High School Diploma vs. GED: What You Need To Know

Living in the US, you have more than one option when it comes to gaining your high school qualifications. Many students find they need to choose between getting their high school diploma or getting their GED certificate. There’s a lot of misinformation floating around, so how do you choose what’s best for you?

Here at American High School, we’ve put together this guide to help you understand the difference and pick an option that’s best for you. Whatever you decide to do, we can help you finish high school online.

What is the high school diploma?

If you were to stay in school and complete your educational career as is the norm, the high school diploma is the qualification you will earn. It’s the most common qualification for people finishing high school, and one that you’ll see on most young people’s resumes. It’s an important qualification, as it will go a long way towards convincing potential colleges to accept you as a student.

Benefits of getting your diploma

• You can access extracurricular benefits: Taking part in online high school programs is indistinguishable from learning in school, but it does mean you can’t take part in other activities. For example, students who want to progress in sport won’t be able to take part in school sports teams. This doesn’t mean that you can’t join a neighborhood team though. You can still get the benefit of these activities, but you’ll have to seek them out for yourself.

• Get your qualification earlier than a GED: People who choose to take the GED test instead are often older than regular high school students. If you want to get your qualifications as quickly as possible, you may be better earning it while you’re still in high school. That means you can get a jump start on planning for your future career.

• Accepted by more educational facilities: While the GED is the equivalent to a high school diploma, not as many institutes of learning accept it. If you want to keep your options open for your further education, the high school diploma could be the way to go for you.

What is the GED?

The General Educational Development Test (GED) is designed for adults aged 16 or over and aren’t currently enrolled in a high school. It’s a way of getting an equivalent qualification to a high school diploma, without having to attend high school. In fact, many mistake the acronym to stand for the General Equivalency Test.

It’s a good option for people who weren’t able to finish high school, whatever the reason may be. Perhaps you had to support your family financially, or had to drop out due to pressures at your school. It gives you the qualifications you need without having to be enrolled in a school.

Benefits of getting your GED

• Offers the same credentials as a diploma: As we just mentioned, the GED gives you a qualification that is equivalent to a high school diploma. You can gain this qualification and then use it in the same way you would use the diploma. For example, you can use it towards any college applications, or in job applications.

• Available to those above school age: Just because you aged out of the high school system, doesn’t mean that you can’t complete it. An online high school, such as ourselves, will be able to support you no matter how old you are. There’s no time when you’re ineligible to attain your GED.

• A good alternative in extreme circumstances: Sometimes students want to stay in school, but circumstances conspire against them. If you can’t stay in school, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a qualification. Getting your GED means you won’t miss out on essential learning.

How American High School can help

Here at American High School we believe that learning isn’t limited to the classroom. If you want to learn, you can do so anywhere. That’s why we offer such a wide range of classes in our high school online, so you can get the credits you need to go on and do bigger and better things.

You can study with us if you’re totally fresh to the high school system, or if you already have partial credits to your name. We’ll work with you to get you the credits you need and get you qualified. We care about every student that comes to us and we’ll make sure you get all the support you need.

If you’re interested, check out the courses we offer and then get in touch with us. It’s easy to get started, and you’ll be glad you did once you have your qualification. You don’t need to set foot in a school to learn with us, all you need is a computer and an eagerness to learn.