All About International Baccalaureate (IB)

[kiwi68]

twilight:

During ACSI open house, the vice principal did show the points required for various faculties in NUS. If I'm not wrong, medicine and law faculty will require around 40-42 points.

thanks for sharing. No la, not aiming for such specialised faculties for my kids, they're not up to par! So I guess if they can score anything above 38points should be fine right?

[twilight]

Yup, above 38 is fine. If I remember correctly too haha.

[UncleLim]

whitecorp:

I understand that one of my student's siblings was the only

one from SJI international to get into medicine last year; she was
previously from the IB program.

Medical school in Singapore? Is she that girl featured in the news - the only person from SJII to get 45 points?

[kiwi68]

thanks for all the info. Hee…we’re not thinking of medical school, or any specialised field la. As long as it’s possible for him to get in for any general degree will do.

[Avicii]

Hi there, I'm a recent IB Diploma Graduate. Rest assured, university admissions pertaining to the International Baccalaureate are of proportionate rate as comparred to the GCE 'A' Levels (In my opinion however, I feel that our admission rate is \"easier\")


I'm not that much of an intellectual as I only scored a mere 29 points and was still admitted to SMU's Bachelor of Accountancy programme. A word of advice though, admission criteria may be easy for IB holders but for an individual who desires a scholarship, a solid 35 points (+ commendable CIP hours/CCA/Leadership Qualities) would suffice.

Hopes for the best for your kids.

[kiwi68]

Avicii:

Hi there, I'm a recent IB Diploma Graduate. Rest assured, university admissions pertaining to the International Baccalaureate are of proportionate rate as comparred to the GCE 'A' Levels (In my opinion however, I feel that our admission rate is \"easier\")


I'm not that much of an intellectual as I only scored a mere 29 points and was still admitted to SMU's Bachelor of Accountancy programme. A word of advice though, admission criteria may be easy for IB holders but for an individual who desires a scholarship, a solid 35 points (+ commendable CIP hours/CCA/Leadership Qualities) would suffice.

Hopes for the best for your kids.

Hi Avicii, thanks for sharing yr experience.

[nelly]

Hi! i would like to ask for you to share your opinion if IB or alevels is better. i am considering between IB or alevels and would like to do my research first before my results come out. I know both have their pros and cons but i would like to ask

does IB have it harder to get into uni? Many people i know are wary of IB cause they are still not familiar with it. And although many universities says they do accept IB, i am afraid there might be some prejudice since alevels has been around for a longer time. Many consider alevels a safer option but Ib really does sound tempting.

[emoh]

nelly:

Hi! i would like to ask for you to share your opinion if IB or alevels is better. i am considering between IB or alevels and would like to do my research first before my results come out. I know both have their pros and cons but i would like to ask

does IB have it harder to get into uni? Many people i know are wary of IB cause they are still not familiar with it. And although many universities says they do accept IB, i am afraid there might be some prejudice since alevels has been around for a longer time. Many consider alevels a safer option but Ib really does sound tempting.

some earlier discussions can be found in this thread, hope this helps

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=8100&start=70

[guaigirl24]

you can go for the open houses too to find out more about the IB from the schools.

not sure when ACSI’s one is , but SJI Senior School (IBDP launched last year) open house is 15 January, 10am-3pm at their Bishan holding site

[guaigirl24]

From the thread posted above:

Lovelypetunias:

Though I am unsure about foreign schools and the A levels, I assert that the IB might be a more rigorous course, for it will prove to be strenuous to students as they are engaged in a program that demands much discipline from them.

The IB places great emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and application, and within the context of Singapore, this course differs across schools! While ACS may yield many students with full scores, how are we to know that their curriculum is variant from one in SJI? Can we really gain knowledge of the IB curriculum from the empirical?

The media does not present us with such truths and as such we cannot justify it to be a valid claim that all students taking the IB in Singapore will yield the same results, for their learning processes are different. However, this should not mean that the two schools I have mentioned are to be judged as good or bad in their curriculum. It is true that we as outsiders cannot identify the mechanics of the program in the school, but by simply discerning the nature of the course, and understanding your child's potential, only then can we possibly assure ourselves that the course is suitable for the child who is taking it.

Another matter that remains poignant is the fact that schools offering the IB in Singapore don't provide the same courses for everyone. Though this is hearsay, a friend of mine told me of a relative who got into United World College (UWC), and was required to take Language B (Chinese) at a Higher Level, forcing her to drop one of her desired subjects to Standard. Though this example applies to an International school, it does reveal that the IB is indeed variant across all schools.

Though I don't have enough evidence to justify this claim, I think that most IB schools in Singapore will offer different Humanities and Science subjects (eg: Psychology / Philosophy and Design Technology) which will also affect the rigor of the course as certain subjects demand different expectations. Biology students have more content than Chemistry students, and are marked quite strictly during examinations for key phrases and precision in facts.

The Core topics [TOK, EE and CAS] may appear to be of less significance in comparison to the other 6 compulsory subjects, but they can prove to be equally distressing if not managed well. If poorly managed, these three subjects can create much disharmony to schedules, and plans for revision/work on other subjects.

Yet one must not regard the IB course with aversion as it is highly dependent on your child's potential. As aforementioned, I am unclear of the mechanics of the A-levels, but I believe that the IB is a much more well-rounded course as it engages the students to apply critical thinking (with the compulsory implementation of ToK) as opposed to the A-levels, where Knowledge Inquiry (KI) and other subjects are rendered optional, or placed into streams for students to pick.

Having a much more well-rounded course will benefit your child as they may eventually act upon their will to engage in higher order thinking, and discern what is suitable for their surroundings and themselves. A well-rounded course will ensure that they will gain heightened awareness to the disciplines that are advantageous to them. As cogs for the future of the organic structure of society, they will be able to function according to the values that they have learned and held strong during their education, ensuring the maintenance of society and its sustainability. This is a reason as to why I prefer the IB over the A levels, for I feel that the system of the A levels does not entirely encourage students to pursue critical thinking that will enable them to become more discerning, leaving them to treat such subjects with contempt or disinterest.

But nonetheless, these are my own thoughts of what the IB offers in comparison to my little knowledge of the A-levels. While I personally favor IB and regard it to be more challenging in workload and subject juggling, both are important courses that will determine your child's path in the future. I reiterate that the child's potential is key in deciding whether IB or the A-levels are suitable for them.

:goodpost: btw

(though :itwasntme: that posted it ...)