<p>I may not have my HS diploma at the end of my Sr year (potentially 1 class). How big if an issue is that when I apply for college ? Do I even need to get a diploma once I have been acceppted to a degree program ?</p>
<p>Many colleges and universities make their offer of admission contingent on your successful completion of high school.</p>
<p>In a small number of unusual cases, students apply without intending to complete high school; most often, they apply to college during their junior year and are accepted. In those cases, the colleges don’t want to see graduation per se, but they do want to see that the student continues to perform at a comparable academic level after he or she has been admitted.</p>
<p>It doesn’t sound as if this is your case. I think colleges are going to want you to explain why you’re not getting a diploma. And they may or may not find your explanation acceptable. If they don’t find it acceptable, they may withdraw their offer of admission.</p>
<p>But I’m just a guy on the Internet. You really need to ask this question at the colleges and universities that you’re applying to.</p>
<p>Most often, your letter of acceptance will be contingent upon review of your final high school transcript. I’m sure you have heard stories of acceptances being rescinded because of low grades, etc.</p>
<p>Did you just discover that you are going to be a class short? Depending on the situation, could you perhaps pursue the credit you need to graduate on line or at a local community college so that you are able to complete your diploma requirements?</p>
<p>As soon as you know for certain that you won’t be able to graduate on schedule, you need to come up with a plan to complete the missing course before college would start - for example in summer school. Once that plan is formalized, you can discuss it with the colleges that admit you and find out if it will meet their requirements. Chances are that it will.</p>