GED vs Early Graduation

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm in my 2nd year of high school and will be going to college this fall. Why am I so eager to leave? Because my home life is horrible. Last year CPS investigated my parents, but didn't find "evidence". After the investigation, they got really mad and kicked me out for a month. That month I stayed in a shelter, and even though everyone agrees that the shelter is the most depressing place in the world, my grades improved while I was there because I didn't have to deal with my parents. When I got back home, my grades went back down. Now, I'm really close to getting 2 Cs (my GPA so far is ~3.6) but I'm doing extra credit to keep my grades in As and Bs. I'm absolutely certain that if I had to stay with my parents for another year or two, I would not only be miserable, but I would start failing classes. As you can see, this isn't a pretty situation and I want to get away from these toxic people. I was wondering if it would be better for me as far as college admissions to get a GED (I can take it when summer starts) or to take a lot of online and DE classes this summer and graduate by the end of the summer. Also, I think that if I had to take DE classes over the summer, I wouldn't do so great because doing work at home is so hard and I'll be super stressed about my parents.</p>

<p>So, anyways, I'm applying to schools with late deadlines that I will be able to afford. Definitely not Ivies or anything. Should I get my GED? Or do DE and online to meet the graduation requirements? I've only had 3 English and 2 social studies courses so far.</p>

2

<p>What do you mean by “able to afford”? </p>

<p>Pick up the phone and call the colleges and universities on your list. Ask to speak with the admissions director who is responsible for early enrollment applicants. That is the most favorable category for you. You would not need to complete a GED or get a HS diploma in order to enroll.</p>

<p>However, if you will be applying for federal financial aid, you will need either a HS diploma or the GED. If you can’t pay for your education without any student loans, you need to finish one of those. So have a sit-down meeting with your own guidance counselor, and find out what you need to do to graduate early in your school district. In some states, the GED exam is not available for students who are still are young enough to be enrolled in HS. You need to find out what the rules are where you live.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

3

<p>mae321 if you are being neglected or mistreated please call the National hotline at 1.800.422.4453. They can direct you to local services that can help. </p>

<p>Going to college is more than just getting through high school. You will need to get financial assistance. Even if you are eligible, not all colleges will be able to meet your finaincial needs. There are programs that can help you, but I think you need to address your safety needs first. </p>