IB OR AP: WHAT STUDY PROGRAM TO CHOOSE IN NORTH AMERICA?

If you are planning to enroll in one of North America's top universities, you may be already aware that following the standard programme taught in American schools may not be sufficient for you to reach that goal. Students with excellent academic performance who aim to enroll in an Ivy League school are likely to choose a school that follows either the International Вaccalaureate rogramme (IB) or the Advanced Placement Programme (AP).

AP program is favored by students who wish to study their chosen subject in depth. However, same subjects are explored in great detail on the advanced level of the IB course. One may fail to see the difference between these programmes.

After analyzing numerous articles as well as my interviews with industry professionals in North America, I would like to summarize my findings:

First of all, there are certainly fewer schools offering IB programmes in America. For example, in every fifteen schools that offer AP courses in the States, there is only one that offers the IB programme.

Both programs offer students a profound and unique level of knowledge that is highly valued by American universities; both programs give an opportunity for the students to earn credits that will count as part of their future university course. In my opinion, the difference between these programmes lies in the approach they take regarding studying methods. In other words, when you are faced with a choice between AP and IB programmes you should pick the method which promises to develop the abilities of the student best.

Here is a quick guideline: the AP programme proposes to study each subject on a profound level and to look at it from different perspectives. Schools teaching IB programmes use a holistic approach. Here students too study their chosen subjects in depth, but they also learn to view their subjects through the lens of time and analyse how they have affected different layers of society. In other words, the IB program offers a more analytical and creative method of approaching any subject.  
 

Larysa Neklyudova