especially math? I've been looking online for some comparisons between AP math and IB math, how colleges convert credits, etc., but haven't seen IB Further Math HL mentioned. Thought I'd ask here in case anyone here is an expert in this area either as a parent or as a teacher...

I have no direct knowledge, but I did poke around a bit, and noticed that 2014 was the first year that assessments in Further Math HL were conducted (previously it was SL, which appears not to be accepted for course credit at most unis). Perhaps universities have not yet adjusted their policies to keep up.

My DDs are going to IB school and I looked for it before. (They are still in MS :-). It's here.

http://www.unis.org/uploaded/02_ACADEMICS/2014-15/Files_PDFs_(Academics)/IB_Course_Descriptions/SL_Mathematics_Briefmd2.1.pdf

A lot of HS kids prefer AP >IB because it is more flexible. You need the whole 24 credits for IB diploma whereas in AP, you can get more credits on what you have the most strength. So, you will have better weighted GPA.

Thanks. This makes a lot of sense. I didn't know that the Further math HL only started testing this year. In the past Math SL was not accepted for college credit, but Math HL was. The Further Math HL is the level above Math HL, so I would think it's definitely for college credit--just don't know how...

Thanks, my DS is going for the diploma (eventually). We like the IB program a lot. :-)

My DD did Further Math HL last year and it was a good fit for her mathematically. Since this was the first year for the test, it was quite difficult to get information on what to study. No textbooks that we could find (although you could make a start by looking at Mathematics HL and studying all the sections). No practice tests seemed to be available. Unlike many other IB math classes, it did not have a portfolio or "writing" component. Instead, it seemed to be just the teacher evaluation and the end of course tests. It may be different once this course is better established. My DD reports that it was substantially harder than the practice (old) Further Math SL or Mathematics HL tests that she saw and some things that HL tested on were not in the old SL textbook. This is to be expected since linear algebra was added.

As to colleges, none of the colleges DD is looking at currently lists a credit for Further math HL. Many do discuss contacting the math department directly for information on course credit for IB and AP and have information on math placement tests.

Many of the IB students here take the corresponding AP tests in addition to the IB tests.
May is a bad month here.

Oh my! That's indeed pretty crazy. Thanks for letting me know. This is definitely helpful down the line for DS (he is a freshman but we will need to have a better understanding of how high school courses and testing and college application *works* pretty soon). The info. on the further math HL is really useful. Thanks.

Hello, I am an IB diploma graduate (um... many years ago though). In general, most colleges/universities have equivalent score conversions for IB that correspond to AP. For instance, score 5 = credit in X class, etc. In general we took tests the last two years of school. So I took calculus BC (second year of calc) my last year of school and received credit for calculus in college. Some are easy to convert, others not so much. I also, like PP mentioned, took all the corresponding AP tests. Mostly because at that time we wanted flexibility (in case a college didn't recognize IB but now I think that's uncommon).

In some cases an IB diploma = X credit hours at college but then they distribute the credits in variable ways.

A lot of IB schools start most students at a certain level and allow the students to choose a more difficult or less difficult math course to follow (similar to sciences).

I must say I loved and am proud of my IB education, but it was no joke Expect your son to work hard over the next 4 years.

The math HL course I'm not sure of specifically (maybe it's a newer course compared to when I was in school?). If so it may take some time for the equivalent classes to be published at a college's website.