Hey, I'm an International Baccalaureate student and I was wondering if anyone knows if IB classes earn me any college credit? I would really appreciate any insight!
Yes, many universities in the U.S. and around the world do give college credits for higher level (HL) International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, provided you achieve a certain score - commonly a score of 5, 6, or 7 out of 7. Some universities may also give credit for standard level (SL) courses.
However, those policies can heavily vary by institution. Some institutions may award credit for each HL course you've taken and passed, while others may only award credit for a completed IB Diploma, or for certain subjects. Moreover, the number of credits awarded can also significantly range.
In fact, several institutions use received IB credits to fulfill specific general-education requirements, not just as elective credits. Plus, a completed Diploma could possibly fulfill an institution's entire first-year requirements, depending on the school.
When considering a specific university, it will serve you best to directly check their admissions website or get in touch with their admissions team to learn about their specific IB credit policy, as the information can sometimes be buried. To provide an example, MIT doesn’t offer any credit for IB coursework, even if you got a 7 in a higher-level course. Conversely, Stanford University grants work credit for higher level IB exams passed with a score of 5 or higher, but the exact number of credits depends on the subject.
Remember that you can also reach out to your high school counselor, as they often have considerable information on how various universities approach IB credit.
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