Which is Better: AP or IB?
A prospective client emailed me yesterday with a question that is regularly asked of me when I give presentations on college admission around the Denver area.
Which is better, Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB)? Do colleges find one more impressive over the other?
In my opinion, both the AP and IB programs are equally valuable, in that the exams associated with those courses provide an external measure of quality. Any student who does well on the end-of-course assessments associated with either program can genuinely claim to have done college work in a high school setting.
The structures of the two programs are very different, however. Think of AP and IB this way: AP is a smorgasbord: pick the courses you want, leave behind those that tempt you less. IB, by contrast, is a “prix fixe” menu: you get all or nothing. There is a range of choice within IB, but the entire high school curriculum is dictated by those initial choices.
The fact is that highly competitive AP students are taking 6, 7, 10 AP courses and doing well on the exams (scores of 4 or 5 out of five possible points). Likewise, highly competitive IB students are not only taking the IB courses, but are scoring 5, 6, or 7s (out of seven) on the diploma tests. However, there are also plenty of students who take lots of AP courses who do not do well on the exams (many do not even take them!). Similarly, there are students in IB programs who are unlikely to fulfill all the requirements of the IB diploma.
As to whether colleges prefer AP or IB? Colleges like them both. Both programs represent tough curricular requirements. But in the end, it’s all about the student’s performance: did they perform at the very top of the scale for either program? Did they pass the independently administered exams with flying colors? If so, colleges will be heavily recruiting those students—regardless of the AP or IB label.
One thing parents (and students) ought to keep in mind as they look at schools and at individual teachers: ask about their pass rate. That is, ask what percentage of students enrolled in these programs take and pass (or get perfect scores) on the AP or IB assessments? The answer to this question will be a better indicator of program quality than the label. I have several clients who are getting very high grades in AP courses, but who will never be able to pass the AP exams. Their teachers are simply not up to the job of presenting such a demanding curriculum and helping students achieve to the standards set by that curriculum.
So to reiterate, both the AP and IB programs are excellent preparation for college, and the colleges seek out students to excel in either environment. Students and teachers should look beyond the labels to ask about the quality of the programs on offer. Just as we don’t judge books by their cover, we should not judge a program by its label.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
About the Author
Mark Montgomery
As a former professor, administrator, and high school teacher, Mark has the knowledge and skills to counsel students as they make the transition from high school to college.
165 Responses to “Which is Better: AP or IB?”
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Hi, Kate,
Colleges like both the IB and the BAC S. They will have the ability to “translate” the two different diplomas for their purposes. What is most important is how the student performs in those programs. I’d choose the program that is best suited to each child. It sounds like you’re doing that, so don’t worry about the future implications. Performance in the present determines more than the actual configuration of the diploma.
Hope that helps. We work with kids from all over the world, so let us know if we can be helpful to you and your family.
Hi, Kate. If your son is a top student, he should stick with the full IB diploma. Unless he plans to really bomb history, in which case should switch. But his record this past year does not indicate he will bomb. Tell him to stick it out and get the IB diploma. It’s good training: sometimes you have to eat your academic spinach.
On the other hand, if he is really not interested in it, and if he is not planning on going to a selective college, then it doesn’t really matter. So he can take what he likes.
You see, there is no cut and dried answer to this question. Everything depends on everything else. We specialize in helping kids–like your son–make their own decisions. Different people will tell you different things, based on their own assumptions about what is “good” for him. We help him decide what is good for him, and then live with the consequences that may (or may not) flow from that decision. This is what he will have to do as a grown-up: make tough decisions for himself. Let us know if we can be helpful.
Thanks!
Hi, Majed,
The curriculum itself will make little difference. What will matter is your performance in the curriculum you choose to pursue.
Good luck!
No, Stephanie, you won’t be penalized. Your reward will come from pursuing excellence in all you do. Best of luck!
Hi, I’m currently in my first week of Senior year and I’m in the IB program. I am thinking of switching all because of one class: Spanish. I dont feel i can get any grade higher than a C and that would be a stretch. My teacher even told me that she felt i am not prepared for the class. My school won’t let me mix so it’s either all IB or nothing. I do want to stay in IB but this spanish class will be my anchor towards the school i want to go to. But if i switch out i feel i am also holding myself back. It is difficult to describe my situation besides the fact my parents are in full support of AP but I’m torn and i dont know what to do? Will one class really hold back my college acceptance or is it just me being paranoid? I have by the end of the week to decide.
Joseph,
There is no easy answer here. One class won’t kill you, but it may affect your chances at particular schools. Since I don’t know the entire scenario, it’s hard to advise you. If you are doing well otherwise in IB, my initial inclination is to encourage you to stick with it, and to find some way to improve your Spanish. Have you looked at Speak Shop (http://speakshop.com). This is a tutoring company that offers one on one tutoring by a native speaker over Skype for a very low hourly fee. The teachers are very experienced, and my own kids have used it. Ask for Milvia in Guatemala, and tell her I sent you. Seriously, this could be your salvation if you stick with IB. But it’s going to take some work and dedication. And if you really want to get better in Spanish, consider spending your Christmas break in Guatemala studying at Probigua, the school where Milvia teaches. I know it would be expensive, but hey…college is going to be even more expensive.
Again, it’s hard for me to give you specific advice on this. But perhaps this will give you another way to think about your chances of passing that Spanish course.
Best of luck!
Hello, Anna.
College credit is a policy that each college implements on its own. Generally, those that give credit for AP courses also give credit for IB courses. You can look up these policies on the websites of colleges that interst you. And yes, IB is much more rigid than AP, if you do the full diploma program. The switch itself will not look bad. What is important is why you made the switch, and how well you perform.
Hope this helps.
I’m currently in 8th grade, applying for two magnet programs. One has IB, and the other has a lot of housing programs(Poolesville). i’d like to get into one of them, preferably the one with IB (Richard Montgomery). I have to admit that I didn’t get the best grades in 7th grade (a couple of B’s) and now I’m worried that I won’t get into neither of them because of it. I’m working really hard for this year, but since I can’t change last year’s grades, I want to know if it’ll put a big impact on the applications…
Hi Mina,
It is difficult for us to assess your chances for these programs since we are unfamiliar with their application review process. The best thing you can do is keep your grades up and submit the strongest application possible!
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant
I’m currently a sophomore in high school and thus far my only AP class is in Spanish 4. I go to a relatively small high school where AP classes are only offered to juniors and seniors or students that have the necessary prerequisites. I’m making a 100 in Spanish 4 but should I fail the AP exam would that reflect badly on me? Would it be better to not take the exam?
Hi Lauren! I think it is always worth giving the AP exam a try. If you are doing that well in the course and study appropriately is likely that you will do well on the test. Best case scenario is that you do well enough to earn some credit heading into college and if you don’t try it you will never know. Thanks for your comment!
For medical school in Canada ,which is better I.B or A.P.I mean for bachelors degree in college for pre -med,is I.B better to prepare you or A.P and what is more widely accepted.Please tell me as soon as possible.I want to apply in high school [public or private].My plan is to go to Mcgill University for m.d,c.m.Also please tell me which college is best for this in Toronto.I have heard of Seneca and Centennial.Is Seneca better.
Thank you.
Hello, Dilawar. I’m not an expert on Canadian education…I specialize in the US. But either the AP or the IB can get you where you want to go in either country. It’s more about your performance in those programs than the content of the curriculum.
Best of luck.