Classes & Course Rigor
A fundamental aspect of high school is what classes you take, and for many this is a new idea that seems almost impossible to master. From AP vs. IB to why you should take weighted courses. Read below to guide yourself through the basics of choosing your classes.
Course Rigor
Course rigor is the difficulty of the classes you take. This doesn't necessarily equate to your weighted GPA or how many AP classes you take, though both are factors in how rigorous your schedule is. What specific classes you take are the most important factor. For example, AP BC Calculus and both AP Physics C classes are much more difficult than a class like AP CSP. While all are weighted and give AP credit, BC Calculus and the Physics C classes are considered more rigorous.
Why it's important
Course rigor is a cornerstone of college applications, and many colleges view it as one of the most important aspects of an application. If you're curious to see how a specific college ranks course rigor in terms of importance on an application, look up that colleges "common data set" and scroll to section C7. You'll find many colleges list it in the "very important" section. If you take AP, IB, and even PLTW courses, you can also get college credit if you score well on the cumulative tests at the end of the year. Additionally, opening up yourself to more difficult classes in high school will allow you to have a more seamless transition into college as you experience classes of similar difficulty.
How to manage it
Many schools in the DMV have a wide array of classes ranging in course difficulty, so finding the right fit is often difficult. You'll want to make sure you don't stack too many challenging courses to the point where you struggle keeping stable grades or have no time outside of school. The right amount varies per person though, some people might be able to handle 5-6 AP and IB classes with an honors class while some people stick with just a couple. Another mostly unspoken aspect is that the day to day difficulty in specific classes will change by teacher, so don't pick IB Chemistry since someone on reddit said it was easy.
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AP vs. IB
AP classes, or Advanced Placement, are courses offered by College Board that are meant to reflect college level difficulty. Each course has an end of year exam that differs in style by class. Your score on the cumulative test will be a number 1-5, with a 3 and higher considered passing. Many colleges will offer college credit if you score a minimum of a specific score, mainly a 3 or 4, that you can use to bypass classes in college. Some colleges don't offer credit for specific courses at all, and you can click here to see which colleges offer credit to courses and what score you need to achieve in order to get credit.
IB Classes
IB classes, or International Baccalaureate, are courses offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization that are also meant to reflect college level difficulty. Also like AP classes, each class has an end of course exam meant to reflect your mastery of the course. Your score ranges from 1-7, and a 4 or higher generally tends to be considered passing. Colleges also offer credit for IB courses, and you can click here to see which universities accept IB classes and what score you need to achieve in order to get credit.
The Difference
While many qualities of both AP and IB courses are the same, there are some underlying differences. First and the most obvious one, the International in IB is there for a reason. IB credits are more widely accepted internationally in comparison to AP credits, and most students who know they want to study abroad will often take IB courses. Second, most students who take IB courses will also aim for the IB diploma, which has a wide set of requirements but is internationally recognized and is a great add to any college application. A key aspects of IB courses are that some are 2 year courses, while all AP courses are 1 year or 1 semester courses. IB classes also tend to be offered at fewer schools, mainly offered at those who are specifically noted as IB schools.
How to Choose
If you know you want to study abroad, IB will likely be the best bet. If you know you want to go into an engineering focused discipline, AP Courses will likely be the best fit. The IB diploma pathway doesn't offer much flexibility outside of IB courses, and many focused in the aforementioned discipline will want that flexibility to take PLTW and AP STEM-related courses not offered by IB. If you hope to enter the sciences, mathematics, or computer science, both will work out just fine as they both offer courses in those fields. Just make sure to do some more specialized research and make sure your school offers the IB courses you're looking for.