Do IB students have a higher chance into getting into college?

Answered

If you have earned an IB diploma and have a high composite score of say 40+ out of a Maximum of 45 points, I think it's safe to say that you hare shown considerable evidence of academic achievement. It's no different as if you took 6 AP tests and earned the AP scholar of distinction and have a 4.5+ AP test score average. Therefore, having high test scores shows both ones aptitude to succeed at college level work as well as retaining the material and mastering the content with the test scores.

So clearly these type of achievements improve anyone's college admissions outcome. But if you just take IBs or APs or any other kind of college equivalent courses (or college courses themselves) and get Cs or Bs and lower scores on the exams like 2s, 3s, 4s, on your IBs or 1s and 2s on the APs , well that doesn't help you out at all. That just means you were "over your skis" and probably should have picked an easier ski trail to "schuss" through.

The rule of thumb is this.

If you apply to a school with an average acceptance rate of 30-90%, APs and IBs certificates definitely set you apart from the average applicant. But if you apply to Ivys, Elites and Top liberal arts colleges, they have diminishing returns in terms of any sort of advantage because the application pool is overflowing with high achievers who have all kind of course rigors, test scores, awards, honors and evidence of intellectual vitality. It's probably expected that if you don't have a solid AP repertoire, that you submit amazing SAT or ACT test scores, your IB diploma scores and other markers which show you are an exemplary student. I don't think if you are a solid Stanford or Harvard applicant, that having an IB diploma trumps the next person in line who has a complete AP folio or applicant after that who has a Cambridge A-Level coursework with top scores. I think it comes down to an admissions officer personal judgement call and bias toward one kind of curricula versus competing ones. I think it's like the ACT v. SAT debate. Who's to say which one is a better indicator of future college success? Beats me.

Good luck.