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IB program or Dual Enrollment?
I took DD to her Dr. today for a checkup. He always asks how she does in school and gives suggestions on what college she should go to. (He's been her Dr since she was born) Today, while he was asking about her grades and what grades she gets in what subjects, he suggested she go to SHS, in the IB program. I told him that I wanted her to go to WWHS. He said the only way that he would do that is if it were Dual enrollment! But he moved his family to Spring hill just for the IB program SHS. (His son is in 9th grade and has been accepted into the IB program in Hillsbrough High S) So he told his wife they could move back to the home they own in Tampa so his son could go to the HHS IB program. But, She thinks they should stay.
So now I'm really wondering if the IB school would be best or just to have DD dual enrolled?
Re: IB program or Dual Enrollment?
I think an IB program can be a great opportunity for the right student, but to maximize that benefit, the student has to be very driven. Joining an IB program and committing to working toward an IB diploma requires a high level of focus and will probably make your daughter's core academic courses very competitive. On the one hand, I think getting an IB diploma brings with it a certain level of prestige.
On the other hand, many public universities and some private colleges will accept some dual enrollment credits and, if it turns out your daughter is really rocking those classes in high school and you think she's going to be elite school material, she can elect to take the AP exams or the SAT subject tests to demonstrate her level of achievement (though a high score on the latter does not provide earn the student any college credit hours).
I work in education advising and we work with a lot of students studying the British curriculum that are worried about the number of A levels they should take. My advice to them is to always err on the side of being conservative and considering the context of the school they are in. It's better to be realistic about your limitations and the amount of time you can/will commit by taking a slightly "easier" load and acing those classes than it is to over-commit and crash and burn. Also, college admissions officers are just as concerned, if not more so, with how a student performs relative to their peers. If she goes to an DE school and is 5th out of a class of 300, that's going to look better than joining IB and being 50th out of a class of 150.
Oh, I completely agree that it can be a great opportunity, but just like every kid is not cut out for college, not every kid is cut out for IB. If I thought it would too much pressure and overwhelm my kid though, I wouldn't put them through that.
My DD is a cheerleader now and would like to be one in HS. So maybe the DE would be better for her. I don't want her to miss out on her HS years because she has to do tons of HW every night. AP classes and DE might be the way to go!
This is something I was going to mention. I was EXTREMELY involved in highschool and people I met in college who did the IB program said they wish they were more involved but didn't have the time to because of the time commitment. Honestly I would let your child make the decision and research it so they do't regret you pushing them to do something later
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Besides the personal satisfaction of being able to say "I graduated from an IB program", I just don't see much benefit beyond the benefits offered by AP classes. Like I said, it seems like a lot of extra work for not a whole lot of extra gain. But this is JMO. When I saw IB students come out of hs, going to the same colleges as the AP students and no further ahead once we got to college, I always thought....'wow they went through all of that for nothing.'
A student who does very well in IB might have an edge at some elite colleges, just as a student in A levels from the British curriculum would. That being said, IB is not a golden ticket on its own and most students are not destined for the Ivy League.
I think both take a lot away from the high school experience. IB is extremely time consuming and dual enrollment causes you to have to leave school entirely pretty much, eliminating you from being able to participate in a lot of extracurriculars at the school. The only true benefit I see is the ability to save money by doing dual enrollment.
I would say stick to honors and AP classes.. but that is just my viewpoint as a teacher and seeing that most of our kids don't go to Ivy League schools like other posters said..
Yeah, I can see the edge for Ivy League maybe, but I'd imagine SAT/ACT scores would provide just as much of an edge in that process.
She's smart, but I don't think she will be going to an Ivy League school. I'll be happy with USF! (As would my bank account)