(Another) IB v A Levels Oxbridge

Hi I am an Oxford applicant (Biological sciences). I am also an international student doing IB. IB is more difficult than A levels and I think that it will help you to develop your lateral thinking abilities, whereas A levels just make you cram everything in your head.
If you have that determination, devotion to studying and good management skills (you will have a bunch of deadlines) then do IB. Some people appreciate more IB students (I've heard). It is your choice (do not get me wrong I am just giving an advice) I am not trying to roast A levels.

If you were to choose IB:

Choose Music Sl (it will be super duper easy for you)
Instead of Music HL take History/ Maths or Japanese B HL
Maths HL is harder than Maths at A levels, but I find it manageable and enjoying, while Maths SL is just boring (especially in the first year)
Do not take Spanish Ab initio. Do japanese B SL or Spanish SL

Just to add...
The physics exam was relatively hard this year but they lowered the boundaries. You could get a 7 with 66%

Yeah I heard lots of bad things about the physics exams this year - my brother did it SL and said it was a nightmare and really different from the specimen papers.

I'd like to do AMES (Asian and Middle Eastern Studies) at Cam, specifically Japanese. Obviously if I can't get into Cam then I know that Durham and Manchester both do Japanese too (as does SOAS, but I don't want to go to Uni in London).
Initially I wanted to do A Levels after seeing my brother go through the IB (who got 33, which was kinda bad for his school), but more discussions and research has made me unsure now.
My problem with A Levels is that I want to do Geography, Maths and Physics which aren't particularly essay-based. Although many Uni websites (including Oxbridge) say they don't mind what subjects you take, a bit more research has concluded you should probably be doing essay based or language a levels. I'm ok at English (predicted an 8/9), but not sure I'd want to do it A Level, and the only language I do GCSE (Japanese which I love) has been cancelled recently at my school for A Levels. Additionally, I don't do history GCSE.
The plus side of the IB (from what I can see) is that it allows me to still do a language and essay based subjects, without putting my neck entirely on the line and doing English lit at a really high level. These are my current IB options:
Geography HL
Physics HL
Music HL
Maths SL
English lit SL
Spanish ab initio SL
I've been told that IB is more time consuming, so I wouldn't be able to do the extra-curriculars that would make me stand out a bit more in an application (such as additional reading) which I could perhaps do in A Levels.
Additionally some more research has also concluded that music isn't particularly respected HL, but I'm not too sure what I'd swap it with... (FYI I do a lot of music outside of school, and I am grade 7/8 on the trumpet). I've also heard that physics HL is notoriously difficult (as is maths HL, which is why I'm planning to do it SL).
So... what do you think? I am an all rounder I'd say - currently predicted all A*s at GCSE, but got the whole-year prize for maths and physics. Also FYI the school I'd do the IB at is one of the best in the country (+ I know lots of people there, and my brother went there), and the school I'd do A Levels at (my current school) is like top 100 in the country (it's a grammar).

I'd like to do AMES (Asian and Middle Eastern Studies) at Cam, specifically Japanese. Obviously if I can't get into Cam then I know that Durham and Manchester both do Japanese too (as does SOAS, but I don't want to go to Uni in London).
Initially I wanted to do A Levels after seeing my brother go through the IB (who got 33, which was kinda bad for his school), but more discussions and research has made me unsure now.
My problem with A Levels is that I want to do Geography, Maths and Physics which aren't particularly essay-based. Although many Uni websites (including Oxbridge) say they don't mind what subjects you take, a bit more research has concluded you should probably be doing essay based or language a levels. I'm ok at English (predicted an 8/9), but not sure I'd want to do it A Level, and the only language I do GCSE (Japanese which I love) has been cancelled recently at my school for A Levels. Additionally, I don't do history GCSE.
The plus side of the IB (from what I can see) is that it allows me to still do a language and essay based subjects, without putting my neck entirely on the line and doing English lit at a really high level. These are my current IB options:
Geography HL
Physics HL
Music HL
Maths SL
English lit SL
Spanish ab initio SL
I've been told that IB is more time consuming, so I wouldn't be able to do the extra-curriculars that would make me stand out a bit more in an application (such as additional reading) which I could perhaps do in A Levels.
Additionally some more research has also concluded that music isn't particularly respected HL, but I'm not too sure what I'd swap it with... (FYI I do a lot of music outside of school, and I am grade 7/8 on the trumpet). I've also heard that physics HL is notoriously difficult (as is maths HL, which is why I'm planning to do it SL).
So... what do you think? I am an all rounder I'd say - currently predicted all A*s at GCSE, but got the whole-year prize for maths and physics. Also FYI the school I'd do the IB at is one of the best in the country (+ I know lots of people there, and my brother went there), and the school I'd do A Levels at (my current school) is like top 100 in the country (it's a grammar).

IB is more likely to ruin your chances to get in the university. A lot of people get predicted in low 40s and then they achieve results in their 30s,which then ruins their chances to get in their firm. I want to say that these deviations/fluctuations are more likely to happen in Ib than for A levels

I'd like to do AMES (Asian and Middle Eastern Studies) at Cam, specifically Japanese. Obviously if I can't get into Cam then I know that Durham and Manchester both do Japanese too (as does SOAS, but I don't want to go to Uni in London).
Initially I wanted to do A Levels after seeing my brother go through the IB (who got 33, which was kinda bad for his school), but more discussions and research has made me unsure now.
My problem with A Levels is that I want to do Geography, Maths and Physics which aren't particularly essay-based. Although many Uni websites (including Oxbridge) say they don't mind what subjects you take, a bit more research has concluded you should probably be doing essay based or language a levels. I'm ok at English (predicted an 8/9), but not sure I'd want to do it A Level, and the only language I do GCSE (Japanese which I love) has been cancelled recently at my school for A Levels. Additionally, I don't do history GCSE.
The plus side of the IB (from what I can see) is that it allows me to still do a language and essay based subjects, without putting my neck entirely on the line and doing English lit at a really high level. These are my current IB options:
Geography HL
Physics HL
Music HL
Maths SL
English lit SL
Spanish ab initio SL
I've been told that IB is more time consuming, so I wouldn't be able to do the extra-curriculars that would make me stand out a bit more in an application (such as additional reading) which I could perhaps do in A Levels.
Additionally some more research has also concluded that music isn't particularly respected HL, but I'm not too sure what I'd swap it with... (FYI I do a lot of music outside of school, and I am grade 7/8 on the trumpet). I've also heard that physics HL is notoriously difficult (as is maths HL, which is why I'm planning to do it SL).
So... what do you think? I am an all rounder I'd say - currently predicted all A*s at GCSE, but got the whole-year prize for maths and physics. Also FYI the school I'd do the IB at is one of the best in the country (+ I know lots of people there, and my brother went there), and the school I'd do A Levels at (my current school) is like top 100 in the country (it's a grammar).