International IB or gcse/a levels which is better?!

[sugarplumhairy]

Which is better, especially when it comes to uni admissions. Will be looking at university in U.K. and USA.

Very few schools do IB instead of gcse.

For us it depended on the child, one did a-levels for entrance to a UK uni and the other did IB because she’s a good all rounder and will go to uni in Europe.

@LIZS thanks yes I am looking at U.K. schools and international schools. One of the U.K. schools we are looking at also does IB @cafecreme is it better in Europe to have the IB?

Dc is potentially looking at eu universities but I think will probably be U.K. or USA

We have looked at NL and Germany, definitely for Germany it seems you need to carry on with maths, a language and a science. My younger two dc felt limited by a-levels so are going IB route.

Why USA if you don’t mind me asking, my dc were born there but it still seems crazy expensive for uni.

TL:DR - IB diploma, more breadth, less free time. A level, more specialised, more self study. Neither is better but suit different learners.

I've taught both and both have their strength for different students. For a 'good all rounder' IB is an excellent choice as it offers far more breadth of education. It's a very contact time heavy choice though leaving less time for self study around classes. 3 subjects at higher level (more similar to A level but not quite) and 3 at standard level which are much easier academically. Plus some cross curricular projects/IAs extended essay. (the specification has changed since I last taught it so the format of the extra stuff may have).

For students who are very focused on a more narrow specialist area of study A levels can be better as fewer subjects and all in greater depth. So a student could do 2 sciences and maths only for example, which works in their favour if they are weak at English/MFL which would be compulsory as part of IB. Or drop maths completely to focus on strengths in humanities/English, without having compulsory maths like IB. It also allows much more "free" time in the school week so works well if they are motivated to self-study.

For admission to UK unis there shouldn't be a difference. I would think European unis might prefer/understand IB DP better but should be familiar with A Level too.

I did IB at an international school in Europe many moons ago before UK university and, if it means anything to you at this stage, I think I ended up 'better educated' than my peers who did A levels and dropped science, languages, maths, English etc at 16 after GCSE. Because I did languages, maths up to 18 even though I was doing sciences I think. So if I'd done A levels I'd have done 3 sciences and dropped everything else at 16, but with IB I also did English, French and Maths subsid which I personally think was educatioanly beneficial. I'm also way better at pub quizes than friends and family who did A levels 😂 I'm always amazed at how little people in the UK know about human biology if they didn't do science A levels.

My eldest is just finishing A levels now though and he'd never have coped with IB as couldn't wait to drop languages, Maths etc so I think it is definitely only suited to all rounders though that are good at most subjects and don't have weak spots or subjects they hate at GCSE. For kids who aren't massively academic or who are quite vocational I think it would be too much/too risky, and certainly those kids at my school massively bombed out, whereas I think theyd have been ok with 3 A levels maybe. I think if you're aiming for Medicine/Oxbridge/top unis it's maybe spreading yourself a bit thin as well?

So like everything education wise in the UK I think, it depends on the kids and type of student they are, imo.

@cafecreme some of the (independent) U.K. schools we are looking at are gearing towards USA universities as well as in U.K.
Some U.K. schools do the IB as well so wondering how this all works and if one qualification is more/less respected than the other or if universities generally accept one over the other etc.

We are also looking at eu international schools. Lots to consider!

@scienceteacher101 I couldn't wait to drop maths! IB would have been a nightmare for me. Would be nice to be better at pub quizzes though...

I don't think one is more/less respected and universities accept both? They are just different. When I was looking at published entrance requirements for UK uni courses with my son last year many/most had guidelines that mentions A levels and IB requirements, along with Scottish Highers, all given as equivalent routes to offer.

I don't know if one is thought to attract more/less/easier etc uni offers though. I'm not sure you'd ever get to see that data (a uni admissions person might know?) In my day (too long ago to be relevant now other than anecdotally) I certainly got ridiculously low UK uni offers with IB.

The schools near here that offer both seem to say that both are equally accepted and I don't think they would continue to offer the IB if it disadvantaged their pupils in UK university applications. Though I suppose a proportion of the students doing it would be planning to go to Europe/US, maybe more so than those doing A levels.

I have to say as someone that went to school in Europe and did the IB, I always took the attitude that I'd prefer my kids to engage in the prevailing education system in the UK so never really considered the IB and was happy with them doing A levels, but I certainly wouldn't oppose it if one of them particularly wanted to do IB.