<p>Currently I am a Junior in High School, my grades are sub par and at this rate I am not going to graduate. There is no possible way that I can get into a 4 year university straight out of High School with my situation. Assuming I kicked it into high gear and passed, I would undoubtedly have to attend 2 years at a community college after High School and then transfer to a university. I have come to the conclusion that it would be in my best interest to withdraw from High School, get my GED, and then begin attending community college early to get a head start on my plan. Personally it seems pointless to stay for the rest of this year and then my senior year when I'm headed down the same path anyways. I figure I could get my AS at community college and then transfer (assuming I have a solid GPA) to a university. Basically what I am asking is if getting my GED, attending community college (and maintaining a high GPA) then applying to transfer to a University be any different than if I finish High School, attend community college, and then apply. Would my chances of admission to university be hindered based on the fact I have a GED rather than a diploma? </p>
<p>Generally, no. <em>Most</em> universities, once you’re applying as a junior-level transfer student, only care about college-level work. There are certainly going to be exceptions, but your path is not at all uncommon.</p>
<p>I’m puzzled, though. What makes you think you could do better in college than you’ve been doing in high school? </p>
<p>I know you need a track record to get into a four-year college, but I think it would be ill-advised to rush off to community college and compile a sub-par record there, too. That would just waste the opportunity to use community college as a kind of do-over. </p>
<p>If you were my kid, I wouldn’t support your plan until you showed me some reason to believe that you really could earn a “solid GPA” there. I’d want you to stay in high school and prove to me that you could do your homework and get solid grades before I’d support you in community college.</p>
<p>fr0sty, first off I’d like to tell you that there are MANY out there in your situation. It’s actually quite similar to mine. I graduated high school with a 1.9 gpa. I was ashamed of it, petrified that if I got a 1.9 in high school there would be no way I could succeed in community college. Now I have 50 credits under my belt taking full course-loads and have a 3.7-3.8 gpa. It IS possible to change your habits with hard work. I’m now looking to transfer into top 50 universities that many of my smart high school friends couldn’t even get into right out of high school. Community college is your second and sometimes last chance to prove yourself, use it wisely. </p>
<p>If I were you I would stick it out and TRY to get your diploma over your GED even if your gpa would be low. Having your diploma will most likely give you a sliver of an edge over just having your GED when you try to transfer after community college if you end up going.</p>
<p>Unless you could manage to complete the current version of the GED between now and the end of December, you will be facing the new much tougher version that takes effect in January. So stop by the public library tomorrow, pick up a sample GED exam, and work through it at home to see if you have a chance of passing it.</p>
<p>Some students just hate HS and really are much happier once they are out of there. You could be one of those people, and if so, it makes sense to get out of there and into the CC as soon as possible. But do run this notion by your guidance counselor and the admissions staff at the CC that you would attend. They should be able to help you sort through all of your options and come up with a plan that will work for you.</p>
<p>I would have to take underage GED classes for a few weeks in order to qualify for the test, however, that would grandfather me in to this current test. Assuming I start them before January 1st. Personally I feel much more motivated to excel in college to me it feels like it matters more. It is more beneficial to your future, your career, and the knowledge you gain while attending is of the highest caliber. In contrast to High School which I see as merely a day care consisting of busy work and an improperly constructed curriculum that is so obsessed with standardized tests and state mandated garbage that the generally under qualified educators are forced to teach. There is no real learning going on in High School in my opinion. I have made my decision, thanks to all who have contributed.</p>
<p>Sorry man but CC isn’t better than HS, if anything it’s worse. 1st if you attend a good middle-class+ high school there will be pretty smart kids and good teachers. I don’t want to stereotype CC teachers but a lot seem to be the crappy HS rejects. I’ve been doing to CC for 2.5 years now and honestly I’ve only found 3 of my teachers to be really good. Likewise the students are mostly rejects that couldn’t even make it to a low-end university. Plus you don’t even know these people and there is little / no connection or friendship. It doesn’t have that small town high school feel. For the record I go to a good CC but it’s still inferior to my high school environment in every single way. </p>
<p>Furthermore like others have mentioned. If you didn’t do well in HS what would change in CC? Sorry but thinking you will do better is a lot different from putting in the work and effort to actually do better. Lastly if you were really that serious you would just learn material like stats or calc or w/e on your own. There is plenty of information on the internet. Then just take the AP classes and ace them. AP credits satisfy college credits.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to stereotype CC teachers but a lot seem to be the crappy HS rejects. I’ve been doing to CC for 2.5 years now and honestly I’ve only found 3 of my teachers to be really good.”</p>
<p>Ouch. Perhaps that is true at your CC, but is not true of all of them. It looks like this student is truly fed up with HS and ready to move on. Chances are that he/she will be much happier in a CC environment.</p>