IB1 possibly 100% more important than IB2?

[nk.]

So i was talking to my guidance counselor about IB scores and US universities.

Basically the conversation watered down to her telling me to register for the May SAT tests, to treat this year (my first year of IB) end of year exams as if they are my finals and to study as hard as possible in the coming months.

What my question is does anyone else have the same experience? I was advised that since transcripts and SAT scores have to be in by November, only my final exams for my first year of IB will be considered for the decisions most universities will make because even though my actual final IB exams will be May 2012, by then i would already have an acceptance letter from any college I applied to by then, so those scores wouldn't matter that much.

Not sure if all this is true or consistent with anyone else here's experiences but id like to know whether i should work my ass of now and get better grades in this years exams than next years.......

Thanks in advance!

[Drake Glau]

Most US colleges don't make decisions til at least december of IB2 O.O

Always good to take SAT early though, it allows you more time to improve your score. And IB Exams are Exams, if you're taking one in IB1 it's for an SL class and it does count towards your IB score, it's not just an IB1 test, it is THE test and only test you will get for that subject (unless you retake it I guess...)

[Bishup]

You're title is misleading. In terms of IB work, IB2 is much more significant and more important and more packed with goodies that we like to call "IAs" and "Exams" which pretty much do not exist in IB1. In some countries to enter university you only need to pass the IB, the score is irrelevant but you'd be stupid not to make the most of it and do well. If I wanted to go to Uni in France all I need to do is pass but the selection happens in Uni. My take on the importance of the IB may seem irrelevant so does your title since you're really talking about SATs and not the IB.

[JoeG]

Unless you have some kind of other school based grades, do as well as you can on everything you can, especially on the IB2 tests that actually count towards your diploma lol.

Remember that colleges will only see what you did up until the end of IB1 (or Junior year) and that's what they'll use to accept or reject you. Don't slack off if you've been accepted either. If you start to get really bad grades, the University can revoke your acceptance.

Take the SAT at least two times, unless you get an awesome score the first time.

Remember the SAT subject tests too.

If you suck at the SAT (the "regular" one) try taking the ACT. Virtually every University will accept both, and they actually recommend taking both.

[nk.]

Thanks Joe, that clarifies quite a lot

You're title is misleading. In terms of IB work, IB2 is much more significant and more important and more packed with goodies that we like to call "IAs" and "Exams" which pretty much do not exist in IB1. In some countries to enter university you only need to pass the IB, the score is irrelevant but you'd be stupid not to make the most of it and do well. If I wanted to go to Uni in France all I need to do is pass but the selection happens in Uni. My take on the importance of the IB may seem irrelevant so does your title since you're really talking about SATs and not the IB.

I don't think i explained myself well enough then, i know that IB2 is the most significant part with your end of ib exams, EE, TOK, IA's and Orals to do, that i don't doubt. Why my title is relevant in the USA universities forum is because im wondering if i should work harder for my IB1 exams IF universities are only gonna consider them in my application. Essentially what im trying to ask here is for American universities, do they only judge your IB1 exams during the decision making process, meaning IB1 would be the more important year, or is it possible somehow that i can send them my scores when i do my IB2 exams.

Edited February 7, 2011 by nk.

[Bishup]

Your IB1 mock exams are pretty important. They constitute a good portion of your predicted grade as that's what teachers use to predict your grades but you can always sway your teachers if you haven't done quite as well as you'd hoped so you could mention to your teacher that you did well throughout the year but didn't study quite as much for the mock exam. So I say work hard but try and prioritise both the SATs and the mock exams. Lol you can't prioritise both but you catch my drift.

[JoeG]

For taking the SAT, I would recommend that you familiarize yourself with the test format, and maybe study for it. If you do bad the first time, that's not a problem at all. That means you can identify the types of questions you did wrong, and what parts for the SAT you need to study. Then you can start to study like crazy for the SAT.

[chobap]

I would definitely advise taking your SATs as early as possible. That way, you can see what the test is like and take it again if needed, before all the really stressful times start. Better to spread out your workload then save it all for later.

Also, be sure to research the format of the SAT essay!!! There is a very specific format that they don't tell you, but that you must follow in order to get a decent essay grade, so just look that up. All the other stuff you should be okay with.

Edited February 8, 2011 by chobap

[Tilley]

I don't know about SAT's, but personally, i would worry more about IB then SAT. if you screw up SAT, you can go to canada where it's not needed (most places.. i know some ontario school like them) but if you mess up on IB, then your just screwed.

[Guest Red XII]

As far as US universities go, IB predicted scores matter somewhere between "little" and "not at all."

When applying to US universities, your junior (IB1) grades and your first semester of senior (IB2) are the most important grades. The more recent the grades, the more important they are. The other factors (standardized tests, essays, extracurriculars, etc.) are also extremely important.

[Forester]

IB predicted scores are important as a basis for comparison between applicants from your school. top schools will only choose 1 or 2 people from your school (especially if you are an international student), so having the highest predicted score in your school is very helpful.