Diploma or GED: A Homeschooler's Choice

I have witnessed both homeschoolers entering college with a diploma and with a GED. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Before you make a choice, be informed. Read the comparison below.

GED:

One of my dear friend's daughter had completely finished with twelfth grade at the age of sixteen. She felt her daughter was ready to attend community college, so she had her apply to take the GED test. Her daughter passed 'with flying colors' and was admitted into the community college without a glitch. This was a good solution and met her goals. At the time, colleges didn't look fondly at home-made transcripts of homeschooled applicants.

An advantage of taking the GED is that employers will not likely as how a student entered college when applying for a job. The employer just may want to know that the student has a college diploma. If the student only wants to go to community college, then a GED is fine. The disadvantage is that children who want to attend a private college or university will have a difficult time being accepted with a GED. These institutions tend to look at specific grade point averages, classes taken, and class rank.

Diploma:

There are two ways for a homeschooled child to get a diploma. The parents can either make one and print out their home-made transcripts to be submitted to colleges or they can use a long distance learning school for their child's high school years.

The advantage to getting your child a diploma and transcripts is that colleges and universities have more information to consider for admission. College admission representatives are also becoming more open to accepting homeschooled students as they have found them to be dedicated and ambitious. The disadvantage is that there still are colleges and universities who don't look kindly on the home-made transcripts.

Parents should check with potential colleges and universities that their child is interested in attending to get all of the admission information. Ask questions to find out if home-made transcripts will be a hindrance to the child's acceptance into the university. As a matter of fact, I have one friend whose twins were allowed to attend community college for their Senior year of high school. This allowed them to earn college credits while earning their high school diploma at the same time. Contact your local community college to see what is available for your child. If you choose a long distance learning school, then the only disadvantage might be paying for the tuition for four years.