GED's and college
OverthrowThyself
I had to leave high school out of nesessity (I am on my own at an early age),
and I got my GED. I'd like to try to attend a four year school, in spite of
that.
Basically, what I'd like to know is where I might have the most luck applying
to in the VA/NC/SC/TN/GA area?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks :)
Lauren
alex.diaz
Well, I was in the same situation as you were, though I left high school not
out of necessity but for specifically for early entrance to college. After
having explored many options, I decided to enroll early at a local
university (Florida International University). The only method open to me
was early admission via GED, as I came from a private school that had no
dual enrollment or early admission programs.
I was accepted quite enthusiastically into my university. I am loving the
college teaching style, and am certainly learning and discussing far more
intensely. Nonetheless, I am currently in the process of applying to other
schools to experience the "college life" (for good or bad).
Generally, the GED is accepted on-par with traditional high school diplomas
in state schools. Most state schools have GED-specific entrance fields in
their applications, and are actually compelled by law to accept GEDs as a
valid form of high school completion. Of course, acceptance depends largely
on many factors, including your high school GPA, your GED test scores, and
your SATs. If you "had to leave" because of academic reasons, you might face
problems as your grades *are* looked at.
The situation in private universities seems to vary more. Generally, the
applications don't go out of their way in being appropriate for the
particular situations of GED graduates. Things like class rank and "final
graduating GPA" are not applicable, and can definitely leave you scratching
your head. However, if you call these schools, most--if not all--will tell
you what to do to make your situation clear to the admissions board. The
applications can work for you.
It should be noted that the primary method of high school graduation for
home-schooled students is the GED. Therefore, most universities accept the
GED--but often by putting a greater emphasis on grades, SATs, and sometimes
SAT II's. In recent years, many home-schoolers have all-together avoided the
GED and are applying for college without a diploma at all to "avoid the
stigma." In their case, things like SATs and student portfolios are taken
into consideration. Colleges really value home-schooled kids, and their
acceptance rate is higher than the average at most of the top schools. It is
no surprise, therefore, that most schools will accept GED graduates provided
their academic and extracurricular record is very strong.
If you did have a strong academic record, good SATs, and will be able to
write very compelling application essays, you definitely have a shot at some
of the premiere public schools in your area, and even the private ones, too.
As I said, however, you will need to do some work to contact the schools and
see how to make the applications work for you.
Good luck and I hope you get into the college of your choice!
Alex
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