To IB or not to IB?
November 2024
By: Kate Taylor, with original text from Sammy Berman, Margaret Freeman, and Sienna Shille
To IB or not to IB? This is the question that many Northfield Sophomores are asking themselves right now, as the time to choose whether or not to take the IB diploma is rapidly approaching. The answer, of course, is different for everyone, and all Sophomores should spend time weighing the pros and cons of taking the IB diploma program before making such an important decision.
It is most important, in my opinion, to know what classes are available to be taken in the IB diploma program. Here is a link to the class options, however it is sometimes a bit confusing. There are two different levels of classes, Higher Level classes (HL classes) and Standard Level classes (SL classes). To earn the IB diploma, you must take 3 HL classes and 3 SL classes, along with Theory of Knowledge. HL classes are typically more rigorous, and a class will cover more content throughout the course. HL classes will also have more parts to the assessment. For example, IB psychology HL has 4 main large assessments - Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3, and an IA. Standard Level classes are similar to Higher level classes, however SL classes tend to be less rigorous and cover less material than an HL class. SL classes also have one less assessment, only having Paper 1, Paper 2, and an IA. Another difference between Standard Level and Higher Level classes is that HL classes are 2 years long. This means that once entered in the class, you will be in the course for two years. Standard level classes are typically one year long. This means that the classes are the same length as a typical Northfield class. However, a few select SL classes are also two years long. These classes include IB World History SL, IB Global Politics SL, IB Psychology SL, IB Theater 1 SL, and IB Visual Arts. Once enrolled in an IB course, it is very rare for a student to switch from an SL class to an HL class, or vice-versa.
For specific class choices, there are many to choose from in the IB diploma. There are 24 total points you must complete. As a student in the IB diploma program, you must take two years of a math class, two years of an English class, two years of a science class, one or two years of a social science class, two years of a world language course, an optional one or two years of an art or theatre class, and Theory of Knowledge. The course options for math are IB Math Applications and Interpretations (A & I) SL or Math Analysis and Approaches (A & A) SL. For an English course, there is only one option that all students must complete, IB diploma or not, which is IB Language and Literature (Lang & Lit) HL. For science classes, you have many course options. These are IB Biology SL, IB Biology HL, IB Computer Science HL, IB Chemistry SL, IB Sports Exercise and Health Science SL, IB Physics SL, and IB Environmental Systems and Studies SL. For social science, you can take IB History of the Americas HL, IB Psychology HL, IB Psychology SL (One year class), IB Global Politics HL, IB Global Politics SL (One year class), IB Business Management, or IB World History (One Year class). For the world language credit, you may take IB Spanish SL or HL, IB French SL, IB Mandarin SL, IB French Ab Initio SL, or IB Spanish Ab Initio SL. Ab Initio is a class designed for students who are switching languages and have no experience in the new language. For the arts and/or theatre credit, you can take IB Visual Arts HL, IB Visual Arts SL (One year class), IB Theater HL, Or IB Theater 1 SL.
You will also take Theory of Knowledge (TOK). This class is required for every IB Diploma student at Northfield, and will be 3 semesters long. In the fourth semester you will take Civics. In the diploma you DO have the opportunity for an off period.
IB is graded on a scale of 1 to 7, one being the worst and seven being the best. At the end of your years in IB, you will take an IB exam for your class. This determines whether or not you pass the class. However, International Baccalaureate has the goal of making well rounded and well educated students, so even if you fail one class of your IB exams, if you score really well on another exam, you could still acquire the IB diploma. As far as pricing for the tests, each IB exam costs $123, so the total for all of the IB final exams would be approximately $750. However, Northfield offers scholarships for students who cannot pay the full pricing. Students should never let the cost of the diploma impact whether or not they participate in the IB diploma program.
Students will also participate in an IA. This stands for Internal Assessment. A part of the IA in many IB classes is called the IO, or the Internal Oral. This is a spoken presentation in front of your class, and is first graded by your classroom teacher and then sent out to the professionals at International Baccalaureate to grade. This contributes to your score on your final exam. After you complete your IA, you will take your final test.
In your classes you will complete your IA, along with an extended essay (completed in TOK), which is an analysis of a research paper based on a topic of your choice, along with creative activity service (CAS), which is the community service aspect of the diploma.
It is an inaccurate idea that less and less colleges are accepting IB credits. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Many schools will accept some degree of the IB diploma, and even more will accept the entire diploma and its credits. The main schools that do not accept the IB diploma are Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. However, according to The Global College, “The acceptance rate of IB students into Ivy League Universities is up to 18% higher than the total population acceptance rate”. The reason the acceptance is higher is because colleges are looking to see that a student is taking the most advanced classes offered at their school, and for Northfield High School, those classes are offered through the IB diploma program. SL and HL classes are also looked at differently by colleges and universities. Each individual college determines how many credits to offer for each IB class. Credits you earn during high school will count toward the amount of classes you need to take during college. College credits are units used by universities to measure a student's progress toward completing a degree. The more credits you have before college, the less classes you will have to take and thus pay for. For a list of colleges that offer IB, click here.
Overall, IB can be a great option, and is something all students can achieve if they are willing to put in the effort and time. Before deciding what you will do, take time to consider the prior information and make an educated decision. For any additional resources, please reach out to our career/college navigator, Ms. Ursula Martin, the IB coordinators, Mr. Wright and Ms. Cruz, your respective counselor, or look through the Course selection sheet, course catalog and the other resources specifically for IB on the school website.
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