Is IB Harder Than AP?
Selecting the right school for your child is important, and for many households, a private school is ideal. This is because studies have shown that private school students outscored their public school counterparts in reading by 18 points in eighth grade and 15 points in fourth grade, according to Fatherly. However, deciding between private and public schools is not the only decision you need to make. You need to decide whether to look for a school that offers Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs.
This may leave you wondering if IB is harder than AP, so let’s dive into this subject further.
The Key Differences
Technically, both courses are college-level courses. As such, students will find these challenging. However, whether they find AP or IB courses harder will vary based on the child. IB courses have a stronger emphasis on critical thinking skills and reaching a conclusion through an insightful thought process. AP courses are more traditional and rely very heavily on reading books or coursework to reach an answer. As such, if a student has great critical thinking skills, they may excel at IB courses. But, if a child prefers a more typical learning method, IB courses may be harder for that particular student.
Do Colleges Prefer IB or AP Courses?
According to CollegeEssayGuy.Com, students who take IB classes have a higher acceptance rate into Ivy League Schools. There are not any other studies that have been completed that show other colleges have a preference for IB over AP courses, or vice versa. As such, if your child is looking to get into an Ivy League school, International Baccalaureate programs may help them achieve that goal. But, if they are looking to get into a local college, they can take either IB or AP courses based on their own preferences.
If you are looking for a school that offers a top International Baccalaureate program, we would love to show you why we may be the ideal school for your child. We are an International Baccalaureate World School offering the IB Primary Years (PYP) Program to our students. Reach out to us today to take a tour of our facility and learn more about what differentiates us from other schools in the area.
