A Senior’s Unfiltered Guide to the IB Extended Essay

IB throws a lot at you to stress about: assessments in your six courses, the TOK exhibition and essay, IAs and IOs. But one major event that sneaks up on you and causes unexpected chaos is the extended essay. It requires university-level research, and takes place right as Year 2 explodes. As a senior who has gone through this hellish experience, here are my quick and honest tips to getting the EE over with.

1. Pick smart before you pick fast.

Your teachers will tell you to “choose what interests you.” That’s fine, but it’s deeper than just that. I’d tell you to choose something you can stand thinking about for months, with online-accessible sources or data that follows the EE requirements. I almost guarantee you that by the time you finish writing your EE, you’ll dread reading about your topic ever again. So, to make things at least slightly more bearable, choose something you are genuinely passionate about instead of something you think sounds smart and would look good on your transcript. Also ,make sure your topic is actually researchable. The EE isn’t just an essay, it's a research paper. If your topic forces you into speculation and description over critical thinking and analysis, pivot immediately. 

Just as important as your topic is the subject area you choose. Don’t box yourself into the subject you’re best at academically just because you’ve always been an ‘econ kid’ or a ‘STEM kid’. You may also want to consider the statistics: for example, economics EEs have the lowest A rates among all EE subject areas, with mathematics being close in line. On the other hand, English EEs have the highest percentage of As, but that doesn’t guarantee anything for you. The best odds come from a strong topic-subject match you are confident you can do well with.

2. Use your summer like your future depends on it (because it does).

You’ve probably heard both teachers and upperclassmen telling you to work on your EE over the summer. It’ll likely fly over your head in year 1, because it did for me as well. I mean, the deadline for the first draft is the end of September, while the final deadline is the end of October. You have more than enough time to get it done, right? Well, IB year 2 is laughing in your face if you think so.

What many fail to consider is how much the beginning of IB year 2 eats your time. IA drafts due basically every week, quizzes and unit tests (which you’ll get more of than usual due to teachers needing more data for your predicted grades), and even college applications. Everything will hit you at once, and having to write a 4000-word essay in the midst of this will drive you insane.

You don’t need to finish the entire essay over the summer, but the least you could (and should) do is lock in a clear research question, and write a detailed outline of your entire essay. This is especially important if you’re planning on writing a science EE: write a detailed step-by-step methodology for your experiment so August and early September is actual lab work and analysis instead of unhinged scrambling for time.

3. Like everything in the IB, the EE is a marathon, not a race.

Your friend who finished their entire draft over July isn’t automatically ahead. Yes, good for them, but it doesn’t make you any less capable. Remember that progress looks different depending on both your topic and time management style. Someone with a text-based essay might be able to produce pages much quicker than someone waiting for lab results or survey responses. And you may function in focused daily blocks, while others rely on occasional, random bursts of motivation. Both are completely fine, as long as you have something to submit by the deadline. Just work at your own pace and style, and focus on meeting IB requirements on the final product. 

I hope this was helpful, and I promise the EE isn’t as hellish as it seems. You can certainly make things easier for yourself by picking an engaging topic, front-load some work over the summer, and avoid the comparison game. Trust yourself and you’ll reach the finish line before you know it. Good luck!