Full DP or Partial DP?
Hello all. I am a sophomore currently in an IB school, and we have an option of taking full DP classes or partial DP classes our senior year. DP is basically AP at our school. I am wondering, should I take full DP or only a few select classes? I would be taking DP Math Analysis, DP Biology, DP history, DP Chinese, DP Music, DP English and AVID for sure as full DP, potentially DP health. Is there a benefit behind either?
I am in the full IB Diploma Programme. I think the decision as to whether or not you should participate in the DP should more be based on how much stress you can (and want to) put up with and your feelings on writing papers.
Many students in my grade wish they hand't done full-IB. My sisters both survived the programme and are glad they did it. If you love writing and discussing philosophy and are fine having a lot of homework over the summer, you would probably be a great candidate for the full programme. If you cannot stand writing 4000 word essays - the EE - (or math essays) or debating your political/religious views, you might not want to participate in the full programme.
Hope that helps! Good luck!
Which classes would you take HL vs. SL?
How many DP's have you done in previous years? If you're going from 0 to 7+ DP classes you will feel the wrath and your GPA will plummet. So, be cautious. But if you have experience and can manage your time to 100% and are okay with a few B's, go for it. Good luck!
I have only done the one I am currently in, but I'm confident enough in the second part to take next year and Mandarin for sure, which is why I'm bouncing between full and partial. Thank you kindly for the advice and good luck!
Since you've only done one, I would heavily suggest that you not take 7. That is an insane jump, even the most dedicated take 5 every year, not 7. Especially in senior year when you're working on college applications, you will probably be getting 3-4 hours of sleep and your extracurriculars will go down. Also, why now? You're just a sophomore, maybe take 2-3 DP in junior year then think about what you're capable of next year when you decide how many DP in senior year. Take your time, and do stuff for yourself, not just for college.
Typically the opportunity to take IB classes starts in eleventh grade, so when I started IB I went from taking 0 IB classes to 7 IB classes. I survived!
For the full IB DP, students have to take about 7 IB classes junior year.
First of all, the answer to your dilemma depends upon the prestige and competitiveness of your choices for universities. If you are planning on applying to some less competitive colleges then you may not want to take the stress of that many DP classes. Personally, with the data given, I would suggest strongly that you enroll a few, maybe 3-5, and then continue on your track through all of HS. Remember, the DPs and APs only look good if you have enough time and focus to get grades in those classes. Good luck, hope this helps.
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