Frequently Asked Questions

• Both will help you be more prepared for college-level work

• Both offer the opportunity for college credit (depending on individual university guidelines)

• All advanced courses (advanced, AP, and IB) receive a GPA bump. While in a regular class an A is worth 4 points, an A in any of these more challenging courses is worth 5 points. Another way to look at it is that a B in an advanced course is the same as an A in a regular course, which is one way we reward you for taking on the challenge.

• Both have official assessments that are graded by trained external graders.

• Both have a fine arts elective taught at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts (AP Music Theory and IB Visual Arts)

There are two ways to look at the differences between AP & IB: logistical and philosophical

Logistical differences

• Scheduling: IB is designed as a two-year program for juniors and seniors that involves a set of required classes, while AP courses are offered all four years and are a la carte (you can take as many or as few as you want). All IB classes are open enrollment, but keep in mind some require a 2 year commitment.

• Assessments: AP courses are assessed with a single standardized test (some writing, some multiple choice). IB courses include multiple, different assessments throughout the course, allowing students to show what they know in different ways. All IB courses include at least one assessment that is student-driven, allowing students to dive deeply into an area of interest. 

Philosophical differences

• College Board (who runs AP) is focused on college success and opportunity. The AP program provides academic experiences that help students be more prepared for (and possibly earn credit for) college-level courses.

• The IB mission statement is more broad, encompassing goals for the whole student and their place in the world. Beyond the rigorous academic experiences in IB, the program explicitly supports development of the habits and skills that make academic and personal growth possible. The Learner Profile encourages students to be deep thinkers, good communicators, principled in their actions, caring, and open-minded. It also calls us as educators to help students be balanced as they take on challenges and to directly teach skills that support their efforts. In other words, it is an essential part of the IB program -- not a "nice to have" but a "must have" -- that students are viewed as their whole selves and supported as they grow academically and personally, with their brains and with their hearts. 

Yes! You can mix and match all three programs. In fact, many full diploma students choose to take dual credit government and economics (the only two graduation requirements not included in the full diploma program) in the summer or those AP courses during the year. The only limitations to your course options stem from scheduling and time.

Yes. We have had top-level fine arts performers and athletes in the full diploma program, as well as students in double-blocked programs such as Ready, Set, Teach. Full diploma students will have a minimum of one and up to three open periods for an elective each year. Because the IB courses take up much of your schedule, there are some limits. For example, two-sport students would likely not be able to double-block their sports. If you want to see how your schedule might work, email Ms. Boutilier.

IB stands for International Baccalaureate, and it is part of the program that you will consider the global implications of topics as well as your place in the broader world. In IB language classes, you will study the culture of the parts of the world that use that language, and you will use that cultural knowledge in your assessments. Also, think about how much of a language you can actually use after only two years. Want to travel? Want to use the skills you spent two years building? Then you have to keep studying. Languages open up places on the globe!

Class-for-class, both AP and IB are equally challenging but in different ways. One reason why there is a perception that IB is harder is that full diploma students are required to take six advanced classes. AP students who carry a similar course load have a similar level of challenge, not just in academics but in balancing all of that work.

Because of the different assessments and philosophies in the programs, the classes have differences that my affect how "hard" they are for different students. There are equally smart AP and IB students who are successful in one program but would find the other program challenging. Students who thrive in AP tend to like structure and explicit guidelines for writing/assignments. IB students tend to enjoy having more choice in how to accomplish a task and are less bothered when a teacher responds to "how do I do this?" with "how do you think you should do it?"

You should choose a pathway that is the best fit for you. Below are some common reasons students choose IB and value it after graduation.

• IB fully prepares students for college -- writing longer and more in-depth, speaking and presenting with ease, and thinking critically

• IB teaches them the time-management skills, organization, and resilience needed in college and beyond

• IB students get to know each other really well, support each other, and are more comfortable in class discussions. It can be extra fun if you have friends who also sign up.

• Some IB students don't enjoy typical classes and find IB more meaningful because of deeper discussion, choice in assessments, the opportunities for personal growth, and/or the focus on real-world connections 

If you want to run a marathon, you have to train, right? Think of your academics like a training program for college and future, adult you. What are your goals? Where are you starting from? What will keep you motivated? What challenges do you foresee? If you'd like to talk through all of your options, fill out the interest form.