GED eligibility

[katherineburns]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Colorado or anywhere that what I'm asking is legal

Hello. Some quick background information:
When I was 15 I lost my mind. Was legitimately and clinically insane. I completely failed my first semester 11th grade (I wanted to drop out by mommy wouldn't let me until I finished the semester) and then dropped out or "transferred" to Penn Foster High School. It's online.

Is that place even actually accredited? I think it is, but I hope it's not, that would be better.

Anyway, it was a complete joke. There was no rigor. I googled all the test questions to find the answers. In my defense, I was insane.

So now I am 19 and fairly mentally healthy.

I'm so ashamed of my high school record. It is awful it doesn't seem real.

I would really love to study hard and get some great GED scores and have a high school equivalency diploma instead? But I "graduated" from penn foster so I don't think I am eligible. And that sucks. Is there any way I can plead my case?

Or is my only option to move on? I guess that's okay but I feel so upset that just because I was an insane 15-17 year old my stars are ruined. I guess that's life though.

Anyway, let me know, and thank you so much!

 

[ecmst12]

Nothing is stopping you from studying hard and learning everything you failed to learn before, just for your own sake.

 

[xylene]

I guess that's okay but I feel so upset that just because I was an insane 15-17 year old my stars are ruined.

What are you talking about "stars"

You don't need a GED, you have a high school diploma.

If you have bad grades, but want to go to college... go to community college get good grades and then transfer. Realistically that is what you would have to to if you had a GED.

You have a high school diploma, which is much better than a GED.

 

[Humusluvr]

What are you talking about "stars"

You don't need a GED, you have a high school diploma.

If you have bad grades, but want to go to college... go to community college get good grades and then transfer. Realistically that is what you would have to to if you had a GED.

You have a high school diploma, which is much better than a GED.

Agreed. Even with bad passing grades, you are still better to have a high school diploma than a GED. A diploma is looked more highly upon by employers.

Also a good suggestion to get into a community college, get all A's, then transfer to a University.

Or, get a job and do community service work. That is looked very highly upon!

 

[FlyingRon]

Agreed. Even with bad passing grades, you are still better to have a high school diploma than a GED. A diploma is looked more highly upon by employers.

Also a good suggestion to get into a community college, get all A's, then transfer to a University.

Or, get a job and do community service work. That is looked very highly upon!

Agreed. Nobody other than colleges looks at your high school grades. If you have a real diploma it means you at least stuck it out. While it may not make you qualified, it puts you ahead of those who don't have a high school (and doesn't leave me wondering about what happened to the guy who had to resort to getting a GED later).

As pointed out, if colleges won't take you a community college will almost certainly. My son who barely made it through high school on the five year plan (including being in an ED center and votech and poor grades), after working a few years in retail (and dealing with some health issues) ended up at the community college for a few years, worked his butt off to do well (ended up in some Community College equivalent to Phi Beta Kappa) and transferred over to the University.

 

[commentator]

High school and the grades you make in high school is probably the first place that a young soon to be adult hits the realization that you can make choices and bad decisions (not to study, not to work up to your potential) that can't be unmade, fixed or taken back later when you are more mature, feel differently about things, or are not insane any longer.

Are you still receiving some sort of counseling right now? I see your fixation with wanting to re-do high school as a sort of desire to undo all the things that happened to you during that period of your life. Incidentally, don't run around telling everyone now that you went "insane" It doesn't sound very professional, and it isn't something anyone wants to talk to you about, and it does not stand you well in any situation. Also, I still hear a lot of wanting to blame Mommy here, and as for "my stars are ruined," that's garbage. What you did as a 15-17 year old can definitely be improved upon by good choices now.

Forget taking the GED, which is NOT as highly regarded as an actual high school diploma, which you have, for better or worse. Just because you googled the answers does not mean you didn't learn a little something. And it DOESN"T MATTER now.

Besides, a lot of people who were very successful in high school are never again that successful in life, while others who had a rough start have certainly pulled it out and moved on.
Nothing says you can't do the same.

I assure you that no prospective employer is every going to put any importance on what sort of grades you made in high school, as long as you went there and got the credential. As for going to college, junior college and then transferring to a better 4 year school is the way to overcome poor high school grades. Believe me, for getting into a very good college, GED scores are not nearly as highly regarded as high school grades, even if you aced the test, there's no reason you would want to have a GED in addition to the diploma you already have. if you get into a good junior college and they think you need remedials to be successful, they'll require them of you, and this would be much more functional than piddling around wanting to re-do high school.