Students line up by the counseling center, waiting to be called in. With each step, nervousness strikes. The long-awaited moment has finally come for students, as they choose their classes for next year. But, doubt settles in as students are not sure which classes they should take.

For Bonita Vista High (BVH) students who will attend the next school year from 2022-2023, the time has come for them to think about what classes they should take. For some, it will be an easy decision. However, for others, choosing classes can become a challenging process. This is because students want to dedicate their education towards classes that will benefit them in the future.

For most students’ future, they see themselves attending postsecondary schools. According to the Education Data Initiative, in the United States (U.S.), 66.2 percent of high school graduates go on to postsecondary study. But first, in order for these students to stand out, they try to participate in extracurriculars, take Advanced Placement (AP) classes, sign up for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and more. Cambridge Dictionary defines AP as a program for high school students offering classes that are equal to college courses.

But going down the AP path is not a student’s only option. Luckily, for BVH students, the school offers the IB program. BVH defines IB as, “a comprehensive and challenging pre-university course of study that demands the best from both motivated students and teachers.” Although this program might seem similar to AP classes, there are many key aspects that differentiate the two courses. 

“One of the big differences between AP and IB is that in AP, all of [the] college credit comes from a single test at the end. IB does have an exam at the end, but there are also other authentic assessments along the way [during the school year] that are designed to assess students in different ways,” IB Program Coordinator and Math Analysis & Approaches Higher Level 2 teacher Jared Phelps said.

Additionally, The Princeton Review states that AP exams have a grading scale that ranges from one to five. In order to have a passing score, students need to earn at least a three. Though there are many students that have been determined every year to pass, some students may not be aware of the requirement, needing a three or more on the AP exam, for AP classes to count as college credit.

For students who take AP classes, the process can be timely and cost-consuming. Though this does apply to the IB course as well, it has shown that AP classes are not as rewarding as students thought they were. According to the Progressive Policy Institute, almost half of the top schools within the U.S. do not count AP scores of three or less for college credit, therefore not having any benefits. 

All AP classes take one year to complete. Each teacher’s main focus is to get their students prepared for the AP exam which usually takes place in May. Because of this, most students in AP classes do not learn, but rather memorize the information needed to pass the class and AP exam. 

But compared to the IB program, a study conducted by the Journal of Advanced Academics showed that graduates who took IB classes felt they were exposed to the necessary critical thinking and time management skills that prepared them for post secondary studies.