Diploma From Alford High School gives an Edge over GED

One of the most challenging tasks for students coming out of elementary schools is to figure out whether to go for a High School Diploma or a GED in order to complete their high school education. The reason behind their dilemma is indeed one- to know which of the two will better their chances of getting into a prestigious college or university. As the competition keeps getting tougher and tougher for the limited number of admissions that top universities have on offer, such decisions becomes all the more critical for students. Students want to make sure that the academic choices they make propel them in the right direction to enable them to ultimately land up at their desired institutions. While many students spend years earning their High School Diplomas, others take a battery of tests in a single day and get a GED. But the question remains! Is GED as good as an actual diploma from a reputed high school such as Alford High School? Do colleges or employers give any serious consideration to the one you choose? Here a few hard facts that you should know before you opt for any of the two

High School Diploma vs. GED

On paper the HSD (High School Diploma) and the GED(General Educational Development also known as General Equivalency Diploma) might look similar but there are some drastic differences between the two that make the High School Diploma comparatively superior to GED in more than one ways.

While the HSD is considered as a proper high school education consisting of formal classroom learning for a number of years, the GED is considered more as a shorter route to get to a high school equivalency. To get a GED students don’t have to attend formal classroom sessions and complete the usual course study that is involved in a High School Diploma. What they need to do is to appear for a series of back to back tests, usually five, in order to be able to earn a high school equivalency. Hence in other words a GED is more a test of luck than skill to achieve a high school equivalency.

The difference, however, comes into play when one goes for higher education. The best traditional and online universities around the world prefer granting admissions to students holding a High School Diploma rather than a GED. In cases where there are more than one candidates competing for the same vacancy, colleges and universities give more preference to students holding a High School Diploma. According to their observation, students having a proper high schooling background are more academically polished and refined as compared to students having a GED. They justify their claim by saying that to a few hours of GED tests (seven hours and five minutes cumulatively to be precise) cannot be termed compatible to proper high schooling done through online or traditional sources and consequently carry less worth.

Hence students holding a GED have slimmer chances of getting picked by top colleges and universities when squared up with a student holding an HSD from Alford High School. This results in them settling for less renowned institutions for higher education which ultimately affects their resume and their prospects for employment at top organizations around the world.