I just turned 20, I’m behind 2 years in school, I want a High School Diploma, not a GED, how do I get it?!?

As a Home schooling Parent I can tell you that you don’t need a actual diploma to go ahead and go to college. You do however have to be able to score well on SAT tests and College entry exams. You can educate yourself with a variety of home school curriculum and maybe even take some classes at a local community college. Look in to it before you listen to nay sayers about it, I have several families I am personally connected to that have several kids already through college and doing great in their careers that have been home schooled all their lives. They are some of my mentors.

Here is a website and you can email for more information.

www.hslda.org

When you complete the graduation requirements through homeschooling, you get a GED. And in terms of meeting education requirements (for a job or for college), it counts exactly the same as a high school diploma.

In my opinion, a GED says more positive things about a person than a high school diploma does. The diploma just means they stayed with the system and finished. A GED says that for whatever reason (your migraines, for example) the person wasn’t able to finish the regular way, but later they went back, picked up their schooling, and DID finish. It means they had the backbone to refuse to accept failure instead of just saying “the hockey sticks with it” and letting their education remain unfinished.

Honestly, I been there and wasted alot of time because I wanted at “diploma” but in all reality it’s the same thing so just get your GED and be done with high school. No one will judge or look down on you for having a GED. In the real world it makes no difference. What does matter is your college degree. So go ahead get that GED and start concentrating on bigger and better things…COLLEGE.

You are so RIGHT. A diploma means a lot more to employers and every school from trade to university. Don’t go homeschool, I think that’s about the same as GED, because you still take about the same test.

Call your school district–the secondary education person and explain what you want to do. S/he should have a program to do that. If not, call the state dept. of education and repeat the question–you’ll probably have to repeat many times there, but there’s a huge nation-wide push to get people graduated.

If all that fails, try sreb.org. You can find the names of people who help high schools get folks like you graduated and they have contacts in 38 states (despite the name).

You’re never too old to go back to school. People have to leave school for all kinds of reasons. Then they go back when they are able. Talk to a guidance counsellor to find out what your options are. There are online courses, correspondence courses, community tutors at libraries, all kinds of resources to help you. Being 2 years behind isn’t too much. You won’t look much different than the other students. Some people go back to school in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and even older. All the best, and hang in there! Go for your goals.

Yes you usually can get a diploma through a home school, but it is complicated. Most states have a home school association. Try searching for it on the internet. Some states also have free online high schools (i.e. Minnesota). If you need more help, email me with your city and state.

A GED is a high school diploma. It counts, so i would go that way, for ti shows that you are committed to getting ahead.