GED vs High School Diploma

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Walking Tall

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Instead of having a High School Diploma, can a high schooler having passed the GED, uses that to apply to the service academy. Assuming he has taken the SAT/ACT tests.
 
A GED satisfies the requirement. But for a direct admit, I would imagine it would be an uphill battle to achieve nominations and offers of appointment without a high school diploma, unless there is a compelling narrative behind the story of why the applicant chose to quit school without graduating.
 
DTT!FSA! said:
A GED satisfies the requirement. But for a direct admit, I would imagine it would be an uphill battle to achieve nominations and offers of appointment without a high school diploma, unless there is a compelling narrative behind the story of why the applicant chose to quit school without graduating.
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I know they can enlist and try to use the LEAD program to qualify for USAFA or Prep School later. If they take community college classes for a year an excel in it. Will that help with nomination and USAFA admission committee or still going with the enlistment route a better option ?
 
Walking Tall said:
I know they can enlist and try to use the LEAD program to qualify for USAFA or Prep School later. If they take community college classes for a year an excel in it. Will that help with nomination and USAFA admission committee or still going with the enlistment route a better option ?
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Is there no way to get your degree? I assume you're young enough if you're looking at the academy, there are programs like Penn Foster that will allow you to finish your high school diploma online pretty inexpensively. But if there is a way to complete at the High School you were at, you should take it.

With a GED, you definitely could enlist (assuming you can get 50 or higher on the ASVAB, or preferably higher so that a recruiter takes you seriously), but I don't think that's gonna lead to an academic qualification when you go on to apply to the Academy. Either way, you're gonna need to take classes and excel in them to prove you're up to snuff. LEAD does have lower standards, only because you can get a USAFAPS spot which is not easy for civilians to get unless they're recruited athletes. I think the GED will still hurt you though unless you can show that you can take classes like Calc I, a lab science, and a humanities course and get high marks in college. Just guessing based on the profiles of people I have seen get in recently.
 
My DS is part of the 2027 Class. These information are for someone he knows and shown an interest in USAFA.
 
Walking Tall said:
My DS is part of the 2027 Class. These information are for someone he knows and shown an interest in USAFA.
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What high school classes did that student take? You have to remember that it is a competition. A high SAT/ACT score is good but it will not override a good high school academic career. A GED does satisfy the diploma requirement but that isn't really the goal. Being a high school graduate is the lowest requirement (akin to being a US citizen). The goal is to show USAFA that the student can handle the rigors of USAFA academics and that they should be chosen over others in their nomination pools.

We deal with this as homeschoolers. As a homeschooler, SAT/ACT scores are more important than a traditional-schooled student but they are not everything. I (the primary educator) was required to submit a course description document detailing my ds's high school academic career. They wanted nitty-gritty details about his high school academics. I think that a student with a GED would need a really good story as to why a GED over a high school diploma and have an account of high school academics that would warrant admission to a cometitive engineering school.

Then, they would still need the leadership/ECA and athetic components as well.
 
GED says "you meet the minimum necessary to graduate HS"

Why would the student get a GED and not a HS diploma?
1) If they are in a hurry to graduate, they are competing with other students who have taken 4 years including AP/IB/Dual Enrollment courses.
2) They think HS too easy... they should be taking Dual Enrollment courses at local CC
3) They have issues with bullying...not sure the military is the right place for them
 
bopper said:
GED says "you meet the minimum necessary to graduate HS"

Why would the student get a GED and not a HS diploma?
1) If they are in a hurry to graduate, they are competing with other students who have taken 4 years including AP/IB/Dual Enrollment courses.
2) They think HS too easy... they should be taking Dual Enrollment courses at local CC
3) They have issues with bullying...not sure the military is the right place for them
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He's pretty much the same as other kid up until Covid then due to certain reason have to go the GED route after that. That's what I can gathered.
 
I wonder if there were issues attending Zoom class... but is it
1) Had to watch siblings
2) Didn't have the technology
3) Had to work
4) Just didn't go to class/participate

If he has to get a GED , then he needs to show he can do college level work. Colleges and SAs want to admit people they think that can succeed. A GED does not show this. He should consider going to Community College taking classes that mirror what an Academy student would do and see how it goes. Then he can apply to 4 year college/ROTC or Service Academy
 
bopper said:
I wonder if there were issues attending Zoom class... but is it
1) Had to watch siblings
2) Didn't have the technology
3) Had to work
4) Just didn't go to class/participate

If he has to get a GED , then he needs to show he can do college level work. Colleges and SAs want to admit people they think that can succeed. A GED does not show this. He should consider going to Community College taking classes that mirror what an Academy student would do and see how it goes. Then he can apply to 4 year college/ROTC or Service Academy
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Why wouldn't an exemplary SAT or ACT score show this? I disagree that community College courses are required, but they can help if you have a CC within a reasonable distance. Much of rural America does not.
 
kinnem said:
Why wouldn't an exemplary SAT or ACT score show this? I disagree that community College courses are required, but they can help if you have a CC within a reasonable distance. Much of rural America does not.
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I would think it would of course help your situation...but the level of say, Math you need for SAT is Alg 2 and a GED would need Geometry... much less than what you need to be competitive for SA (at least Pre-cal but hopefully Calc)
 
I know someone who dropped out of high school has a GED, and was direct to USAFA via LEAD. It is possible.
 
Clar said:
I know someone who dropped out of high school has a GED, and was direct to USAFA via LEAD. It is possible.
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LEAD is a very different path. First, they have an alternate nomination pathway. Second, they have an AF track record including BMT and AIT. DS's roommate at USAFA got in via LEAD but was not competitive when he applied out of high school.
 
Clar said:
I know someone who dropped out of high school has a GED, and was direct to USAFA via LEAD. It is possible.
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Also nobody says it is impossible but it is very difficult to be competitive relative to other applicants.
 
Just curous and not attacking home schooling. Do you get a HS diploma for that or do you get a GED. I ask because i have seen several home schoolkids get into the acadmey
 
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