you earn matter more than ever before. They’ll be reported on your transcript for any colleges to see. Further, what courses you take, what grades you earn, and what extracurricular activities you do will all shape the portrait of you as a graduate. That graduate has to make big decisions regarding where they go to college, what they study, and ultimately what career path they choose.

Slow down. It’s easy to get caught up in the future. But there’s still so much to learn about yourself and the world around you, right now. Middle school is a time of major changes in your body, mind, and spirit. You’re likely experiencing more independence. You’re likely shifting who you hang out with, how you spend your time, and what interests you. That’s all perfectly normal and perfectly wonderful! This is the time to take risks and try new things.

So let’s set some ground rules. Continue to discover new things about yourself. Continue to be curious about what you enjoy, what you find important, what you lean into, and what feels scary or challenging. Continue to reflect on the changes that are happening and be open to new experiences. If you can do that, then I’m comfortable answering a high school question. Should you try to earn college credit before you graduate?

Advanced Placement (AP)

In the U.S., the most common way to earn college credit in high school is by passing an AP exam. AP is short for “advanced placement” which is basically saying you’re earning college credit ahead of attending college. According to the official website, apstudents.collegeboard.org, there are 40 different exams and affiliated courses to choose from. If you pass (earning a 3, 4, or 5) then you can get college credits. In other words, your high school class would count as having taken it in college!

For example, when I was in high school I took AP Calculus. It was similar to other math classes I had taken but, this time, the teacher told us we were preparing for the AP exam. The college board, who designs AP courses and exams, works with colleges all across the U.S. and overseas to create a standard version of Calculus that is consistent with college-level Calculus. The exam is administered by the college board and graded by the college board. This means, no matter who your teacher is or where you learned the material, you are taking the exact same test as everyone else, under the same conditions.

Despite my current career as a math educator, I found AP Calculus extremely challenging–partly due to extracurriculars. I had a part time job, I was regularly playing music in a band, I was in a handful of clubs, and so on. I didn’t really give the time commitment needed to really dig deeply into what I was learning. So, when I took the AP exam, I earned a 3 out of 5. That was high enough to get college credit for “Business Calculus” but not for the real thing. If I wanted to continue to study college-level math, I would have to retake Calculus. Bummer!

Had I let that score get to my head, I would have stopped there and never taken math again. Luckily, I was wise enough to know that I didn’t really give it my all. So freshman year of college, I did retake Calculus. And guess what?!? I earned an A. In fact, I remember going to class and almost laughing with pride at how much easier it was the second time around. That was the beginning of my career! I found a renewed interest in math, took a part time job tutoring math, and entered the education program 2 years later!

Why share this? To remind you that AP courses are literally the same thing as freshman level college courses. It’s okay if you wait until college to take them. On the other hand, there’s no reason to wait if you are truly passionate about a particular subject area and are ready for the extra challenge. Just keep in mind that’s a very different motivation than taking “as many AP classes as possible to maximize college credits.” Unfortunately, too many people think like that and end up being miserable, stressed out, and unable to maintain a good life balance because of the intensity of AP courses. Take them for learning. Take them because you’re passionate about the subject.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Another way to earn college credit in high school is through the IB program (www.ibo.org). IB stands for International Baccalaureate and the name says it all! It’s a program of interrelated studies that offer college-level learning on a global scale. Their mission statement says IB “...aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.”
Already you can see this is quite different than choosing to take an AP course. AP is like ordering individual food items off a menu; IB is like a sit down, fancy meal.

IB actually offers programs for primary, middle, and high school. So, you could potentially learn the IB way your entire K-12 journey. But, for comparison purposes, I’ll just focus on their high school diploma program (DP). “The Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity, service (CAS) and the extended essay.” You do have choices over which six courses you take within the broader groups, including whether you take the standard level or higher level. The “higher level” designation means colleges will likely award credits just like AP. Needless to say, there is a lot to process in terms of what an IB program would be like. I’ve only skimmed the surface. Rest assured, when the time comes, they will explain all of the details to you and help you customize your learning experience for your personal, academic, and career goals.

How To Choose Between AP vs IB

First off, do you really even have a choice? As mentioned, AP is way more available in the U.S. than IB, but IB does exist and is way more available overseas. So, unfortunately, some of you may not have an IB program near you. If you do have both options, then it really comes down to your education values. IB has created a super comprehensive learner experience that tries to weave together your studies into a comprehensive whole. I have no doubt that IB diploma earners are confident, deep-thinking, well-versed scholars ready to take on the world! On the other hand, a successful score on an AP exam is a notch on your belt. It’s a small win toward your future academic and career goals. As for IB’s “DP core,” well maybe you get that through joining clubs that give opportunities for community service. Or maybe you sign up for the relatively new advanced placement capstone diploma program which, in the context of this discussion, tries to make AP something closer to the comprehensive IB experience. Ultimately, you’re either allowing IB to serve you the makings of greatness or you’re harnessing the spirit of DIY learning and creating it for yourself!
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