How to Fill Out Some Parts of Common Apps as a GED Student?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

Hello,

I’m an international student with a GED. I’m trying to fill out the common apps to apply for USC right now, and I had a couple questions regarding how to answer some of the common apps questions as a GED holder and international student. I looked everywhere online but I cannot seem to find resources that tell you how to apply with a GED.

  1. The common apps require that I submit “mid-year transcripts” and “final transcripts”. I moved back to my my home country after living in the USA most of my life, in the middle of sophomore year due to a family emergency (non-American citizen, we lived in America with a renewable visa for many years). I haven’t attended school in my home country, I just took the GED internationally, so the only transcripts I have are my old ones from freshman year and 1st sem of soph year. How should I submit and explain this on the common apps? I thought of explaining things in the “additonal info” section of the application, but I don’t think they’ll let me submit it with so many holes in the application.

  2. It says on common apps that I am required to invite my guidance counselor to help me fill out mid year reports, final reports, school reports, and a counselor recommendation. I do not have any mid year or final reports since I already left school, as mentioned above. The common apps seems very inflexible for GED and homeschooled students. I contacted my old counselor and she said that she cannot do this portion for me as I do not attend the school anymore. How do I fill out the counselor requirements then? Should I contact my old school’s counseling office to ask them to send each school I apply to my most recent transcripts? I’m at a bit of a loss as to what I am supposed to do.

  3. This ties into #2. Because I do not have a “guidance counselor”, who is supposed to submit my transcripts and diploma on the common apps site for me? I’m not sure how to submit my GED report. Am I supposed to upload photocopied versions of my GED results? Or do I order on parchment to have send my electronic GED transcript to each and every school I apply to? If so, how would I mark this on the common apps?

I’m quite confused and a bit lost, especially since I am doing this all on my own with zero assistance from teachers or counselors. I have never learned how to fill out college applications, since I was just a sophomore when I left, and I can’t ask friends for help, as I’m going to college almost two years earlier than my peers. Please excuse me if I seem a bit clueless… I have nobody I can turn to and with the unusual circumstances of my situation, I’m not sure what to do and I haven’t been able to find resources online. I hope you guys can help answer some of my questions.

Thank you in advance!