<p>Hi there I'm just wondering how respectable a GED is compared to to regular Diploma. I live in England and have onemore year of A-levels to graduate their but I want to lie in the US so I want to know how well I will fare wih American universities if I possess a GED. </p>
<p>When I looked at a GED study guide I was amzed at how basic all the sections looked. It looked so easy compared to anything done in the 3rd and 4th years or high school. I see it as too easy so will good Uni's look at it the same way?</p>
<p>The GED is very hard for most people. I’ve never seen it personally but I’ve heard that a lot of people don’t pass it their first time unless they study a lot. I don’t know how true that is though.
Colleges say that GED’s are acceptable but I think you might want to have a reason why you took it instead of getting a diploma.</p>
<p>The GED is not difficult as Bandgeek states. It’s used by people to certify they have minimal high school competency because they did not receive a HS diploma under typical circumstances.</p>
<p>That being said, few American universities even require you to have a GED or a high school diploma. They just want evidence of your academic abilities and will judge you on that – with or without a GED or a HS diploma.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it. Know that you’ll have to explain your academic history more than most people. But if you submit ACT/SAT scores and a transcript from your previous school, that should more than suffice.</p>
<p>I agree with most of what T26E4 has said, but I have found that colleges’ policies with respect to GEDs and high school diplomas make up a real patchwork.</p>
<p>Among fairly selective colleges and universities–the kind that someone might travel from England to attend–I have previously noticed: </p>
<p>that some do not require either a GED or a diploma, and will (admittedly, in unusual cases) accept talented students who have not finished high school;</p>
<p>that some will accept otherwise qualified students with either a GED or a high school diploma;</p>
<p>that some will accept qualified students with a high school diploma, but not with a GED.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I cannot remember very many examples in any of these categories. It really would be safest to check the policies of individual colleges or universities that interest you; you can email to ask them directly, or read section C of each college or university’s Common Data Set. (Just Google the name of the institution and the phrase “common data set.”) And it would also be wise to bear in mind that, as T26 says, a GED indicates only that a student has cleared a rather low bar. Gaining admission to a selective college or university will require that you demonstrate academic competence far beyond the level of a GED.</p>