As a high school student considering AP or IB courses, you may be wondering which course you can choose to better help your college application. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of AP and IB courses, as well as advice on how to choose the right course to maximize your chances of college acceptance.
01 History of AP and IB
According to Collgeboard, in 2021, more than 22,800 high schools in the U.S. offered AP courses, and about 35 percent of high school graduates had taken at least one AP course. On the other hand, according to the IB, more than 900 high schools offer the IB Diploma Program in the U.S. The first IB program was offered in U.S. schools in 1971, and AP courses began in 1955.
02 Overview of AP and IB
Before we discuss their role in college admissions, let’s give a quick overview of what AP and IB programs are.
AP stands for Advanced Placement, for American Pre-College, American College Preparatory, and refers to college courses offered by The College Board that are taught in high schools. U.S. high school students can take these courses and earn AP credits after completing their coursework. College credit can be earned by taking AP exams and receiving a certain score.
The IB program, known as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, is a self-contained system that is not based on the curriculum of any country in the world, and has widely absorbed the advantages of the mainstream curriculum systems of many contemporary developed countries, covering their main core content.
03 Difference between AP vs IB
Both IB and AP programs are upper-level courses, but there are some fundamental differences between the two that you should be aware of when making your decision.
Learning Environment
AP courses: low threshold, few restrictions, AP course learning is very flexible: take courses in the school offerings; online learning through the network; learning in extracurricular tutorials; and even self-study at home, and finally directly take the AP exam.
IB course: must be in the IBO authorized school to take, students on the completion of the IB course and the results of the qualified, will be able to obtain the diploma issued by the IBO.
Duration of Study
AP Program: None
IB Curriculum: The multi-year IB curriculum actually consists of four age groups: PYP, MYP, DP and CP, with the MYP being a regular 5-year program and the DP being a 2-year pre-university program.
Learning Difficulty
AP Program: ★★★★★★
The AP program focuses on the transfer of knowledge, and the examination is subject-oriented, so students can freely choose the subjects they are good at, thus “avoiding their weaknesses”.
IB Program: ★★★★★
The IB program focuses on theoretical knowledge and writing, which is more difficult for Chinese students. At the same time, students studying the IB program have to achieve graduation requirements through a large number of extracurricular and social activities.
04 What are the advantages of AP over IB?
Program Flexibility
A major advantage is the flexibility of the AP program. AP courses offer a variety of different topics such as literature, science, art, history, etc. Students are free to choose from a wide range of topics based on their professional interests and future goals, which not only identifies and stimulates interest, but also contributes to in-depth knowledge of their future profession.
Specific Assessment for AP
By creating specific AP exams for each course, students’ knowledge and depth of understanding can be accurately assessed. This specific and quantitative assessment allows students to clearly demonstrate their academic strengths when writing application materials and allows application reviewers to visualize students’ strengths in specific subjects.
AP’s Boost GPA
AP courses offered in high schools are generally upper-level courses, so the GPA of the course is 5.0, and many students take AP courses to improve their GPA.
AP Credit Transfer
On a practical and valuable note, many colleges in the United States recognize AP courses and are willing to give credit for AP exams with a passing score. This means that by completing AP courses early and with good scores students can potentially save time and money during their college years.
AP’s Familiarity with the U.S. Education System
The system is designed with a core curriculum that is similar in structure to college courses in the U.S., which can help international students better acclimate to the U.S. education system and the academic atmosphere of a university. Particularly in the study and exploration of subdivided major courses, AP courses provide excellent preparation for students from around the globe.
05 Impact of the AP Program on College Applications
- Improve admission chances: Students who complete AP courses with good grades can show colleges that they have the ability and skills to study at a college-level difficulty.
- Increase GPA:Compared to regular U.S. high school courses, AP courses can earn a 5.0 GPA, which can help raise your GPA.
- Earn college credits:After completing AP courses, students can take the AP exams held in May every year. Excellent AP scores can be exchanged for some college credits, which can help to graduate earlier or reduce the pressure of college-level courses.
- Enhance academic reputation:AP courses are the most advanced courses in the U.S. high school academic curriculum, which means that students who are able to achieve good grades in these courses will have a higher competitive advantage and academic ability when applying to colleges.
- Aids in major selection:AP courses cover a wide range of fields, from the arts to the sciences, and allow students to gain a deeper understanding of their own interests and talents in a particular field, which can be the finishing touch to a college application.
- Increased Scholarship Opportunities:Many colleges and organizations use AP scores as an important basis for awarding scholarships and grants.
06 What are SMOA AP credit courses?
In the U.S. high school education system, each school matches or recommends Online School Courses, a practice designed to help students raise their GPAs and meet the credits required for graduation, as well as to offer courses that are not offered by the school but that students need to take. With a history dating back nearly 50 years, it has gained widespread acceptance as a popular form of educational learning in the United States.
St. Mary’s Online Academy (SMOA) is the online high school of St. Mary’s High School, a century-old school and one of Niche’s top 100 boarding schools in the U.S. St. Mary’s Online Academy (SMOA) offers pure U.S. high school credit courses, AP credit courses, and U.S. High School Diploma courses. Students can enjoy pure US high school personalized education and improve their GPA scores and academic backgrounds without leaving their homes in the Asian time zone.
Our diplomas, credits, and transcripts are accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) Cognia (AdvancED), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Association of American Boarding Schools (TABS), and the Western Boarding Schools Association (WBSA). AP courses are accredited by the College Board and the UC A-G Curriculum, and credits, transcripts, and diplomas are recognized by universities in the U.S. and around the world. Students who have earned online U.S. high school diplomas, credits and transcripts have been accepted into world-renowned universities and art colleges in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.
It is an opportunity for students from domestic general high schools, public international departments, international schools and overseas high schools to both supplement their credits and improve their GPA. Students from domestic general high schools and international students can also participate in the American High School Diploma Program that we offer and apply to world universities with American High School status.
07 Advantages of SMOA
Choose SMOA’s U.S. high school program to help boost your high school GPA and get into a top college or university!
1-From the top 100 boarding high schools in the U.S.
St. Mary’s School, renowned for exceptional quality of education.
2-Elite teachers ensure teaching quality
Pure U.S. high school education, acknowledged globally.
3-Cognia authoritative certification
Highly recognized by universities for credits, transcripts and recommendation letters.
4-500+ graduates enter the world’s most prestigious schools
High credibility and reputation
5-Comprehensive and rigorous grading
Process assessment, focus on final results
6-Effective in raising GPA
4.33 out of 5.0 for regular, 5.0 out of 5.0 for AP
7-Rich course selection, 20+ AP courses
Year-round rolling classes, multiple class types, customizable
8-Have our own mainland AP test center
No need to travel to Hong Kong or abroad for AP exam
9-Real-time classes in Asian time zones + asynchronous classes
Flexible and efficient learning
10-Professional learning platform and teaching system
Bilingual Learning Coach 7*24 Supervision
SMOA – Online U.S. High School 2024 is open for enrollment on a rolling basis (includes AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science A, AP Psychology, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Physics 1, AP Statistics, AP English Literature & Composition, AP Physics 2, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics, Earth and Space Science, Algebra, Fashion Design, Interior Design, and more), students can enroll at a time that works for them, or they can also choose one-on-one classes for more flexibility! We look forward to welcoming you~!