Yo, I've been grinding through the IB program and it's kind of killing me, ngl. But do colleges really care about IB students more than AP students or others? Is this pain going to pay off when I start applying to colleges, or am I just torturing myself for no extra benefit?
Hey there! I totally understand where you're coming from with the stress of the IB Diploma. However, I can tell you that colleges do indeed regard an IB diploma highly, because it's universally recognized as a rigorous program that prepares you for the challenges of college-level coursework.
While both AP and IB are respected, IB's holistic framework, with components like Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay, stand out in comparison to a whole bunch of individual AP courses. The diploma can also potentially earn you credits, or at least initial placement into a higher level of a course, at many universities, which can allow you to start taking more interesting classes earlier, rather than needing to sit through a whole bunch of huge, intro-level lectures. Hang in there, the effort can truly enhance your college application!
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