Behind the Scenes: IB Subject Selection
When we work with families in a collaborative manner for years we realise that sometimes sharing paste examples of how students and families have gone about making a decision is the best information we can provide just to get things going. So here is a sample of how an ex-student of mine went about making a decision about what subjects to go for in IBDP. What is key is that this decision-making process can be replicated across other boards and even APs as per requirements.
The following is an actual excerpt from the subject selection report I worked on for a student during my early days of working with the family. I have removed identifying information / student interest paragraphs.
Choosing Subjects - IBDP <Student Name> <Year> <School>
Students choose courses from the following subject groups: studies in language and literature; language acquisition; individuals and societies; sciences; mathematics; and the arts.
Students may opt to study additional sciences, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.
Students will take some subjects at higher level (HL) and some at standard level (SL).?HL and SL courses differ in scope but are measured according to the same grade descriptors, with students expected to demonstrate a greater body of knowledge, understanding and skills at higher level.
Each student takes at least three (but not more than four) subjects at higher level, and the remaining at standard level.
Standard level subjects take up 150 teaching hours. Higher level comprises 240 teaching hours.
The six subject groups are:
University Entrance Requirements (mainly for the US)
Colleges and universities consider a number of factors during the admissions process. The place where coursework comes into play is of course grades but also “Rigor of Secondary School Record.” With the latter, the colleges seek a demonstrated record of taking challenging classes that align with the story presented by the student to the school.?
Although each college establishes its own entrance requirements *, the recommended entrance requirements are as follows: (1 credit, in our case, is considered equal to 1 year of course studies - this calculation starts from grade 9)?recommendations.
? English: 4 credits
? Social Studies: 4 credits
? Science: 3 credits
? Mathematics: 3 credits
? Modern Language: 2 -3 credits
*More specific information can be found on each university’s previously declared requirements?
Sample from Brown CDS is as follows:
Minimum Subject Requirements as per degree choices for Singapore Colleges (IB DP) - since the student has expressed an interest in the region as well. Kindly go through this really well, especially the NTU pdf.?
Bands offered at student's school <School name witheld> : Student can choose one from each band.
Band 1: English HL & SL?
Band 2: Hindi, French AB or B, Spanish AB or B?
Band 3: Mathematics AA and AI
Band 4: Physics, Psychology, ESS, Economics
Band 5: BM, Chemistry, VA, History?
Band 6: BM, Economics, Biology, Computer Science
Further conditions - 1 Science + 2 Humanities OR 2 Science + 1 Humanities
Potential Combinations: (Taking into account the rejected preferences of the student and the potential majors of interest going ahead as the base)
Constants: English(SL) , Spanish AB Initio (SL), Math AI (HL) - these are non-negotiable subject options that cannot be put aside as per student interest and requirements.
Variable Combinations:?
领英推荐
?Final Decision (arrived at post option analysis with student) :
English(SL) , Spanish AB Initio (SL), Math AI (HL), BM (HL), Econ (HL),?CS (SL)
Key Recommendations:
BM-ESS-Econ
BM-ESS-Bio
BM-ESS-CS
To understand each of the options presented you can find the subject briefs on this IBO link https://www.ibo.org/university-admission/ib-recognition-resources-and-document-library/#?
If you have a preferred college you can also take into account their preferred credit policy to see if you are able to max out the credits early on (obviously that will further depend on your grade :) but it's okay to be hopeful)?Eg: Cornell (for the 2019 batch) only gives IB credit for the following subjects and grade combinations
Further Information on IB Credits at American/ Canadian 4 year institutions (Snapshot)
Many US universities and colleges differ in their approach to offering credit for IB exams. Below is a summary of benefits offered for your hard work during the Diploma Programme (DP)?
Barnard College : New York, New York. Open to high-achieving young women, this elite university in Manhattan offers up to 30 credit hours for IB diploma scores of 30 or higher. The school is the women’s college affiliate of Columbia University and is home to 2,600 undergraduates.
Bard College: Located in New York, New York, Bard College says that recipients of the full IB diploma can earn up to 32 credits (a full year).
University of British Columbia (UBC): Located in Vancouver and Okanagan, UBC offers a wide range of credit for both HL and SL courses. Their website is easy to follow and is broken into three notable parts: 1. Start with their step by step guide to credit and course registration, 2. this leads you to their first-year credit by IB exam , and 3. for potential applicants UBC has provided a degree-specific requirements guide for students seeking admission from IB World Schools.
Bryn Mawr College: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania’s own college gives IB diploma recipients with 30-45 points a full year of credit . Bryn Mawr doesn’t consider individual SL exams, but if you have a total of 35-45 points OR 30-34 points on your diploma and 3 high scoring HL exams, credit can be earned.
Universty of California (UC) system: All nine UC campuses offering undergraduate degrees reward a full IB diploma score of 30 or more with 30 quarter (20 semester) units toward their UC degree. Students who take only select HL course exams with scores of 5, 6 or 7 will receive 8 quarter (5.3 semester) units.?These units may be applied to graduation requirements for specific subjects or for general education/breadth requirements.
In addition to the broad 30 for 30 policy, each UC campus has their own exam-specific equivalencies: Berkeley , Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles (UCLA), Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.
University of Chicago: This elite Illinois-based university grants students general education credit for certain DP HL exams in biology, English, foreign languages, and mathematics.
Colorado Department of Higher Education : Covering 14 universities and 15 community college campuses and both HL and SL exams, this one reference guide is among the most comprehensive state-wide credit guides available. It covers both big-name destinations like Colorado State University and University of Colorado Boulder as well as smaller campuses like Colorado Mesa Universit
Columbia University (New York): If you are on your way to Columbia’s urban Manhattan campus, you may be eligible for 6 credits per HL exam in which you receive a 6 or 7. That’s a maximum of 18 credits for most full IB diploma holders.
CUNY (The city university of New York) : Every undergraduate college at CUNY follows the excellent 30 credits for diploma scores of 30 and up, or for short, 30 for 30. Just missed the 30 point mark or opted for exams only? You still have guaranteed credit for HL IB exams with a score of 5 or better.
DePaul University: Including both HL and SL, this Chicago, Illinois based university offers generous credit to IB grads. Based on their equivalency chart, full IB diploma holders may be eligible for 24-30+ credits .
Franklin-Marshall College: In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, students arriving with a score of 30 or more on their IB diploma are awarded a full year of credit toward a Franklin & Marshall degree. For individual exams, IB course students will receive one or two course credits (depending on discipline) for each HL exam passed with a score of 5 or higher. Because of their simplified credit system, this is roughly equivalent to the 30 for 30 policy offered at many other universities. Franklin-Marshall courses are generally worth one credit (rather than the typical four credits per class), meaning eight course credits is equal to one year of study.
University of Georgia: ? The UGA registrar website has an overview of their credit policy, but be sure to click-through to see the very generous HL and SL credit offering described in their IB credit equavalencies .?As an IB student, you are likely to get 4-12 credits per exam even for some SL’s. That will add up fast and the UGA admissions office indicates that most students arrive on campus with an average of 7 courses already covered by credit.
Georgia Tech: If you are on your way to Atlanta, look forward to credit for both?HL and SL exams. Their website is also extremely easy to read. A full IB diploma is likely to grant you between 18 and 34 credits depending on your exams.
Indiana University (UI): If you are heading to Bloomington, Indiana you can look forward to up to 8 credit hours for HL exams. Based on this equivalency chart , that means as many as 24 credits for the full IB diploma.
University of Maryland: The terps offer generous credit for IB exams. Their policy page looks generic at first glance, but clicking through to the full course equivalency document will not disappoint. You’ll find that they cover both SL and HL exams with 18-24 semester credits possible with a full IB diploma.
University of Michigan’s Go Blue Guarantee : Ann Arbor’s University of Michigan offers HL exam credit , with the minimum score of 4 needed to get up to 28 credit hours for IB exams. In addition, in-state residents who qualify for financial need can get a full four years of tuition through the university’s Go Blue Guarantee , often awarded to high performing IB students .
New York University (NYU): Although there’s no equivalency table, in general NYU will grant up to 32 credits to first-year students; and up to 64 credits for transferring students coming from another institution. For IB diploma holders that covers HL exams and scores of 6 or 7 only, consider contacting the admissions office to determine how much credit you may be eligible to receive.
Northwestern University: In Chicago, Illinois and at campuses abroad, Northwestern grants up to 2 units for each HL exam meeting their score range (depends on exam, but most are 6-7).?To get an idea of how that credit will apply to your future studies, contact the Weinberg College Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising.
Ohio State University: This large public university in Ohio offers credit for HL courses with a score of 4 or higher in more than 20 different subjects. For full DP students this could mean a minimum of 27 credits to be used towards course requirements.
University of Pennsylvania (Penn): The college of arts and sciences at this Ivy League institution offers credit or advance standing to incoming IB students.?Their offering is HL only with rigorous score cutoffs listed in this equivalency chart .
Purdue University: ?Students going to West Lafayette, Indiana may receive as many as 24-30 combined credits for their HL and SL exams. Exam scores of five or higher are needed to earn credit, but Purdue’s exam specific credit chart is incredibly easy to follow.
University of Rochester: This university in Rochester, New York is fully dedicated to IB student success. They offer credit for HL exams, merit scholarships for IB students, and are excited to introduce a few IB graduates that you might meet on campus. All the details are easy to find on their website .
Saint Michael’s College: Merit scholarships and course credit — this schools in Colchester, Vermont has IB graduates covered in all respects. Full IB diploma awards up to 32 credits. Individual exams? Both HL and SL are covered for scores of 5-7. Scholarship details: IB diploma holders are eligible for $15,000/year or more depending on your overall score.
Washington Department of Higher Education : Washington state universities offer credit to IB students who have received a 4 or higher on their SL or HL subject exams . This covers six four-year universities, including University of Washington , Western Washington University , Washington State University , Eastern Washington University and more, as well as 30+ two-year institutions. Check in for individual college and university regulations for IB course credit equivalencies. Schools may also offer a credit bonus to students who earn the full diploma.
University of Washington : This public research university offers up to 45 college credits for IB students . For DP students that have taken 3 HL and 3 SL courses, this could account for a minimum of 30 credits. Additionally, full diploma students will be awarded 5 more quarter credits towards graduation requirements.
University of Wisconsin: Unique among the very generous policies on this list, Badgers on their way to Madison get HL exam credit + 3 bonus credits for diploma scores of 28 or higher. Looking at their equivalency chart , that means anywhere from 9 to 28 credits possible for entering IB diploma holders.
In-state Wisconsin resident? Announced in 2018, Bucky’s tuituion promise offers free tuition based on the financial need of in-state students. This builds upon the Badger Promise , for qualifying in-state students who transfer from two-year institutions.
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Co-founder at The Red Pen, 10 years experience as an Education Consultant supporting hundreds of families with global education options across school, college, postgrad and MBA
2 年Interesting. It is indeed a process to match student interests with school schedules and maintain rigor preferred by universities. However in the case study presented, the student has ended up with no lab science and no history as is required/recommended in the Brown Univ. example given.