Getting into a 4 year without a high school degree--does an AAS trump it?

Transfer Students
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<p>Long story short: Due to family reasons, I had to "stop going" to high school at 16. I didn't officially drop out or anything--just stopped going. Homelessness tends to put a real crimp on one's ability to get to class.</p>

<p>Fast forward 15 years later: I just got my AAS degree from a 2 year college with a cumulative GPA of 3.82 (hampered from a pure 4.0 only by the fact that at my age it's hard to balance school, work, and family. One can't exactly keep up on mortgage, car etc. payments while working graveyard at Kinko's or some burrito joint, and wives/children are harder to maintain than girlfriends). Have a stable lifestyle now and can afford such things. Back when I started, I lied on the application and said I had a degree when I actually didn't--thankfully they never checked.</p>

<p>I want to continue my studies and transfer to a 4 year college (which I won't name here for obvious reasons), but...I still don't have that high school degree. The college I'm looking at says "for those with X or more credits, your college transcripts will be what we base admissions off of". Suffice to say, I'm well above "X". By just under a hundred credits. Does that mean if I again put that I have a high school diploma they won't look because they'll just focus on my junior college work? Will it even matter if I tell them I don't have one? Or does the Associate's Degree trump the high school diploma, and it's now not important that I never actually finished high school?</p>

<p>Yeah, I could just go get my GED, but it seems kind of superfluous. Not only that, but if I get it now and use it in my application, the college will make me take 2 years of foreign language courses I don't want to deal with since my degree would be "after 1997". I'm old enough to where everybody simply assumes I graduated before '97.</p>

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<p>People definitely get into college without a high school diploma. I suggest you call the college in question - you can remain anonymous if you like - and speak to someone in Admissions. Tell them that you long ago dropped out of hs but have an AAS degree. Ask if that matters.</p>

<p>Definitely do not lie on your application. If they do check (and they almost always want a hs transcript), that could nix your chances. If they don't check, but later find out, they can rescind your admission and/or your degree... even after you've graduated.</p>

<p>Many schools will appreciate your story, and who you are. Without any need to embellish. So go with the truth; just figure out how to describe things on your application. If you do need the GED, and if that does mean 2 years of foreign language... there are worse things. You might be able to petition out of that requirement due to unique circumstances; or you might find that in a global world, a second language is a very useful thing.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>