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Original post by Thornet
First off, thanks for the feedback, it's much appreciated.

I've decided to replace Psychology with History, since the Psychology IB grades in our school are quite low, compared to the 7s and 6s which those who have History are getting.

I've given the Economics recommendation a lot of thought and I've talked to my Business teacher, who also happens to teach Economics (we're not that big of a school) and she said that although Economics might be seen better by universities which I'll apply to, the fact that I'm taking Maths SL will indicate to them that math isn't my strong point. However, since I'm taking English HL and History HL, it means that I've got good language and argumentative skills, which might make Business HL a better match than Economics HL, which could seem more out-of-place.

I'd like to hear some thoughts on this. Thanks!


Well, I think History over Psychology was a good decision in the grand scheme of things. I also think you're right to factor in your own school's track record in those subjects for high grades.

I see a bit of a tautology in your teacher's point - Economics will be seen better than Business, but seem out-of-place in conjunction with English and History, so take Business instead? How would Business HL not seem out-of-place with English and History? Yes, Maths may not be your strong point, but you're not planning to apply for Economics-related degrees anyway, so Maths coming across as your weak point is a moot point, I think.

What is the trouble here with Business HL is that some (not all) of the top universities list Business as a 'non-preferred' subject. This is not a slight to the IB Business course as much as an unfortunate fallout of the poor repute of its A-Level equivalent, and universities not distinguishing between the two. By all means, take Business at SL, because for most universities in Britain, HL = A-Level and SL = AS. Your HL choices are all that matter in the grand scheme of things.
Original post by sammionne239
HELP URGENT HELP!
I want to do natural sciences at uni.
Doing HL bio, chem

Need a third HL- should I do english literature, or geography?
I rather get a 7 in standard maths


I'm not sure if universities offer a single "Natural Sciences" course. As far as I'm aware, you have to be a little more specialised than that, but I'm not a Science student so I might be wrong.

From what I do know, I think Biology and Chemistry HL more than covers the science requirements, I think English Lit would be well paired with them. It is a strong traditional subject where Geography can be a bit iffy in comparison.
Reply 1122
Original post by arrowhead
I'm not sure if universities offer a single "Natural Sciences" course. As far as I'm aware, you have to be a little more specialised than that, but I'm not a Science student so I might be wrong.

From what I do know, I think Biology and Chemistry HL more than covers the science requirements, I think English Lit would be well paired with them. It is a strong traditional subject where Geography can be a bit iffy in comparison.


Cambridge has one (link), and so does UCL (link).

@sammionne I think that both are good subjects. As Arrowhead has told you, Eng Lit is a strong traditional subject, but Geog might be more scientific and complement Bio well. I think that both would make a good combo. :smile:
In my IBDP, I am currently taking

English A: Language and Literature SL
Math SL
Environmental Systems and Societies SL
Chinese A: Language and Literature HL
Economics HL
Psychology HL

Does anyone have any advice about the combination of courses or maybe just a comment specifically about one of the courses mentioned above?
Original post by star.karee
In my IBDP, I am currently taking

English A: Language and Literature SL
Math SL
Environmental Systems and Societies SL
Chinese A: Language and Literature HL
Economics HL
Psychology HL

Does anyone have any advice about the combination of courses or maybe just a comment specifically about one of the courses mentioned above?


You've taken pretty manageable subjects, I don't think you should struggle with this load.
Original post by arrowhead
You've taken pretty manageable subjects, I don't think you should struggle with this load.


Thanks for the reply. Do you know briefly what majors can these subjects lead to? Would switching from Environmental Systems and Societies SL to Chemistry SL be better?
Original post by star.karee
Thanks for the reply. Do you know briefly what majors can these subjects lead to? Would switching from Environmental Systems and Societies SL to Chemistry SL be better?


Well that depends, do you want to attend uni in the States or in the UK or somewhere else? And what calibre of universities are you looking at?

For the UK, it's really only your HL subject choices that matter. So if you have Chinese, Economics and Psychology, that is an unusual combination, but almost all social science disciplines are open to you (except Economics and Accounting at certain universities that require Maths HL).

As far as the States is concerned, they mostly focus on the intensity and difficulty of your subjects. So what matters most to them is if you took the most rigorous classes available to you in line with your interests (Sciences or Social Sciences or Arts). By virtue of doing the IB Programme, you've already demonstrated that you challenged yourself academically. They will then focus on your grades, extracurricular activities and achievements and any leadership/team positions (Student Council, Sports teams, etc.)

Also, the calibre of universities you're considering makes a lot of difference as well. Somewhere like Oxford or Harvard, the conditions are very high and they expect a lot from applicants, as opposed to somewhere more charitable like Bolton University.

You only need specific subject choices if you want to do some specialised degrees post-high school such as Medicine or Engineering or such. For most other degrees, the exact subject combination you take is not really that important.

Therefore, I'd say you have a lot options open to you at the moment and only you can narrow them down.

Is there any particular degree/discipline/university you're looking into?
Reply 1127
Hi!

I'd like to study Psychology at uni, and I'm starting the IB in about 2 months.

HL
Bio
Chem?
Philosophy?

SL
Self study language, Norwegian
English B / A2?
Mats/ Math studies ?

Since I'm from Norway, I have to take Norwegian, but how is the rest? Is philosophy a bad subject to have at HL? I'm pretty interested in Bio, but I'm not so sure about the chemistry. Is that a must to study Psych at university? Would it be better to study it at SL? If so, what subject should I change it with? (The school does not offer Psychology.. :frown:)
And about the English.. B or A2? What's the difference anyway?
At last, I'm not the best at maths, but I should be able to cope with it if I work for it (Not HL), is Maths SL better than Math Studies SL?

Thanks in advance!
Original post by ShawtyyC
Hi!

I'd like to study Psychology at uni, and I'm starting the IB in about 2 months.

HL
Bio
Chem?
Philosophy?

SL
Self study language, Norwegian
English B / A2?
Mats/ Math studies ?

Since I'm from Norway, I have to take Norwegian, but how is the rest? Is philosophy a bad subject to have at HL? I'm pretty interested in Bio, but I'm not so sure about the chemistry. Is that a must to study Psych at university? Would it be better to study it at SL? If so, what subject should I change it with? (The school does not offer Psychology.. :frown:)
And about the English.. B or A2? What's the difference anyway?
At last, I'm not the best at maths, but I should be able to cope with it if I work for it (Not HL), is Maths SL better than Math Studies SL?

Thanks in advance!


Where do you want to attend university? Which country/countries will you be applying to? What calibre of universities are you considering (top or middling)? All of these things impact the appropriateness of your subject choices.
Original post by arrowhead
Well that depends, do you want to attend uni in the States or in the UK or somewhere else? And what calibre of universities are you looking at?

For the UK, it's really only your HL subject choices that matter. So if you have Chinese, Economics and Psychology, that is an unusual combination, but almost all social science disciplines are open to you (except Economics and Accounting at certain universities that require Maths HL).

As far as the States is concerned, they mostly focus on the intensity and difficulty of your subjects. So what matters most to them is if you took the most rigorous classes available to you in line with your interests (Sciences or Social Sciences or Arts). By virtue of doing the IB Programme, you've already demonstrated that you challenged yourself academically. They will then focus on your grades, extracurricular activities and achievements and any leadership/team positions (Student Council, Sports teams, etc.)

Also, the calibre of universities you're considering makes a lot of difference as well. Somewhere like Oxford or Harvard, the conditions are very high and they expect a lot from applicants, as opposed to somewhere more charitable like Bolton University.

You only need specific subject choices if you want to do some specialised degrees post-high school such as Medicine or Engineering or such. For most other degrees, the exact subject combination you take is not really that important.

Therefore, I'd say you have a lot options open to you at the moment and only you can narrow them down.

Is there any particular degree/discipline/university you're looking into?


Thanks for the lengthy reply about universities in different locations. I really appreciate it. I'm from Hong Kong, so I'm planning on attending university in HK or the UK. Hopefully the UK, if my scores are good enough. If I do go to the UK, I will be studying abroad and would be looking at the higher level universities such as Imperial College London, University College London, University of Warwick, Durham University etc. So I guess it's only the HLs that matter. I might be looking into Education, Administration, Law (but I need history?), Psychology, Tourism/Hotel Management. Are those options open for me?
Reply 1130
Original post by arrowhead
Where do you want to attend university? Which country/countries will you be applying to? What calibre of universities are you considering (top or middling)? All of these things impact the appropriateness of your subject choices.


Mainly in the UK, I think. I'd like to apply for the Oxbridge universities and UCL etc. Don't know if I actually have a chance at getting in, but at least I want to try.

Also, after what I understand the universities look at the GCSE grades as well. I haven't taken the GCSE's because we don't use that system in Norway. Which grades do they look at then?
Original post by star.karee
Thanks for the lengthy reply about universities in different locations. I really appreciate it. I'm from Hong Kong, so I'm planning on attending university in HK or the UK. Hopefully the UK, if my scores are good enough. If I do go to the UK, I will be studying abroad and would be looking at the higher level universities such as Imperial College London, University College London, University of Warwick, Durham University etc. So I guess it's only the HLs that matter. I might be looking into Education, Administration, Law (but I need history?), Psychology, Tourism/Hotel Management. Are those options open for me?


All of these options should, theoretically, be open to you.

When you have a better idea of which course exactly you'd like to apply for, it would behoove you to look at the university websites and confer with their admission criteria and decide for yourself if you stand a chance. The list of universities you've listed are highly competitive, so I need not tell you that you need amazing grades.

As far as Education and Administration (what kind?) is concerned, it depends on which specialised courses you want to apply for. There's all sorts of particular courses from Education policy to teaching to different kinds of administration and management and they all have different requirements in different universities. But your subjects choices are fitting for these courses, I would say.

I'm a law student myself and while I did History HL, I can assure you that you do NOT need History HL to apply for Law. Both my flatmates are fellow Law students and neither of them did History A-Levels. I even know someone on my course who did English, Physics, Chemistry and Psychology as her main A-Levels and still got in for Law. Any combination of subjects will work for law. While doing essay-based subjects is more helpful, they are certainly not mandatory.

I may be wrong about this, but you probably do need either Chemistry or Biology HL to do Psychology at top universities. I would look into that if I was you because Psychology can be a closed door at top UK universities with your current subject choices.

Hotel Management/Tourism, I'm not really sure. I think you're better off going to a specialised school for that than attending a university in the UK. Some of the best schools for Hotel Management are in Switzerland, I would look into those if this is what you decide you'd like to do.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by ShawtyyC
Is philosophy a bad subject to have at HL?


Philosophy is a great subject and usually quite respected. I will say though that it is challenging to get a 7 in Philosophy. Chemistry and Biology HL are not easy subjects either. I would encourage you to consider a third HL in place of Philosophy that has a high success rate for 7s in your school because if you plan on applying to top universities such as the ones you've listed, you need a minimum of a 38-42 point prediction in your IB scores. It will be a lot easier if you have one easier HL.

Original post by ShawtyyC
I'm pretty interested in Bio, but I'm not so sure about the chemistry. Is that a must to study Psych at university? Would it be better to study it at SL? If so, what subject should I change it with? (The school does not offer Psychology.. :frown:)


Look up university websites and what they require.

According to Oxford, for example:

Oxford Admissions' Website
Psychology

If you wish to study psychology on its own or combined with philosophy or linguistics then it is highly recommended that applicants have studied one or more of the science subjects e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Psychology and Mathematics to A2 Level, Advanced Higher, or Higher Level in the International Baccalaureate (IB) or any other equivalent examination.


Original post by ShawtyyC
And about the English.. B or A2? What's the difference anyway?


Read this post to answer your question.

I will say though that if you take English B, you will have to take the English Language tests as part of your University applications (IELTS or TOEFL).

Original post by ShawtyyC
At last, I'm not the best at maths, but I should be able to cope with it if I work for it (Not HL), is Maths SL better than Math Studies SL?


It's always better to take SL over Studies. But if you genuinely have difficulty with Maths and seeing that you're already taking 2 Sciences at HL, evaluate for yourself whether you will be able to cope. It is better to have a 7 in Maths Studies than struggle to get a 5 in SL.

Original post by ShawtyyC
Also, after what I understand the universities look at the GCSE grades as well. I haven't taken the GCSE's because we don't use that system in Norway. Which grades do they look at then?


It's GCSE or equivalent So whatever you did prior to the IB in the Norwegian system will be considered. Again, look at specific university websites and find the information out for your country and if all else fails, just ring up the admissions' departments and ask them personally on the phone, they're generally very helpful and informative.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 1133
Original post by arrowhead
Philosophy is a great subject and usually quite respected. I will say though that it is challenging to get a 7 in Philosophy. Chemistry and Biology HL are not easy subjects either. I would encourage you to consider a third HL in place of Philosophy that has a high success rate for 7s in your school because if you plan on applying to top universities such as the ones you've listed, you need a minimum of a 38-42 point prediction in your IB scores. It will be a lot easier if you have one easier HL.



Look up university websites and what they require.

According to Oxford, for example:





Read this post to answer your question.

I will say though that if you take English B, you will have to take the English Language tests as part of your University applications (IELTS or TOEFL).



It's always better to take SL over Studies. But if you genuinely have difficulty with Maths and seeing that you're already taking 2 Sciences at HL, evaluate for yourself whether you will be able to cope. It is better to have a 7 in Maths Studies than struggle to get a 5 in SL.



It's GCSE or equivalent So whatever you did prior to the IB in the Norwegian system will be considered. Again, look at specific university websites and find the information out for your country and if all else fails, just ring up the admissions' departments and ask them personally on the phone, they're generally very helpful and informative.


Thanks you for your long reply. I'll check the websites more throughout, and figure out what I'll do with the subjects. Fortunately, I still have some time to decide. :smile:
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 1134
Does anyone know which subject is better to take in IB? English Literature or English Lit and Lang? They'd both be at higher level.
I heard that if you're planning on pursuing a science based career you should do English Lit and Lang. But if you're doing law or business and such, you need to do English Literature. Is this true? Which one is most respected at universities?


Posted from The Student's Room iPhone/iPad App
Original post by N Kay
Does anyone know which subject is better to take in IB? English Literature or English Lit and Lang? They'd both be at higher level.
I heard that if you're planning on pursuing a science based career you should do English Lit and Lang. But if you're doing law or business and such, you need to do English Literature. Is this true? Which one is most respected at universities?


Posted from The Student's Room iPhone/iPad App


Literature is harder but I'd say the course is better. It'd be easier to get a 7 in LitLang though
I'm taking an IB in this September but i'm still confusing about which subjects should i choose, I'm not very sure what I want to study in the uni (I'n thinking about Psychology,International Relations,Education) here is the list of subjects that i have chosen
Self-Taught Lang A SL
English B HL
History HL
Biology HL
Math SL
Visual Arts SL
The bold subjects are the subjects that i'm not sure about, I heard that EnglishB HL is pretty hard and i don't think my English are very strong though. I also would like to take the ab initio lang, and is it better to change it to ab initio lang SL(my school offer 3, Mandarin Spanish and French which one is most useful? I like all of them) and Visual HL?(I love arts but I have no serious experience before, is it too hard to get 6 or 7 for the person who is in intermediate?)
btw, I will study uni in the USA, thank you so much.
Original post by khwanhatai
I'm taking an IB in this September but i'm still confusing about which subjects should i choose, I'm not very sure what I want to study in the uni (I'n thinking about Psychology,International Relations,Education) here is the list of subjects that i have chosen
Self-Taught Lang A SL
English B HL
History HL
Biology HL
Math SL
Visual Arts SL
The bold subjects are the subjects that i'm not sure about, I heard that EnglishB HL is pretty hard and i don't think my English are very strong though. I also would like to take the ab initio lang, and is it better to change it to ab initio lang SL(my school offer 3, Mandarin Spanish and French which one is most useful? I like all of them) and Visual HL?(I love arts but I have no serious experience before, is it too hard to get 6 or 7 for the person who is in intermediate?)
btw, I will study uni in the USA, thank you so much.


English is a mandatory subject in the IB, and the English B course is the easiest English option available. It cannot get easier than that. The course is designed for people who have been studying the language for 12-24 months. So I would buckle down and work on it.

Self-taught languages require a lot of effort and motivation since you do all the work yourself. But I will tell you that Ab Initio language classes are only easy for those people who already are somewhat familiar with the language. I did French Ab initio and is was definitely one of the more challenging subjects I pursued in the IB since I had to literally start from the alphabet. Ab Initio language courses are 4-year language courses crammed into 2 years, so think on that before you make a decision.

Visual Arts takes up a lot of time. I don't think being an intermediate student will hold you back as much as the fact that grading for the subject is extremely subjective. I know people who were predicted 6s and 7s have gotten 3s and 4s and vice versa. It's an unpredictable subject. Seeing as your interests are not even close to Arts, you might as well drop VA in favour of something else, perhaps another social science?
Original post by arrowhead
English is a mandatory subject in the IB, and the English B course is the easiest English option available. It cannot get easier than that. The course is designed for people who have been studying the language for 12-24 months. So I would buckle down and work on it.

Self-taught languages require a lot of effort and motivation since you do all the work yourself. But I will tell you that Ab Initio language classes are only easy for those people who already are somewhat familiar with the language. I did French Ab initio and is was definitely one of the more challenging subjects I pursued in the IB since I had to literally start from the alphabet. Ab Initio language courses are 4-year language courses crammed into 2 years, so think on that before you make a decision.

Visual Arts takes up a lot of time. I don't think being an intermediate student will hold you back as much as the fact that grading for the subject is extremely subjective. I know people who were predicted 6s and 7s have gotten 3s and 4s and vice versa. It's an unpredictable subject. Seeing as your interests are not even close to Arts, you might as well drop VA in favour of something else, perhaps another social science?


English is not a mandatory subject! You have to do a first and second language, but these can be whatever you like. And English is available at B SL and Ab Initio, just like every other language.

That being said, if you want to go to uni in the US, you will need B HL just for day-to-day living even if your uni doesn't say you have to.
Reply 1139
I have on more question.

In Group 2, my school offer Japanese B initio and and Spanish B initio. What is the difference between B initio and ab initio? (I'v tried google it, but all that came up were ab initio, which I now means "from the beginning, or something.) It does not say if it's HL or SL either, isn't that an option then? Will it go under SL subjects?